Network Security Audit

World Class Network Security Audit

Altius IT's network security audit evaluates the security of your network infrastructure, the firewalls, routers, switches, wireless access points, VPN gateways, and segmentation architecture that form the backbone of your IT environment.

The audit provides comprehensive protection by assessing multiple security solutions and layers, including endpoint security, firewalls, SD-WAN security architecture, NGFWs, and WAFs, to ensure all aspects of your network, endpoints, and data are safeguarded from various threats.

Every system, application, and data flow in your organization depends on the network. If the network is compromised, everything connected to it is at risk.

Our CISA-certified auditors examine how your network is designed, configured, and monitored to ensure it provides a secure, segmented, and resilient foundation for your operations. Our proprietary audit process covers your complete network security posture and, for organizations with industrial environments, also includes critical infrastructure systems such as SCADA and PLCs.

Network Infrastructure Security White Box

A comprehensive penetration testing network infrastructure audit focuses on securing data centers and diverse network environments, including on-premises infrastructure, cloud platforms, and remote access points. The audit covers:

• Firewall rule review and optimization – including evaluation of the overall firewall solution, its configuration and deployment, rule base analysis, unused rules, overly permissive rules, and rule ordering
• Network architecture and segmentation analysis – including VLANs, subnets, DMZ design, and microsegmentation
• Router and switch security configurations – hardening, firmware currency, and management access controls for network devices
• Wireless network security – including encryption standards, rogue access point detection, and guest network isolation
• VPN configuration and remote access security – including encryption protocols, split tunneling policies, and authentication strength
• DNS security – including DNSSEC, DNS filtering, and protection against DNS-based attacks
• Certificate management – for network services, including TLS/SSL configuration and certificate expiry monitoring

Network Monitoring and Detection White Box

• Intrusion detection and prevention system (IDS/IPS) – deployment and tuning, including the use of an intrusion prevention system to monitor network traffic in real time and proactively detect, prevent, and block malicious activities.
• Network monitoring and traffic analysis – capabilities, including NetFlow, packet capture, anomaly detection, as well as continuous network detection and real-time threat detection to identify vulnerabilities and suspicious activities.
• Network device logging – audit trail integrity, and centralized log management, which are essential for supporting a thorough network audit and ensuring compliance.
• Network access control (NAC) – policies and enforcement

External and Internal Network Security

• External network security audit Black Box – clients provide their public-facing IP addresses, and our auditors evaluate them for vulnerabilities, exposed services, open ports, misconfigurations, weak encryption, and identify potential threats that could compromise the network. This is a Black Box assessment. Our auditors approach your public-facing IP addresses with no prior internal knowledge, simulating the perspective of an external attacker.
• Internal network security audit White Box – evaluation of internal segmentation, lateral movement risk, and internal access controls, with a focus on network segmentation to control data flow and enforce security policies. Internal access controls are assessed to restrict access and control access to sensitive resources.

Access Control and Authentication White Box

Access control and authentication are foundational elements of network security, playing a critical role in protecting sensitive data from unauthorized access and preventing data breaches. By implementing robust security measures such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) and strict access controls, organizations can safeguard their network connections and reduce the risk of security breaches.

A comprehensive network security audit is essential for identifying vulnerabilities in access control and authentication processes. This enables organizations to enhance their security posture and ensure compliance with regulations like NIST Cybersecurity Framework and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Effective access control involves granting users only the permissions necessary for their specific job functions, minimizing the risk of internal threats and limiting exposure to sensitive information.

Access control lists (ACLs) and stateful inspection firewalls are powerful tools for managing outgoing network traffic based on destination IP addresses, ports, and protocols. These security controls help block unauthorized access and restrict data flow to only approved endpoints. Additionally, deploying intrusion detection systems (IDS) and intrusion prevention systems (IPS) allows organizations to detect and block malicious traffic, further strengthening their defense against cyber threats.

To streamline access control and authentication, organizations can leverage automated tools and software as a service (SaaS) solutions. These technologies simplify the management of user permissions and enhance overall network security by quickly adapting to emerging threats. For remote access points, virtual private networks (VPNs) provide secure connections, ensuring that sensitive data remains protected even when transmitted over public networks.

Enforcing robust security policies and procedures is vital for maintaining a strong security posture. Regular network security audits and continuous network monitoring help organizations identify potential security risks and vulnerabilities in their access control and authentication systems. By proactively addressing these issues, organizations can prevent data breaches, maintain compliance with industry regulations, and protect their reputation.

Prioritizing access control and authentication not only ensures the integrity and confidentiality of sensitive data but also strengthens the overall security posture of the organization. Through diligent security management and the adoption of best practices, organizations can effectively mitigate risks and defend against a wide range of cyber threats.

Add a Penetration Test

A penetration test can be added to your network security audit to validate your network defenses against real-world attack scenarios. Penetration testing helps enhance security measures by identifying vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers. The test assesses risks such as data loss and malicious software infiltration, evaluates firewall security, and reviews the effectiveness of your overall network security solution.

• External Penetration Testing Black Box – No credentials, no internal knowledge. Our auditors attack your network perimeter from the outside, targeting public-facing services, firewalls, and exposed entry points to identify vulnerabilities an external attacker could exploit.
• Internal Penetration Testing Gray Box – Limited credentials are provided, simulating a compromised employee account. Our auditors test how far an attacker could move laterally within your network and whether they can escalate privileges to access sensitive systems and data.
• Network Penetration Testing Black Box – Our auditors test your network segmentation controls and attempt to bypass firewall rules, validating whether your network architecture effectively contains and isolates threats.

Contact us to discuss adding a penetration test to your network security audit engagement.

Our report identifies specific vulnerabilities and provides detailed instructions to mitigate or eliminate each risk, helping improve your organization's security posture and supporting security teams in implementing recommendations.

Audit Report

Altius IT's reports provide specific recommendations and detailed steps you can take to address any identified security vulnerabilities, including suggestions for updating or improving your existing security procedures. After delivery of our reports, Altius IT provides three months of free support to answer any questions you may have. This ensures your security vulnerabilities are properly mitigated or eliminated.

Certified Auditor Letter

Let your clients and prospects know that you are secure. As an IT security audit company with Certified Information Systems Auditors, we can provide you with our Auditor Opinion Letter stating your systems meet security and compliance requirements.

Audit Team

Altius IT provides a certified auditor with each engagement:

• Certified Information Systems Auditor
• Experienced Project Manager
• Senior Security Engineer

Proposal

Our proposal provides you with detailed information so you know exactly how we will help you:

• Project scope and tasks
• Pricing options
• CVs of our audit and security team members
• Sample reports you will receive
• Why Altius IT