Find Your Vulnerabilities Before Attackers Do

We test your internet-facing infrastructure from the attacker's perspective — firewalls, VPN gateways, web servers, email systems, DNS, and cloud services. Our testers enumerate exposed services, attempt to exploit vulnerabilities, test authentication mechanisms, and try to breach your perimeter using the same tools and techniques that nation-state actors and criminal organizations employ. You receive a detailed map of your external attack surface with every finding prioritized by exploitability and business impact.

Simulating an insider threat or a compromised endpoint, our testers evaluate what an attacker could accomplish from inside your network. We test Active Directory security, lateral movement opportunities, privilege escalation paths, network segmentation effectiveness, and access to sensitive data stores. This testing reveals the gaps that matter most after a perimeter breach — and helps you build the internal defenses that prevent a compromised workstation from becoming a full-scale breach.

Our testers evaluate your web applications against the OWASP Top 10 and beyond — injection attacks, authentication flaws, session management weaknesses, cross-site scripting, insecure deserialization, API vulnerabilities, and business logic flaws. We test both authenticated and unauthenticated scenarios, examining user roles, data access controls, and workflow manipulation opportunities. Every finding includes proof-of-concept demonstrations and specific code-level remediation guidance.

Your employees are your first line of defense — or your weakest link. Our social engineering assessments include targeted phishing campaigns, pretexting calls, physical tailgating attempts, and USB drop tests. We measure click rates, credential submission rates, and reporting behavior to give you an honest picture of your human attack surface. Results feed directly into our security awareness training program for targeted remediation.

We assess your wireless infrastructure for rogue access points, weak encryption, WPA/WPA2/WPA3 configuration issues, evil twin attacks, client isolation failures, and guest network segmentation. Our testers bring specialized equipment to your Raleigh, Durham, or Triangle-area office to evaluate the wireless attack surface that automated scanners simply cannot assess remotely. Testing includes recommendations for hardening your wireless environment against modern attack techniques.

Our team evaluates physical access controls, badge systems, visitor management processes, server room security, clean desk compliance, and dumpster diving opportunities. Physical security testing reveals gaps that cybersecurity tools can't detect — unlocked server rooms, tailgating vulnerabilities, unshredded documents containing credentials, and exposed network jacks in public areas. Findings are mapped to NIST physical security controls and CMMC physical protection requirements.

Penetration testing is a controlled, authorized simulation of a cyberattack against your systems, networks, and applications. Certified ethical hackers use the same tools and techniques as real attackers to identify vulnerabilities and demonstrate how they could be exploited. Unlike vulnerability scanning, pen testing reveals how individual weaknesses chain together to create real attack paths. Businesses in Raleigh, Durham, and across the Triangle need pen testing to validate security controls, satisfy compliance requirements, and understand their actual risk exposure.

Pen test pricing depends on scope, complexity, and testing type. A basic external network pen test for a small business typically starts in the low thousands, while comprehensive testing including internal, web application, social engineering, and wireless assessments for larger organizations is priced accordingly. Every engagement starts with a free scoping call to understand your environment and compliance requirements. Call 919-348-4912 for a custom quote.

Industry best practice recommends at minimum annual penetration testing, with additional tests after significant infrastructure changes, major application releases, or security incidents. PCI DSS requires annual pen testing. CMMC and HIPAA require periodic testing. Many Triangle-area businesses conduct external testing quarterly and comprehensive internal testing annually. More frequent testing gives you a more current picture of your security posture and helps catch vulnerabilities before attackers find them.

PTG takes extensive precautions to prevent operational disruption. We work with your team to define testing windows, establish communication protocols, and set rules of engagement that protect critical systems. Our testers are experienced professionals who understand the difference between controlled testing and reckless attacks. For sensitive environments, we can conduct testing during off-hours and use conservative exploitation techniques. In 24+ years, PTG has never caused a client outage during a penetration test.

A vulnerability scan is an automated tool that identifies known vulnerabilities and misconfigurations. A penetration test is a manual, expert-driven assessment where certified ethical hackers actively attempt to exploit vulnerabilities, chain findings together, and demonstrate real-world attack impact. Think of a vulnerability scan as a metal detector, and a penetration test as a team of experienced burglars trying to break in. Both have value, but only pen testing shows you what a motivated attacker can actually achieve.

You receive a comprehensive report containing an executive summary for leadership and board members, detailed technical findings with severity ratings, proof-of-concept evidence for every exploitable vulnerability, attack path narratives showing how findings chain together, a prioritized remediation roadmap with specific fix instructions, and compliance mapping to your applicable frameworks. We also schedule a findings review meeting to walk through results with your technical team and answer questions.

Yes. Black box testing simulates an external attacker with no insider knowledge. Gray box testing provides some information (like valid user credentials) to simulate a more realistic threat scenario. White box testing provides full access to source code, architecture documentation, and credentials for the most thorough assessment possible. We recommend the testing approach that best matches your threat model and compliance requirements. Most engagements use a gray box approach for the best balance of realism and thoroughness.

Yes. HIPAA's technical evaluation requirement under 45 CFR 164.308(a)(8) is satisfied by comprehensive penetration testing. CMMC 2.0 practices including CA.L2-3.12.1 require security assessments that include penetration testing. Our reports are formatted to map findings directly to the specific regulatory controls they validate, providing the evidence auditors and assessors need. Many Raleigh-Durham healthcare and defense organizations use PTG pen test reports as primary audit evidence.