Penetration Testing - Web, API, Mobile & Infrastructure
Uncover Vulnerabilities To Strengthen Your Defences
Penetration testing is a security exercise where our ethical hacking team launch up to date real world attacks against your nominated systems. We report back on the findings and how to remediate any identified vulnerabilities.
Testing is typically performed against systems such as networks, and web and/or mobile applications on a cyclical basis and whenever a significant change occurs.
Testing can be conducted from either an external (outsider threat) and/or internal (insider threat) perspective depending on your test requirements.
Our wide ranging experience with complex architecture designs, the latest attack techniques, exploits and security flaws, allow us to combine complex penetration testing attacks with exclusive techniques to achieve better outcomes.
Kaon Security follow a custom methodology based on industry standards such as Penetration Testing Execution Standards (PTES), Open Source Security Testing Methodology Manual (OSSTMM), and Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP).
The highly experienced penetration test team go beyond the point of initial access or security gap discovery, allowing us to locate additional hidden risks or threats.
Contact us to discuss your testing requirements.
See how one NSW council strengthened its security with our Penetration Testing service.
Benefits Of Penetration Testing
Better understand your security gaps, current cyber security risk profile and practical steps for improvement
Determine exactly how effective your existing defence mechanisms are
Evaluate whether or not your organisation is following cyber security best practice
Get recommendations to remediate any identified issues
Deliverables
The reporting will consider: The nature of the vulnerability; the skill required to detect and exploit the vulnerability; the impact on the target where it was found, and consequently the organisation
The report will provide a detailed understanding of the scope, approach and findings and will provide a comprehensive set of recommendations designed to mitigate identified problem areas
Types of Penetration Testing
Penetration testing is generally categorised into three primary testing approaches. In order to deliver the outcome you wish for we recommend discussing your key objectives, budget and time frame with our consultants who will work with you to identify the most suitable testing approach.
White Box Penetration Testing: allows the team to carrying out extensive penetration testing because it is carried out from a position of full knowledge of the target, in many cases this includes source code and architectural details
Grey Box Penetration Testing: allows the team to focus on areas of more risk to you, and value to a hacker, because it is carried out from a position of limited knowledge of the target
Black Box Penetration Testing: allows the team to enact an anonymous penetration test because it is carried out from a position of almost no knowledge of the target
Red Teaming – A red team engagement involves using advanced tactics that may go undetected compared to the standard testing approach.
Added to an external network test this comprehensive evaluation extends beyond technical aspects, encompassing OSINT, breached credentials discovery and credential stuffing attacks, and social engineering techniques and file upload attacks.
Added to an internal network test, the red team assume the role of malicious actors, employing various tactics like vulnerability scanning, lateral movement, privilege escalation, and data exfiltration to assess the network's defences. The end goal is to elevate privileges to become a domain admin.
Furthermore, web application penetration testing includes options for either authenticated or unauthenticated testing:
Authenticated: used for comprehensive test scenarios where the web application has a login function. Our team are supplied with credentials to be able to extend the scope of testing to include complex tasks, such as verifying the different authentication levels and associated data security risks
Unauthenticated: used for basic test scenarios, this approach is typically suited to web applications without a login function
Frequently Asked Questions
Penetration testing can seem complex if you haven’t been through the process before. Here are some of the questions we’re most often asked about Penetration Testing, with clear answers to help you understand what’s involved and why it matters.
Penetration Testing (Pen Testing) is a controlled and ethical cyberattack on your organisation’s systems, applications, or network. The goal is to identify and safely exploit vulnerabilities in these areas before a real attacker can. This process provides valuable insight into your current security posture and helps create a clear set of remediation steps for strengthening defences.
Penetration Testing helps uncover weaknesses that could be exploited in a real cyberattack. It allows you to detect and fix critical vulnerabilities, validate your existing security controls in real-world conditions, meet industry standards from bodies such as such as OWASP, ISO, PCI DSS, or NIST, and ultimately reduce the risk of costly breaches, downtime and reputational damage.
Vulnerability Scanning uses automated tools to flag known issues. Penetration Testing goes further by using manual techniques to actively exploit those weaknesses. This demonstrates the real‑world impact of an attack, giving you a much clearer understanding of the risks to your organisation.
We offer:
- External Testing – internet-facing systems and services
- Internal Testing – internal network security
- Web Application Testing – vulnerabilities such as SQL injection, XSS
- Wireless Testing – Wi-Fi network security
- Cloud Testing – Microsoft 365, AWS, Azure environments
- Social Engineering – phishing or other human-targeted attacks
No. Penetration testing is designed to be safe and non‑disruptive. Tests are scheduled at agreed times to minimise impact. Our experienced testers follow strict ethical standards and robust procedures to protect your data and prevent any loss or disruption.
If we discover a critical or high-risk vulnerability during testing, we notify you immediately so you can begin mitigation while we finalise the report.
Once testing is complete, you’ll receive a detailed report showing any vulnerabilities or security issues detected during testing with recommendations for remediation.
These terms describe how much information a penetration tester has before the assessment begins.
Black Box Testing - the tester has no prior knowledge of the systems - just like an external attacker would.
Grey Box Testing - the tester is provided with limited information, such as user level credentials or basic architecture details, to simulate an insider threat with partial access.
White Box Testing - the tester has full knowledge, including system documentation, source code, or admin access, allowing for a deep assessment of security from the inside out.
Authenticated Testing involves logging into a system or application with valid credentials, simulating what a legitimate user (or a compromised account) could do once inside. This helps uncover issues like privilege escalation and access to sensitive data.
Unauthenticated Testing is performed without login credentials. It focuses on what an attacker could see and exploit from the outside, testing your perimeter defences and exposed services. Most penetration tests include a mix of both to provide a complete view of risk.
Penetration Testing is a targeted assessment designed to identify and exploit vulnerabilities within a defined scope, providing clear findings and remediation steps.
Red Teaming is broader and more realistic. It simulates a full scale attack using a variety of tactics such as phishing, social engineering, and stealth techniques to test not only technical vulnerabilities, but also how well your people, processes, and security controls detect and respond to a live threat.