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Penetration Testing Services

Independent Technical Testing

Penetration Testing Focused on Real Risk — Not Checklist Compliance

Cyber attacks do not respect technical boundaries. Infrastructure, applications and cloud services are often exploited together, with attackers targeting the weakest link: whether that is an exposed service, a misconfigured platform component or a flaw in application logic.

Penetration testing is available as a standalone engagement or as a complement to an M365 or Azure Security Assessment, for clients who want adversarial validation of specific technical exposure identified during an assessment. Metis Security delivers penetration testing that combines infrastructure and application testing into a cohesive assessment, or as independently scoped engagements where required. Testing is conducted using real-world attack techniques and adversarial methodology, providing clarity on genuine exploitability rather than generating low-value findings.

We assess Internet-facing infrastructure and, where appropriate, internal environments via controlled remote access. This includes cloud platforms, traditional infrastructure and hybrid estates, alongside public-facing and internal web applications and APIs. By testing across layers, we identify how vulnerabilities can be chained to achieve meaningful impact.

Every engagement is tailored to business objectives, risk tolerance and operational priorities. Testing activity and practical recommendations are aligned to what materially reduces risk — not simply what satisfies a requirement. Our penetration testing focuses on depth, accuracy and actionable outcomes — enabling informed security decisions and measurable improvement.

Infrastructure
  • Linux and Windows server platforms
  • Network infrastructure (firewalls, routers, load balancers, VPN gateways)
  • Identity, authentication, and access control mechanisms
  • Middleware and supporting platform services (web, email, database)
  • Remote access and supporting infrastructure services

Application:

  • Public-facing and internal web applications
  • Custom-built and third-party applications
  • REST APIs and Mobile Apps
  • Authentication, authorisation & session management controls
  • Business logic, data handling, and input validation

Reconnaissance & Attack Surface Mapping

We identify and map in-scope infrastructure, applications and externally exposed interfaces to establish a clear understanding of attack surface, trust boundaries and service dependencies. This ensures testing reflects how a real adversary would approach your environment.

Enumeration & Manual Analysis

We analyse technologies, configurations and application behaviour in depth. While tooling supports efficiency, manual analysis remains central to uncovering complex misconfigurations, logic flaws and privilege weaknesses that automation alone cannot detect.

EXPLOITATION & IMPACT VALIDATION

We attempt to exploit identified weaknesses in a controlled manner to confirm genuine impact. The goal is not to generate a list of potential vulnerabilities but to demonstrate what an attacker could realistically achieve — providing defensible evidence of exploitability rather than theoretical risk.

RISK-ALIGNED PRIORITISATION

Findings are assessed in context – considering exposure, exploitability and business impact. We distinguish between low-value observations and vulnerabilities that materially increase risk, ensuring remediation effort is focused where it matters.

Reporting & Technical Debrief

You receive a detailed report documenting confirmed findings, validated impact and remediation guidance. We explain what was identified, how it could be exploited and the practical steps required to address it. Technical debrief sessions are available for both engineering and leadership stakeholders.

How You Will Gain

Benefits

Reveal Real-World Weaknesses

Identify exploitable paths across infrastructure and applications — not theoretical issues, but weaknesses that could realistically be used to gain access or escalate privilege.

Validate Controls Under Adversarial Conditions

Test security controls as an attacker would, confirming whether defensive mechanisms withstand realistic exploitation attempts.

Strengthen Detection & Response Readiness

Evaluate how monitoring and alerting behave during controlled exploitation, highlighting visibility gaps and response weaknesses.

Prioritised, Risk-Focused Recommendations

Receive clear remediation guidance prioritised by exploitability and impact, enabling focused effort on issues that materially reduce risk.

Independent Exploitability Validation

Gain third-party confirmation of genuine vulnerabilities, supported by demonstrated impact rather than automated scan output.

Confidence in Your Real Security Position

Understand whether your defences would hold under realistic attack conditions — providing genuine clarity on risk rather than a report that creates the appearance of having tested.

Start with a conversation

If you want to understand whether your infrastructure and applications would withstand a realistic attack, a direct discussion with David is the most practical first step. No obligation — just a clear conversation about your environment and what testing would reveal.
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How We have helped in the Past

Case Studies

Supporting Material

Blog Posts on Penetration Testing

STREAMLINED AND EFFICIENT

Engagement Approach

Penetration testing engagements are structured to deliver clear outcomes, not open-ended consultancy.

Initial Scoping

Define scope, objectives and rules of engagement, ensuring testing reflects real-world threat exposure and business priorities.

Adversarial Testing

Conduct structured reconnaissance, exploitation and impact validation across agreed in-scope systems.

Reporting & Technical Debrief

Document confirmed vulnerabilities, validated impact and prioritised remediation guidance with clear technical context.

Remediation & Re-Validation (Optional)

Where gaps are identified and support is required, practical guidance on remediation approach and validation of key fixes can be provided as an extension of the engagement.

COMPETITIVE AND BESPOKE

Engagement Scope & Depth

Penetration testing scope varies depending on architectural complexity, exposure surface and testing objectives. The examples below illustrate representative engagement depth. Final scope and duration are confirmed following structured scoping discussion.

Focused Engagement

A targeted penetration test of defined Internet-facing infrastructure and/or applications. Typical Engagement Depth:
Several days
  • External infrastructure exposure testing
  • Unauthenticated and limited authenticated application testing
  • Core authentication and session control validation
  • Targeted vulnerability exploitation and impact confirmation
  • Clear, prioritised recommendations

Comprehensive Engagement

Broader penetration testing across infrastructure and applications with deeper authenticated coverage. Typical Engagement Depth:
1 Week +
  • External infrastructure testing across defined scope
  • Authenticated and unauthenticated web application testing
  • Multi-role and permission validation
  • Privilege escalation analysis
  • Vulnerability chaining across infrastructure and application layers
  • Risk-focused remediation prioritisation

Extended & Complex Engagement

For larger estates, complex application models or environments requiring deeper technical validation. Typical Engagement Depth:
2 weeks +
  • Extensive infrastructure and cloud testing
  • Deep authenticated application assessment
  • Complex authentication and authorisation model review
  • Business logic integrity testing
  • Cross-system attack path analysis
  • Detailed impact validation and remediation roadmap

Discuss your penetration testing requirements

If you are considering penetration testing — whether as a standalone engagement or alongside an M365 or Azure assessment — a direct conversation with David is the best starting point. We will define scope, objectives and depth to ensure testing reflects your real risk exposure and delivers findings you can act on.
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