Testing a Giant Corporate Network
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Summary
Even when faced with a giant, multi-national internal network, we could find meaningful security issues and identify the systematic improvements that could help prevent future compromises.
Client need
We worked with a multi-national financial institution that required internal network testing of their entire estate. Our client had offices and networks in sixteen countries, all of which were connected to a central Active Directory domain. As part of their ongoing security process, they asked us to identify security vulnerabilities and attack paths that could lead to financial and reputational damage.
What we did
We began the assessment by identifying all the assets on the client’s network. This resulted in a discovery of over 10,000 active hosts, ranging from Unix-based systems to Windows endpoint devices. Through systematic enumeration with manual and automated processes, we were able to identify critical vulnerabilities in thousands of systems, which could have resulted in a compromise of the whole Active Directory domain.
Client benefit
Using our experience in security testing and engineering, we were able to exploit many of the identified vulnerabilities to prove the true risk to the institution. Our assessment and findings allowed our client to understand the risk to their business, and where systemic issues had arisen within the network and operations processes. With our guidance and recommendations, the client has been able to begin the process of improving their security posture and reducing their security risks. With our ongoing support, the client can continue to identify and resolve systemic security issues before they lead to a significant breach.
