CREST-certified testing of the systems your business exposes to the internet, from VPNs and firewalls to cloud services and public servers.
External network penetration testing checks what an attacker can see and attempt from the internet. For many SMEs, this includes VPNs, firewalls, remote access, cloud-hosted systems, email infrastructure and public servers.
SME Cyber Solutions tests external infrastructure for UK SMEs that need evidence for insurers, clients, procurement teams or annual security assurance.
Internet-facing services. We identify and test exposed ports, protocols, web services, remote access systems and management interfaces.
Perimeter and VPN exposure. We assess firewall exposure, VPN configuration, remote login surfaces and common weaknesses in externally reachable systems.
Cloud and hosted assets. Where in scope, we review public cloud services, storage exposure, DNS records and externally visible hosting configuration.
Exposed management interfaces. Admin panels, remote consoles or management services may be reachable from the public internet.
Outdated or vulnerable services. Legacy software, weak protocols or missing patches can create exploitable entry points.
Weak remote access controls. VPNs, RDP, SSH or other access routes may lack strong authentication, filtering or hardening.
External network testing is useful for SMEs with office networks, remote workers, VPNs, public servers, hosted applications, cloud services, client assurance requirements or cyber insurance evidence requests.
A typical scope includes public IP addresses, domains, cloud assets, excluded systems, test windows and contact routes for urgent findings. Testing is controlled and agreed in advance to reduce disruption risk.
You receive a clear report with an executive summary, technical findings, evidence, affected assets, risk ratings and recommended remediation. We prioritise the issues that could cause real business harm and explain them in a way that owners, technical teams and external stakeholders can act on.
After remediation, we can re-test agreed findings and provide updated documentation confirming whether the vulnerabilities have been resolved.
What is external network penetration testing?
It is a controlled assessment of systems reachable from the internet, designed to find and validate weaknesses before attackers exploit them.
Will testing disrupt our internet connection?
Testing is planned to minimise disruption. We agree timing, intensity and rules of engagement before work starts.
Do you include cloud systems?
Cloud-hosted systems can be included where they are owned or authorised by your business and clearly defined in scope.
External exposure is only one side of the picture. If you also need to understand what happens after a foothold is gained, pair this with internal network penetration testing.
This service is part of our wider penetration testing for UK SMEs. If you are unsure what to test first, book a scoping call and we will help define a practical, fixed-scope engagement.
Tell us what systems you rely on and we will recommend a practical penetration testing scope.