WAN Penetration Testing
Almost every business today is connected to the internet.
While this offers numerous advantages, it also presents serious risks if security is not properly managed. A WAN penetration test evaluates all external connections a company has to the internet. This includes, for example, remote access channels for employees working from home or email communication pathways. We assess whether an external attacker could exploit these connections to gain unauthorized access and potentially cause harm to your organization.
What Is Tested During a WAN Penetration Test?
During a WAN penetration test conducted by BSM, several key components of your external IT infrastructure are assessed. Here are some examples:
- Outbound traffic inspection:
When an employee visits a website, the request travels from the internal network to the internet. We investigate whether it’s possible to reverse that path—intentionally or unintentionally—to gain access to internal systems from the outside. - Email traffic analysis:
Similar to web browsing, emails are sent via an external connection. We assess whether it’s possible to abuse this channel to gain internal access. - Internet-facing infrastructure:
Components like the modem, firewall, and router are tested from an external perspective. We verify whether these devices are up to date, properly configured, and whether any unnecessary ports are exposed to the internet. - Publicly accessible services:
Most companies have external-facing services such as login portals for employees or administrators, camera monitoring systems, or integrations with third-party vendors or cloud services. We test whether these services are properly secured, and whether attackers could use login interfaces or integration endpoints to gain unauthorized access. - VPN security:
If a VPN is in use, we check whether it can be exploited to gain unintended access from outside the network. - Internet redundancy check:
In addition to penetration attempts, we assess the resilience of your internet connection. Are there backup routes in place in case the primary connection fails? An attacker cutting off a business from the internet entirely can cause significant damage, so redundancy is key.
Why a WAN Pentest?
For most businesses, testing these external-facing components is highly relevant. A WAN penetration test is often the first logical step for companies that have never undergone a pentest before or are working with BSM for the first time. A website pentest or internal network (LAN) pentest is often a natural follow-up.
What Information Does BSM Require?
To perform a WAN pentest, BSM needs some specific information, including:
Public IP addresses or IP ranges
Email addresses in use
VPN address (if applicable)
This information helps us determine how well-known your digital access points are. Often, we uncover outdated or poorly documented entry points into the organization. We inform you about these findings so you can take action to minimize the risk of unauthorized access.
Why choose BSM?
BSM has over fifteen years of experience in conducting penetration tests.
Our team is well-versed in the most commonly used hacking techniques and stays up to date with the latest developments in cybersecurity. As a small and dedicated organization, we value personal contact and close collaboration with our clients. We work hand in hand with your developers and system administrators to ensure the test runs smoothly and delivers meaningful results.
Even after the test is completed, we remain engaged to help think through effective solutions for any issues that may have been uncovered. In many cases, we can start within just a few weeks.
BSM is officially licensed (POB 1104) by the Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security to perform investigative work. All of our staff members are screened and legally bound to confidentiality.
How to Test an IP Address
Every device connected to the internet has an IP address. These IP addresses can present opportunities for hackers. That’s why it’s important to verify whether your IP address is secure. IP address testing is included in our WAN penetration test.
What Can Be Hacked Through an IP Address?
Communication with devices over the internet takes place via ports. Each IP address can have up to 65,535 ports, each serving a specific function. An open port can be an open door for a hacker. While some ports need to be open for devices or services to function properly, it is essential to close all unused ports to reduce the risk of unauthorized access.
A penetration test provides insights into which ports are open and how they could potentially be exploited.
If you’re using an IPv6 address, there are additional risks: IPv6 allows for a significantly higher number of connected devices than IPv4, which can lead to uncontrolled network traffic. In BSM’s experience, IPv6 security is sometimes overlooked by administrators, increasing the risk of vulnerabilities.
Can My IP Address Be Penetration Tested?
Yes—any IP address can be tested, as long as you can demonstrate ownership of the device(s) linked to that address.
If your IP address starts with “10.”, “192.168.” or “172.”, it’s likely a private IP address, which may require us to perform the test on-site. These private addresses are used within local networks and are not accessible from the internet.
All other IP addresses—public IPs, regardless of their global location—can be tested remotely by our team.
If you have a website, it is usually more efficient to provide us with the domain name rather than the IP address. However, testing the IP address remains crucial, as it represents a direct route into your system or organization.
How Can I Have My IP Address Tested?
To have your IP address tested, you must prove ownership of the device or system associated with that IP.
If you’d like us to test the IP address you’re currently using to visit this website, you can verify that you’re connected to that network by including both your IP address and the following security verification code in your correspondence with us:
1. This security code >>
Uw veiligheidscode op dit netwerk: BSM-IP-68e11974
<<
Just like every device capable of making phone calls has a phone number, every device connected to the internet has an IP address (IP stands for Internet Protocol)..
For example, the IP address of your device at this moment is:
2. Your IP address: >> [show_ip] <<
This number is not always the same.
For example, if you’re connected via Wi-Fi, it will typically show the IP address of your modem. If you’re using mobile data, you are likely assigned a temporary IP address.
On this page, we answer all your questions about IP addresses and explain what you need to do to have your IP address tested through a penetration test.
The above security code remains valid for one week.
After that period, a new code will be generated the next time you visit this page, which will again be valid for one week.
Once you have used this security code to verify your ownership, we can begin the testing process for you.
Overview of Our Penetration Tests
Would you like to know the different steps BSM takes when performing a penetration test?
Information about pentesting
Would you like more background information about our penetration tests? Click here.
Penetration Test Request Form
You can request a penetration test by filling out the request form. We will contact you shortly after receiving your submission.