Vulnerability Assessments & Penetration Testing in Lubbock, TX

Vulnerability Assessment vs. Penetration Test

The two are related, but they answer different questions:

• A vulnerability assessment asks "What weaknesses do we have?" Scanning tools and manual review check your systems against known vulnerabilities, missing patches and risky settings, and each finding is ranked by severity.

• A penetration test asks "Could someone actually get in, and how far?" A tester tries to exploit weaknesses the way an attacker would, within rules you approve in writing, to show real-world impact.

Many businesses start with a vulnerability assessment, fix the big issues and then follow up with a penetration test to confirm the defenses work.

 

Who Needs Testing

• Banks, CPAs and financial firms. The FTC Safeguards Rule calls for an annual penetration test and vulnerability assessments every six months for covered businesses without continuous monitoring. See our financial services page.

• Healthcare practices. HIPAA requires a risk analysis, and technical testing gives it real evidence. See healthcare IT and HIPAA.

• Law firms protecting privileged files and trust-account information. See legal IT.

• Businesses with remote workers or several locations, where Wi-Fi, VPN and Microsoft 365 settings give attackers more ways in.

• Anyone facing an insurance renewal, audit or big change, such as a new office, merger or cloud move. See cyber insurance and compliance readiness.

 

What We Can Test

We scope every engagement with you first, then coordinate the testing with a vetted testing partner. Depending on your needs, testing can cover:

• External testing: your firewall, VPN, email and other systems reachable from the internet.

• Your internal network: servers, workstations, printers, cameras and other devices, from the point of view of an attacker who's already inside.

• Wireless networks: guest and staff Wi-Fi separation, encryption and rogue access points.

• Microsoft 365 configuration: MFA coverage, admin accounts, sharing settings and sign-in policies.

• Social engineering: realistic phishing and phone scams that test whether staff can be tricked into giving up passwords or access, alongside our security awareness training.

 

How an Engagement Works

• 1. Scope and permission. We agree in writing on what's in scope, what's off-limits, testing windows and who to call if something unexpected turns up.

• 2. Discovery and testing. Our vetted testing partner maps your systems, runs scans and, for penetration tests, attempts to exploit what it finds in a controlled way, while we coordinate with your staff.

• 3. Report. You get an executive summary in plain English and a technical findings list ranked by risk, with clear steps to fix each one.

• 4. Walkthrough. We go over the results with you and your IT person, if you have one, and answer questions.

• 5. Fix and retest. We can handle the fixes or work alongside your team, then retest to confirm the issues are closed.

 

After the Report

A report is only useful if the findings get fixed. Many fixes are patches, settings and firewall rules our managed firewall and security monitoring and network management services handle directly. Bigger items, like replacing an unsupported server, go into a roadmap through our IT consulting services. Testing is part of our wider cybersecurity services.

 

Related Services

• Cybersecurity services, the parent program for all of our security work.

• Managed firewall and security monitoring with SIEM and IDS/IPS.

• Email security and security awareness training.

• Co-managed IT for in-house IT teams that need an outside set of eyes.

 

Areas We Serve

External testing is done remotely, internal and wireless testing happen at your site, and we can come to you to go over the results.

We provide vulnerability assessments and penetration testing in Lubbock, Wolfforth, Levelland, Brownfield, Lamesa and other South Plains towns such as Littlefield, Post and Plainview, plus Amarillo, Abilene and Midland and Odessa. See all areas we serve.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a vulnerability assessment and a penetration test?

A vulnerability assessment finds and ranks known weaknesses across your systems. A penetration test goes further and tries to exploit them, within approved rules, to show what an attacker could actually reach.

 

How often should we test?

At least once a year and after major changes, such as a new office, server or firewall. Covered financial businesses under the FTC Safeguards Rule need an annual penetration test and vulnerability assessments every six months unless they have continuous monitoring.

 

Will testing disrupt our business?

Testing is planned to avoid disruption. We agree on testing windows and off-limits systems in writing, and we stop and call you if anything unexpected happens.

 

What do we get at the end?

You get a plain-English executive summary, a technical list of findings ranked by risk, steps to fix each one, a walkthrough meeting and an optional retest.

 

Do you test Microsoft 365?

Yes. We can review Microsoft 365 settings such as MFA coverage, admin accounts, external sharing and sign-in policies as part of an assessment.

 

Can you fix what you find?

Yes. We can handle the fixes or work with your IT staff, then retest to confirm the issues are closed.

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Who performs the testing?

We coordinate every test with a vetted testing partner and stay involved from scoping to the final walkthrough. Testing is part of our managed IT services and can be added for co-managed IT clients, and we walk you through the results and the fixes.

 

Find the Gaps Before Someone Else Does

Call (806) 319-8521 or send us a message to scope a vulnerability assessment or penetration test. We're open Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 7 PM, and Saturday, 9 AM to 5 PM Central.