Computer Security and Compliance

NodeZero from Horizon3.ai is a leading-edge penetration test (pentest) platform that supports continuous, concurrent, autonomous testing of your network to help you find, prioritize, fix, and verify cybersecurity vulnerabilities before threat actors can exploit them. Pentests allow you to work proactively to block attackers from stealing data, disrupting operations, or causing financial or reputational loss. (For information about pentesting, see Progent's penetration testing services.)

NodeZero can emulate modern cyber attack techniques by steadily pivoting through your network and chaining together discovered weaknesses until an exploitable attack path is exposed. NodeZero then benignly exploits the vulnerability as proof of the weakness, assesses and prioritizes the potential damage possible from an actual malicious exploit, reports the findings, and provides AI-powered guidance for a fix. NodeZero's reports highlight systemic issues where making a single repair can be leveraged to block multiple attack paths. Once you have closed the reported security gaps, you can run NodeZero's 1-click verification to confirm remediation actions were successful. NodeZero can automatically produce compliance reports required for SOC2, HIPAA, GDPR, and other common compliance requirements.

Progent can provide the expertise of a NodeZero Certified Operator (NCO) to help you use NodeZero to perform comprehensive penetration tests of your network perimeter and your internal IT infrastructure so you can accurately assess your complete security profile. Progent can help you configure and launch NodeZero pentests customized for your network environment, analyze NodeZero reports, and remediate vulnerabilities according to their potential impact on your network. Progent's experts can also help you design and deploy a unified cybersecurity strategy that streamlines management and provides optimum protection for on-prem, multi-cloud, and perimeter IT assets.

Internal and External Pentests
Internal pentesting with NodeZero assumes your network perimeter has been breached and carries out a pentest of your internal network infrastructure to determine what security weaknesses may exist that expose your network to serious compromise. To help you prioritize your remediation activity, the NodeZero dashboard makes it clear which internal security weaknesses can cause the most damage to your organization and which ones enable the most attack vectors. External pentesting with NodeZero is cloud-hosted and uses the latest hacker techniques to breach your perimeter.

Common Vulnerabilities PEN Testing Can Help Identify and Mitigate
Malicious actors continually probe IT environments for vulnerabilities using an ever-evolving arsenal of tools and techniques. While there are many different types of security vulnerabilities, here are some of the most common ones hackers try to exploit:

• Software applications that have not had the latest updates and security patches applied
• Code injection flaws that allow hackers to input code or queries in a web app that tricks the app into executing malicious commands or providing access to sensitive resources
• Zero-day vulnerabilities in software that both the target company and the software vendor are not yet aware of and thus have not had time to work on a fix
• Authentication vulnerabilities that make it easier to get inside a system or to masquerade as a legitimate user
• Configuration vulnerabilities that create gaps in security systems such as opening risky ports or leaving cloud storage buckets exposed to anyone with the right address
• Unpatched operating systems
• SQL Injection
• Weak account credentials
• Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
• Insecure Direct Object References (IDOR)
• Device misconfigurations
• Stale objects
• Open systems access
• Old methodology security deployments vs modern best practices
• Lack of out-of-band 2FA protection resulting in unsecured communications (example: Man In The Middle Attacks)

• Compliance with Cyber Insurance Providers: For many cyber insurance providers, a periodic pentest is required to obtain or keep coverage.
• Identify Perimeter Vulnerabilities: External penetration tests help organizations discover vulnerabilities in their external-facing systems, such as websites, servers, and network devices.
• Realistic Threat Simulation: Penetration tests simulate real-world attack scenarios, giving organizations a better understanding of their susceptibility to various cyber threats.
• Compliance Requirements: Many regulatory frameworks and industry standards (e.g., PCI DSS, HIPAA, GDPR, NIS 2) mandate regular security assessments, including external penetration tests. Failing to comply can result in legal and financial consequences.
• Risk Mitigation: Identifying and fixing vulnerabilities proactively can reduce the risk of data breaches, financial losses, and damage to an organization's reputation.
• Third-Party Vendor Assessment: Organizations can use external pentests to evaluate the security of third-party vendors, ensuring that these partners do not introduce vulnerabilities into the supply chain.
• Improved Incident Response: A penetration test can help organizations fine-tune their incident response processes by identifying weaknesses in their ability to detect and respond to security incidents.
• Security Awareness: Conducting pentests can raise awareness among employees and stakeholders about the importance of cybersecurity. It can also help educate them on safe online practices.
• Security Baseline Assessment: Penetration tests establish a baseline for security, enabling organizations to measure the effectiveness of security improvements over time.
• Competitive Advantage: Demonstrating a commitment to security through regular pentesting can be a competitive advantage, assuring customers and partners that their data is protected.
• Security Investment Justification: Pentest results can provide tangible evidence of the need for increased investment in cybersecurity measures and technologies.
• Internal Policy Validation: Organizations can validate whether their internal security policies are effective in preventing external threats.
• Reduction of Attack Surface: By identifying and addressing vulnerabilities exposed during a penetration test, organizations can reduce their attack surface and make it harder for attackers to compromise their systems.
• Incident Simulation: Organizations can simulate targeted attacks, allowing their security teams to practice responding to real threats in a controlled environment.
• Continuous Improvement: Regular external penetration tests help organizations track their security improvements over time, ensuring that they stay ahead of evolving threats.
• Legal and Regulatory Protection: In case of a security breach, having documented evidence of regular pentesting efforts can provide a degree of legal and regulatory protection by demonstrating due diligence in security.

Contact Progent for Penetration Testing Consulting
For more information about Progent's consulting services for NodeZero-powered penetration testing, call Progent at 800-993-9400 or visit Contact Progent.

Ransomware 24x7 Hot Line: Call 800-462-8800
Progent's Ransomware 24x7 Hot Line is designed to guide organizations to take the urgent first phase in responding to a ransomware attack by putting out the fire. Progent's online ransomware expert can help you to identify and isolate breached servers and endpoints and guard clean resources from being compromised. If your system has been breached by any version of ransomware, act fast. Get immediate help by calling Progent's Ransomware Hot Line at 800-462-8800. For more information, see Progent's Ransomware 24x7 Hot Line.