Every organization has vulnerabilities. The question is whether you discover them before an attacker does. According to the IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report, organizations that identify and contain breaches within 200 days save an average of $1.12 million compared to those that take longer. A comprehensive cybersecurity assessment is the single most effective step you can take to understand your risk exposure, prioritize your security investments, and build a defensible security posture. For businesses in Raleigh, Durham, and across the Research Triangle, Petronella Technology Group delivers thorough, actionable security assessments that go far beyond a simple checklist.

Our assessment methodology is built on more than two decades of hands-on cybersecurity experience, grounded in NIST frameworks and aligned with the compliance requirements that Triangle businesses face every day. Whether you need a network security audit to satisfy a compliance obligation, a penetration test to validate your defenses, or a full IT security risk assessment to guide your cybersecurity strategy, our team provides the expertise and local presence to deliver results you can trust.

Network Security Audit: Understanding Your Attack Surface

A network security audit is a systematic examination of your entire technology environment. It identifies weaknesses in your infrastructure, evaluates the effectiveness of your existing security controls, and provides a detailed roadmap for remediation. Our Raleigh-based team conducts network security audits that cover every layer of your environment, from perimeter defenses and firewall configurations to internal network segmentation, wireless security, and endpoint protection.

The Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report consistently shows that the majority of breaches exploit known vulnerabilities that organizations have failed to patch or misconfigured systems that create unintended openings. A network security audit identifies these gaps before an attacker can exploit them. Our audit process includes:

• External perimeter assessment: We evaluate your internet-facing systems, including firewalls, VPN gateways, web servers, and email servers, to identify vulnerabilities that could be exploited by external attackers.
• Internal network assessment: We examine your internal network architecture, including segmentation, access controls, and traffic flows, to identify weaknesses that could allow an attacker to move laterally once inside your network.
• Wireless security evaluation: We test your wireless networks for misconfigurations, weak encryption, rogue access points, and other vulnerabilities that could provide unauthorized access.
• Configuration review: We review the configurations of critical infrastructure components, including firewalls, switches, routers, and servers, against industry benchmarks and best practices.
• Vulnerability scanning: We use advanced scanning tools to identify known vulnerabilities across your environment and prioritize them based on exploitability and potential business impact.
• Policy and procedure review: We evaluate your security policies, procedures, and documentation to ensure they are comprehensive, current, and aligned with your actual operations.

IT Security Risk Assessment: Quantifying Your Exposure

While a network security audit identifies technical vulnerabilities, an IT security risk assessment takes a broader view. It evaluates the threats your organization faces, the likelihood of those threats materializing, and the potential business impact if they do. A risk assessment answers the critical question that every business leader needs answered: where should we invest our limited security resources for maximum risk reduction?

Our IT security risk assessment methodology follows the NIST Risk Management Framework and is designed to provide both technical depth and business-relevant insights. The assessment process includes:

• Asset identification and classification: We work with your team to identify and classify all critical assets, including data, systems, applications, and intellectual property, based on their value to your organization.
• Threat analysis: We identify the specific threats facing your organization based on your industry, your data, your geographic location, and the current threat landscape. This includes both external threats like cybercriminals and nation-state actors, and internal threats from employees and contractors.
• Vulnerability assessment: We identify vulnerabilities in your systems, processes, and people that could be exploited by the identified threats.
• Impact analysis: We evaluate the potential financial, operational, reputational, and legal impact of a successful attack against each identified vulnerability.
• Risk prioritization: We calculate the risk level for each identified vulnerability based on the likelihood of exploitation and the potential impact, then prioritize them to guide your remediation efforts.
• Remediation roadmap: We deliver a detailed, prioritized remediation plan that outlines specific actions you can take to reduce your risk, along with estimated costs, timelines, and expected risk reduction for each action.

Penetration Testing: Validating Your Defenses

A penetration test goes beyond identifying vulnerabilities to actually attempting to exploit them. Our certified penetration testers simulate real-world attacks against your environment to determine whether your defenses can withstand a determined adversary. This is the most realistic way to evaluate your security posture because it tests not just your technology but also your people and your processes.

We offer several types of penetration testing to meet your specific needs:

• External penetration testing: We simulate an attack from outside your network, attempting to breach your perimeter defenses and gain access to internal systems.
• Internal penetration testing: We simulate an attack from inside your network, either from a compromised employee account or a rogue insider, to test your internal segmentation and access controls.
• Web application testing: We test your web applications for vulnerabilities in the OWASP Top 10, including SQL injection, cross-site scripting, authentication flaws, and other application-layer weaknesses.
• Social engineering testing: We test your employees' susceptibility to phishing, pretexting, and other social engineering techniques that attackers commonly use to gain initial access.
• Wireless penetration testing: We attempt to gain unauthorized access through your wireless networks, testing encryption strength, network isolation, and rogue device detection.

Our Tested Assessment Methodology

Our assessment methodology has been refined through hundreds of engagements across industries and is designed to deliver maximum value with minimal disruption to your operations. Every assessment we conduct follows a structured, repeatable process that ensures thoroughness and consistency.

Phase 1 - Scoping and Planning: We work with your team to define the scope of the assessment, establish ground rules, and identify any areas of particular concern. This phase ensures that the assessment is focused on what matters most to your organization.

Phase 2 - Information Gathering: We collect detailed information about your environment using both automated tools and manual techniques. This includes network mapping, service enumeration, and open-source intelligence gathering.

Phase 3 - Analysis and Testing: We analyze the collected information, identify vulnerabilities, and, in the case of penetration testing, attempt to exploit them. Our testing is carefully controlled to avoid any disruption to your operations.

Phase 4 - Reporting: We deliver a comprehensive report that includes an executive summary for leadership, detailed technical findings for your IT team, and a prioritized remediation roadmap. Every finding includes a clear description of the vulnerability, evidence of the finding, the potential business impact, and specific remediation steps.

Phase 5 - Remediation Support: We do not just hand you a report and walk away. Our team is available to help you understand the findings, plan your remediation efforts, and verify that vulnerabilities have been successfully addressed.

Your Comprehensive Security Report

The deliverable from every assessment engagement is a comprehensive security report that provides both the technical detail your IT team needs and the business context your leadership requires. Our reports include:

• An executive summary that communicates risk in business terms
• Overview of the assessment scope, objectives, and methodology
• Assumptions and limitations of the assessment
• Methods and tools used during the assessment
• Detailed findings with severity ratings and evidence
• Network architecture diagrams and data flow analysis
• Compliance gap analysis mapped to applicable frameworks
• Prioritized remediation roadmap with estimated costs and timelines
• Strategic recommendations for long-term security improvement

Why Triangle Businesses Choose Petronella for Security Assessments

Businesses across Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Chapel Hill, and the broader Research Triangle choose Petronella Technology Group for their security assessments because we combine deep technical expertise with practical business understanding. We are not a faceless national vendor running automated scans from a distant data center. We are your neighbors, with offices in Raleigh and a deep understanding of the Triangle business environment.

Through our partner network, our engagements have access to certified professionals with credentials including CEH and CompTIA Security+. Our assessments are backed by our 39-layer ZeroHack Cyber Safety Stack and enhanced by our AI agent Eve, which provides continuous monitoring and threat detection. When you work with Petronella, you get the expertise of a national cybersecurity firm with the responsiveness and personal attention of a local partner.