In today’s ever-evolving cybersecurity landscape, it's not enough to hope your systems are secure. You need to know. That’s where penetration testing (often called a “pen test”) comes in. It’s a vital service that Foresight IT offers to identify and address vulnerabilities before malicious actors can exploit them.
Penetration testing is a controlled, simulated cyberattack conducted by security professionals to assess the strength of your IT environment. But at Foresight IT, we do more than just scan for surface-level threats. We actively try to break in, starting with the same level of access that any outsider could potentially gain, such as plugging into an open network jack in your office.
"We like to encourage our clients to do a penetration test where our team is the one attacking their network to see where the weak spots are, and to see what detection tools are able to pick up versus what they miss," explains Eric Johnson, CEO and co-founder of Foresight IT.
Our approach starts with zero trust. We use a sophisticated platform combined with hands-on testing from our security team. The goal is to simulate different levels of intrusion, from no access to full domain administrator privileges, and to analyze how your systems respond at each stage.
In a recent pen test conducted on a 100+ person nonprofit organization (not managed by Foresight IT), our team achieved full domain administrative access. This means complete control over their network, all without triggering a single alert. Not only did this demonstrate how vulnerable even established organizations can be, but it also provided strong feedback for security monitoring upgrades.
In contrast, a pen test on a Foresight-managed client produced a very different outcome. As soon as our tools began reconnaissance, the organization’s security systems immediately flagged a critical threat. While the test was allowed to continue for analysis, the system prevented any significant breach, with only a single employee account being compromised due to a weak password (though still over 8 characters with a number and special character).
After the test, we helped the client tighten their password policies and further harden their environment. The result? When the test was repeated, the attackers (us!) couldn’t break in at all.
In the past, comprehensive pen tests could cost anywhere from $25,000 to $100,000—well beyond the reach of most small to mid-sized businesses. Today, thanks to the automation and sophistication of security platforms and our local team’s hands-on expertise, Foresight IT can offer these same insights at a fraction of the cost.
Here’s what you gain from our penetration testing service:
True Visibility: Discover how far an attacker could get inside your network, from outsider access to internal compromise.
Detection Gaps: Identify where your current tools succeed or fail in detecting threats.
Risk Reduction: Close security gaps and improve incident response protocols.
Cost-Effective Insights: Enterprise-grade testing without enterprise-sized invoices.
At Foresight IT, proactive testing is one of the most effective ways to build a strong defense. Whether you’re fully managed by our team or operating with internal IT staff, our penetration testing services are an essential tool in protecting your data, your people, and your reputation. Let’s uncover the blind spots and make your infrastructure stronger.
