AWSMTECH

AWSMTECH

Penetration testing & Pentest

Identify exploitable vulnerabilities before a cybercriminal does.

“Don't assume your defences work. Test them.”

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Pentest

Put your security to the test before an attacker does.

Firewall, Microsoft 365, MFA, antivirus, VPN, applications, network equipment… Your business probably already has several layers of protection. But one question remains essential:

Would they withstand a real intrusion attempt?

A penetration test, or pentest, simulates a controlled cyberattack to identify the exploitable vulnerabilities in your environment before they are used against your organisation.

  1. Identify
  2. Test
  3. Fix
  4. Strengthen
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Proven security

Moving from assumed security to proven security

Penetration testing takes a different approach: actively looking for weaknesses and verifying whether they can be exploited, within a controlled framework.

Deploying cybersecurity solutions is essential. But it does not automatically demonstrate that your environment is properly protected.

A misconfiguration, an unnecessarily exposed service, a vulnerable application or an insufficient security control can create a potential entry point.

Scope

What can a penetration test cover?

Infrastructure & network

Assess how systems, exposed services and network components withstand different attack scenarios.

Web applications

Look for vulnerabilities that could affect an application or the data it processes.

Systems & servers

Test specific configurations and protections to identify unintended access or exploitation paths.

External environment

Analyse what an attacker outside your organisation could identify and attempt to exploit.

Internal environment

Assess what could happen if an attacker or a compromised account already had access to part of the environment.

Scenarios

Black box, grey box or white box?

Not all penetration tests start from the same level of information.

  • Black box

    The tester has little initial information about the environment. This approach is closer to a scenario where an external attacker must first discover accessible systems before looking for weaknesses.

  • Grey box

    The tester has some information or a defined level of access. The goal may be to assess what becomes accessible when an account or user already has access to the environment.

  • White box

    The tester has more complete information about the target in order to carry out a more in-depth analysis of specific components.

The right scenario depends on the risk your organisation actually wants to measure.

Method

How does a penetration test work?

  1. 01

    Define the scope

    Which systems do we want to test? What are the objectives? Which constraints must be respected?

  2. 02

    Map the attack surface

    The accessible elements within scope are analysed to identify points that could be of interest to an attacker.

  3. 03

    Search for vulnerabilities

    Technical analyses identify potential weaknesses.

  4. 04

    Test exploitability

    Within the agreed framework, selected vulnerabilities are tested to understand their real impact. This is what sets a pentest apart from a simple list of vulnerabilities.

  5. 05

    Prioritise fixes

    The results must distinguish theoretical weaknesses from risks requiring priority attention.

  6. 06

    Strengthen the environment

    The real objective starts here: turning test results into concrete security actions.

The scope and methodology are defined before any testing begins.

Report

A report that serves both management and technical teams

A pentest should not end with a report dozens of pages long that nobody reads. The outcome must make it clear:

  • What was found
  • What could be exploited
  • What risk it represents
  • What actions must be taken
  • And in what order

For management

Risk → Impact → Priority → Decision

A clear view of the level of exposure and the priority actions.

For technical teams

Vulnerability → Severity → Evidence → Recommendation → Remediation

The information needed to actually fix the weaknesses identified.

Pentest vs scan

Pentest or vulnerability scan?

Vulnerability scanning

Scanning regularly looks for potential vulnerabilities in the assets analysed. It is particularly suited to continuous monitoring.

Penetration testing

A pentest goes further within a defined scope, notably by determining whether certain vulnerabilities can actually be exploited. It provides a more targeted analysis at a given point in time.

The two are complementary

Vulnerability management

“Which vulnerabilities do we have?”

Penetration testing

“How far could an attacker go?”

Discover vulnerability management

Remediation

Finding a vulnerability is only the first step

The value of a test is measured above all by what you fix afterwards.

A pentest report does not reduce your exposure on its own. Once vulnerabilities are identified, they must be analysed, prioritised and then fixed.

We can turn the technical results of the pentest into a structured remediation plan, then support corrective actions on the environments we manage.

  1. Test
  2. Understand
  3. Prioritise
  4. Fix
  5. Strengthen

Independence

Independent testing, a genuine guarantee of credibility

Whoever protects your environment should not be the only one judging its effectiveness.

A penetration test must provide an objective view of your security posture. That is why we believe that whoever assesses security should not be the one who designed or operates the environment being tested.

To guarantee this impartiality, penetration tests are carried out by our expert partner SECULABS, who assesses your environment independently.

This separation of roles brings an external, neutral and critical perspective on the vulnerabilities identified, while AWSMTECH then helps you understand the results and implement corrective measures.

An independent eye to test. A trusted partner to support your remediation.
  1. 01

    Before

    To prepare and define the relevant scope.

  2. 02

    During

    To help the testers understand the environment and coordinate the engagement.

  3. 03

    After

    To analyse the results, prioritise actions and support remediation.

When?

When should you run a penetration test?

There is no universal frequency that suits every business. A pentest may be particularly relevant:

  • Before an important environment goes into production
  • After a significant change to the infrastructure
  • When a critical application needs to be assessed
  • As part of a cybersecurity improvement programme
  • When a client, partner, insurer or governance framework requires greater assurance on security controls
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Cyber strategy

One component of your cybersecurity strategy

A penetration test is an in-depth snapshot of a given scope at a given point in time. It therefore does not replace continuous security measures.

Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions

A penetration test is a controlled attack simulation designed to identify vulnerabilities and assess their exploitability within a defined scope.

Penetration testing

Would your security withstand an attack?

Don't settle for assuming your protections work. Put them to the test in a controlled environment, identify weaknesses and fix them before they become entry points. AWSMTECH supports you in defining the scope, interpreting the results and implementing corrective actions.

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A question about the scope of a pentest? Write to us