Services

Network Vulnerability Assessment

Our network vulnerability assessment maps exposures across hosts and devices, and validates scan results to lift security quickly.

Network vulnerability assessment for prioritised remediation

Because real security starts with knowing your vulnerabilities

A network vulnerability assessment is a structured, non-exploitative process that identifies, classifies, and prioritises security weaknesses across network infrastructure — servers, operating systems, network devices, and exposed services — using vulnerability scanning and manual validation. A vulnerability assessment identifies and ranks weaknesses; a penetration test actively exploits them. Swarmnetics delivers this service with Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP) and CREST Registered Penetration Tester (CRT)-certified consultants based in Singapore.

Unpatched systems create avoidable network risk

Because real security starts with knowing your vulnerabilities

In October 2024, the China-linked threat group Salt Typhoon compromised more than 1,000 internet-facing network devices at telecommunications providers globally through unpatched Cisco IOS XE exposure. Patches had been available for more than a year, yet devices remained unpatched, enabling attackers to gain unauthorized access and persist on affected infrastructure. A network vulnerability assessment would have identified the unpatched Cisco IOS XE exposure, including CVE-2023-20198, before attackers exploited it.

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A structured assessment converts overwhelming findings into a severity-ranked action plan that helps your team protect critical assets, reduce exposure to sensitive data, and improve security posture. Instead of leaving your team with a long unfiltered vulnerability list, the assessment helps you focus first on the systems, exposures, and remediation steps that matter most.

Gartner Peer Insight Review

See your network the way attackers do

Because fixing everything isn’t the goal—fixing what matters is

During the assessment phase, Swarmnetics gathers target information through passive discovery, network fingerprinting, and service enumeration to map the in-scope environment. Our consultants use nmap and other vulnerability scanning tools to identify vulnerable services, exposed ports, and common weakness types across operating systems, network devices, and internet-facing services. They then run Nessus Professional and other automated scans, review scan results manually, and validate findings to confirm potential impact. That manual review reduces false positives and gives your team clearer input for cyber security decisions. Unlike broader vulnerability assessment services, this network vulnerability assessment remains non-exploitative and distinct from a penetration test.

During the assessment phase, Swarmnetics gathers target information through passive discovery, network fingerprinting, and service enumeration to map the in-scope environment. Our consultants use nmap and other vulnerability scanning tools to identify vulnerable services, exposed ports, and common weakness types across operating systems, network devices, and internet-facing services. They then run Nessus Professional and other automated scans, review scan results manually, and validate findings to confirm potential impact. That manual review reduces false positives and gives your team a clearer basis for remediation decisions across large and mixed asset inventories. This is especially useful when you need a structured baseline of network exposure before moving to a full penetration testing programme.

Yes, we are CREST accredited

Our core team is based in Singapore and consists of CREST certified penetration testers who are also Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP) certified. The team has delivered numerous penetration testing projects for customers in Singapore and other locations, from large multinational enterprises to small and medium business, and across various industries.

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CREST Pentest

What gets assessed across your network environment

Clear basis for remediation decisions

This assessment covers the following scope items across your on-premise or hybrid network environment:

  • Operating system vulnerabilities across servers and network hosts
  • Network device configurations — routers, switches, and firewalls
  • Open ports and exposed services identified through service enumeration
  • TLS and SSL cipher weaknesses assessed using Testssl
  • Default or weak credentials on network-facing management interfaces
  • Missing or outdated software patches on in-scope systems
  • Misconfigured network access controls and firewall rulesets
  • Unnecessary or unprotected management protocols — SSH, RDP, SNMP, and Telnet
  • Information disclosure through service banners and error responses

FAQ

A network vulnerability assessment identifies and ranks weaknesses using automated scanning and manual validation, but does not exploit them. A network penetration test actively attempts to exploit vulnerabilities to determine real-world impact, such as privilege escalation or lateral movement. If your goal is a prioritised remediation list, start with a vulnerability assessment.

A Swarmnetics network vulnerability assessment covers operating system vulnerabilities, missing patches, default or weak credentials, misconfigured services, unnecessary open ports, and TLS and SSL cipher weaknesses across your in-scope hosts. We map every finding to a CVSS severity score with specific remediation guidance, giving your team a clear view of risk exposure.

By default, Swarmnetics conducts this service as a black-box assessment. That reflects the most common threat scenario to identify vulnerable systems accessible to an attacker on the network. A grey-box approach is more suitable when you need coverage of internal network segments, authenticated services, or insider-threat scenarios.

Unpatched network vulnerabilities can enable attackers to escalate privileges, move laterally across network segments, exfiltrate data, or establish persistent backdoors. The assessment identifies these weaknesses, ranked by CVSS severity, before an attacker exploits them.

A network vulnerability assessment from Swarmnetics produces a draft report for your review, followed by a final report upon acceptance. Both reports include an executive summary for non-technical stakeholders and a detailed technical section listing every identified vulnerability with its CVSS severity rating, evidence, and specific remediation guidance. After you have addressed the findings, we conduct a follow-up network vulnerability retest and remediation validation to confirm that vulnerabilities have been adequately remediated.

Any organisation operating on-premise or hybrid network and server infrastructure can benefit from a network vulnerability assessment. It is particularly relevant for organisations subject to regulatory, contractual, or industry security requirements, which requires regular vulnerability assessments, and for those that have recently made significant changes to their network environment. Swarmnetics has delivered network vulnerability assessments across all sectors since 2015.

The duration of a network vulnerability assessment depends on the size and complexity of the network environment in scope. A typical engagement takes three to five business days for the assessment phase, followed by an initial report within five business days for your review.

A network vulnerability assessment is often required for compliance with applicable regulatory, contractual, or industry security obligations where organisations must identify and address network and system vulnerabilities on a regular basis. Swarmnetics recommends conducting a network penetration test at least annually, after significant changes, and before launching new network and server infrastructure into production.

Every network vulnerability assessment follows a three-phase process. In the planning phase, Swarmnetics agrees the scope, engagement parameters, and schedule with your team. In the assessment phase, our OSCP and CREST-certified consultants conduct the network vulnerability scan and manual validation and validate findings using manual techniques. In the reporting phase, we deliver a draft report for your review and a final report upon acceptance, with detailed remediation guidance for every finding.

All Swarmnetics vulnerability assessments are conducted by our Singapore-based team of security consultants holding the Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP) and CREST Registered Penetration Tester (CRT) credentials. Swarmnetics has been delivering technical security assessments to organisations across Singapore since 2015 and serves as a trusted VAPT partner for leading enterprises across technology, telecommunications, and professional services.

The security assessment report includes specific, actionable remediation guidance for every finding — not generic advice. For each vulnerability, we describe the fix, its priority based on CVSS severity, and any dependencies between remediation steps. Once your team has addressed the findings, Swarmnetics conducts a follow-up retest to verify that each vulnerability has been adequately remediated. The final report confirms closure and provides documented evidence of remediation.