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Clear Infosec

External Network Penetration Testing

Your perimeter, from an attacker's view.

Unauthenticated testing of your internet-facing infrastructure to find the exposures an external attacker would exploit to gain a foothold.

What we test

Where we focus

Exposed services and misconfigurations

Vulnerable and unpatched systems

Perimeter authentication and VPNs

Email and DNS security

Credential exposure and weak access

Foothold and initial-access paths

This is part of our Vulnerability Assessment & Penetration Testing service. Retest validation is included at no added cost.

Who it's for

Any organization with internet-facing systems, servers, VPNs, or exposed services that wants to know what an unauthenticated external attacker could reach and exploit.

FAQ

Common questions

What is external network penetration testing?

External network penetration testing is unauthenticated testing of internet-facing infrastructure to find the exposures an outside attacker would exploit to gain a foothold. It commonly follows methodologies such as NIST SP 800-115 and PTES.

What is NIST SP 800-115?

NIST Special Publication 800-115 is the Technical Guide to Information Security Testing and Assessment. It describes a structured approach to security testing, including planning, discovery, attack, and reporting, and is widely used as a reference methodology for network penetration tests.

What does an external test typically find?

Common results include exposed or misconfigured services, unpatched systems, weak perimeter authentication and VPN configurations, email and DNS security gaps, and leaked or reused credentials that create initial-access paths.

The CLEAR Method

A structured methodology, From scope to retest, proof over theory.

  1. C

    Context & Scoping

    Objectives, scope, and rules of engagement.

  2. L

    Locate & Enumerate

    Discover assets, services, and attack surface.

  3. E

    Exploit & Evaluate

    Safely validate what is truly exploitable.

  4. A

    Analyze & Advise

    Root cause, risk, and remediation guidance.

  5. R

    Retest & Report

    Confirm fixes, then report with evidence.

Aligned toPTESOSSTMMMITRE ATT&CKOWASPNIST 800-115MITRE ATLAS

Explore more VAPT coverage

Let's scope your external network penetration testing.

Practitioner-led testing, proof of impact, and retest validation included at no added cost.

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