Network Penetration Test (VAPT)

Network VAPT that shows real attack paths

Don’t wait for a breach to learn what’s broken

A network vulnerability assessment and penetration testing (VAPT) goes beyond vulnerability scanning. It actively exploits discovered weaknesses to show what an attacker could do inside your network. CREST and the Penetration Testing Execution Standard (PTES) make a clear distinction between a vulnerability assessment and a penetration test. A vulnerability assessment identifies security vulnerabilities without exploitation. A penetration test does both. Swarmnetics conducts network penetration testing using Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP) and CREST Registered Penetration Tester (CRT) certified consultants.

When one foothold becomes a breach

From detection to exploitation—evidence that proves exposure

In January 2025, Mandiant confirmed active zero-day exploitation of CVE-2025-0282 — a critical unauthenticated remote code execution flaw in Ivanti Connect Secure VPN appliances — affecting multiple organisations across sectors. Attackers harvested credentials from the compromised perimeter device, then used Remote Desktop Protocol to move laterally into internal systems, deleting log entries to cover their tracks. A network penetration test would have identified the unpatched, internet-facing VPN gateway as an exploitable entry point before attackers used it to access confidential data deeper in the network.

Organisations often need to validate that network security controls work in practice, not through scanning alone. A network VAPT provides that evidence and helps teams understand the security risks created by exposed services, weak segmentation, and compromised credentials. It also shows how a single foothold can turn into broader compromise through privilege escalation, credential abuse, and movement to higher-value systems.

Testing your network like an attacker

See the proof. Close the gaps. Stay ahead.

The assessment follows the five stages of the Penetration Testing Execution Standard (PTES): reconnaissance, threat modelling, vulnerability analysis, exploitation, and reporting.

Reconnaissance begins with information gathering to map the target environment using discovery tools. During threat modelling, manual enumeration adds context that scanning tools alone can miss. Swarmnetics uses Nessus Professional for vulnerability identification and Metasploit for controlled exploitation. Together, these support a wider security assessment across operating systems, services, and configurations. Security testing of validated weaknesses shows which issues can be chained together in practice. This helps demonstrate whether an attacker can escalate privileges, reuse credentials, or move from an initial foothold to more sensitive systems. The team then uses simulated attacks to determine potential impact. These include credential harvesting, privilege escalation, and lateral movement between segments.

Swarmnetics offers both black-box and grey-box approaches. A black-box engagement simulates an external attacker with no prior knowledge. Grey-box — the more common choice for internal network assessments — provides network topology and scoped credentials. That enables deeper validation of post-compromise attack paths and what a motivated attacker could realistically reach inside the environment.

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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Network exposures that get tested

What gets tested

A Swarmnetics network penetration test covers the following scope items and attack vectors:

Operating system vulnerabilities across servers and endpoints
Unpatched and end-of-life software on network-connected systems
Misconfigured network services, open ports, and exposed management interfaces
Weak or default credentials on network devices and systems
Privilege escalation paths from low-privileged to administrative access
Lateral movement opportunities across network segments and VLANs
Firewall rule bypass and access control list weaknesses
Network protocol attacks including LLMNR/NBT-NS poisoning and SMB relay
Inadequate network segmentation allowing unauthorised access between zones
Unencrypted or weakly encrypted traffic containing sensitive data

FAQ

A network vulnerability assessment identifies vulnerabilities without exploiting them. This assessment goes further. Swarmnetics consultants actively exploit those weaknesses to determine whether unauthorised access is possible and what an attacker could realistically reach. A scan alone cannot show the real-world path from a compromised host to your most sensitive systems.

The assessment covers servers, workstations, routers, switches, firewalls, and VPN gateways in scope. Swarmnetics tests for operating system and service vulnerabilities. It also assesses misconfigured devices, weak authentication, and unencrypted protocols. Inadequate network segmentation — which allows an attacker to move laterally between zones — receives particular attention. Scope can cover internal networks, perimeter systems, or both.

Grey-box is recommended for most internal network assessments. With network topology and scoped credentials in hand, Swarmnetics can test privilege escalation and lateral movement paths that a black-box view would miss. Black-box testing simulates an external attacker with no prior knowledge. That makes it better suited to perimeter-focused assessments.

From a single exploitable entry point, an attacker can harvest credentials, escalate privileges to domain administrator, and move laterally to reach critical systems or data repositories. In flat or poorly segmented networks, one compromised host can expose the entire environment. Swarmnetics maps those paths before a real attacker does.

A network penetration test from Swarmnetics produces a draft report for your review, followed by a final report upon acceptance. The report includes an executive summary, a detailed technical section with every finding listed by CVSS severity, proof-of-concept evidence demonstrating exploitability, and specific remediation guidance. After you have addressed the findings, we conduct a follow-up retest to confirm adequate remediation.

Any organisation that operates on-premise or hybrid network infrastructure should consider a network penetration test. It is particularly relevant for organisations subject to regulatory, contractual, or industry security requirements, which requires regular penetration testing of network systems. A network penetration test is also recommended before launching new network and server infrastructure, after significant changes, and as part of an ongoing security assurance programme. Swarmnetics has conducted network penetration tests across all sectors since 2015.

The duration of a network penetration test depends on the scope — the number of network segments and systems, their complexity, and whether a black-box or grey-box approach is used. A typical network penetration testing 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 penetration test is often required for compliance with applicable regulatory, contractual, or industry security obligations where organisations must demonstrate that network security controls are effective through regular testing, not just scanning. 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 penetration test follows a three-phase process. In the planning phase, Swarmnetics agrees the scope, testing approach, and schedule with your team. In the assessment phase, our OSCP and CREST-certified consultants conduct manual network penetration testing following the Penetration Testing Execution Standard (PTES) to identify and actively exploit vulnerabilities, determining their real-world impact. In the reporting phase, we deliver a draft report for review and a final report with detailed remediation guidance for every finding.

All Swarmnetics penetration tests 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 acts as a trusted VAPT delivery partner to service and solution providers, supporting their customers across multiple sectors.

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.