As cyber threats grow more sophisticated, attackers continue to rely on tried-and-true vulnerabilities that are surprisingly common in many IT environments. These aren’t theoretical risks, they're real weaknesses we uncover regularly during penetration testing engagements across all sectors.
Vulnerabilities
Here are five examples that continue to expose organisations to risk and how penetration testing helps before it’s too late.
Injection Attacks
What Are They?
Injection attacks are one of the oldest and most effective hacking techniques still in use today. They occur when an attacker is able to insert malicious code, often through a web application input field, in a way that alters how a backend system processes the request. Common examples include SQL injection, where unauthorised commands are run against a database, or script injection that targets browsers or user devices. These attacks often go unnoticed until damage is done.
The Impact
A successful injection attack can allow unauthorised access to databases, enable data exfiltration, and in some cases, provide attackers with system-level privileges. For organisations handling sensitive records, like patient data or legal documents, the consequences can be devastating, both financially and reputationally.
How Penetration Testing Helps
During a penetration test, we simulate injection attacks against public-facing systems, internal web applications, and APIs to uncover vulnerabilities that automated scanners might miss.
Our testing goes beyond detection, we provide context around the risk, examples of exploit scenarios, and remediation guidance tailored to your environment.
Inadequate Access Control and Authentication
What Is It?
In many environments, users and systems are granted excessive privileges or left without adequate access controls. This can include missing multi-factor authentication (MFA), shared logins, weak password policies, or over-permissioned service accounts. These access control flaws are often difficult to spot without testing, but they’re exactly what attackers look for when trying to move through a network.
The Impact
Without robust authentication and access control, an attacker who compromises a single account can often gain access to far more than intended. This can lead to privilege escalation, unauthorised access to critical systems, and the exposure of confidential or regulated data.
How Penetration Testing Helps
Penetration testing identifies how far an attacker could go once inside your environment. We assess your authentication controls, attempt privilege escalation, and explore lateral movement opportunities.
By highlighting the real-world impact of weak access policies, our reports help security teams prioritise changes that reduce risk and improve compliance with standards like Essential Eight and ISO 27001.
Misconfigured Security Settings
What Are They?
Misconfigurations are one of the most frequent, and preventable, security issues we encounter. These range from cloud storage buckets accidentally left public, to open ports and unnecessary services running on critical systems, to firewalls using default credentials. With environments becoming more complex, misconfigurations are easy to overlook and easy for attackers to find.
The Impact
A single misconfiguration can be the entry point for a significant breach. Attackers routinely scan for open services, unprotected assets, and exposed admin panels. Once found, these flaws can be exploited to exfiltrate data, install malware, or gain a foothold for further attacks.
How Penetration Testing Helps
Our testing teams replicate the discovery techniques used by real attackers to identify misconfigured systems across your environment; including cloud platforms, internal infrastructure, and public-facing services. We provide detailed analysis of what’s exposed, what’s at risk, and exactly how to fix it before it’s found by someone else.
Outdated and Unpatched Software
What Is It?
Software vulnerabilities are constantly being discovered and disclosed. Vendors release patches to fix them but many organisations struggle to apply updates in a timely manner. Whether due to legacy applications, lack of patching processes, or simple oversight, unpatched systems create easy opportunities for attackers.
The Impact
When software is not kept up to date, attackers can use publicly available exploit kits to target known vulnerabilities. These attacks often require little skill or effort and can result in data breaches, ransomware infections, or complete system compromise.
How Penetration Testing Helps
We identify systems running outdated software and cross-reference them with the latest known vulnerabilities (CVEs). Our reports highlight which systems are at risk, how severe the risk is, and provide practical recommendations to help you prioritise patching without impacting operations.
Phishing and Social Engineering
What Is It?
Phishing and social engineering remain the top methods attackers use to gain initial access. These tactics rely on human error, tricking staff into clicking malicious links, entering credentials into fake websites, or downloading harmful attachments. Even organisations with strong technical controls can fall victim if users aren’t adequately trained or tested.
The Impact
Once inside, attackers can harvest credentials, bypass multi-factor authentication, and deploy malware or ransomware. Phishing is often the first step in a multi-stage attack that can lead to widespread compromise.
How Penetration Testing Helps
As part of a broader security assessment, we conduct simulated phishing campaigns to test how users respond to realistic attack scenarios. We analyse who clicked, why, and how defences performed, then offer targeted recommendations to improve user awareness, strengthen email filters, and reduce the risk of future incidents.
Why External Testing Matters
Even with strong internal teams, it’s easy for critical vulnerabilities to go undetected. Penetration testing brings a fresh, attacker-like perspective, revealing gaps you might not know exist.
At IPSec, our penetration testing services are built for the real world. We go beyond compliance checklists and automated scans to uncover practical risks and deliver clear, actionable guidance that helps your team improve its security posture with confidence.
Don’t wait for a breach to reveal your weaknesses.
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