Penetration Testing and Vulnerability Assessment of a Network
A cybersecurity-focused penetration testing project conducted to identify, analyze, and report vulnerabilities within a controlled network environment. The project followed ethical testing practices and focused on discovering security weaknesses, validating their impact, and recommending practical mitigation strategies.
During the assessment, I performed network reconnaissance, service enumeration, vulnerability scanning, exploitation testing, and risk analysis. The project helped me gain hands-on experience with real-world penetration testing methodologies and professional vulnerability reporting.
Key Highlights
Network Scanning and Enumeration
Used Nmap to identify active hosts, open ports, running services, and potential attack surfaces within the target network.
Vulnerability Detection
Discovered critical security issues, including MS17-010 EternalBlue exposure, unauthenticated SMB access, and misconfigured network services.
Exploitation and Analysis
Safely demonstrated the impact of identified vulnerabilities using ethical exploitation techniques, including SMB share access and sensitive system information gathering.
Risk Mitigation Recommendations
Prepared practical security recommendations such as patch management, SMB hardening, access control improvements, and network segmentation to reduce overall risk.
Tools and Technologies
Skills Gained
Project Summary
A hands-on cybersecurity project focused on assessing a network for vulnerabilities using industry-standard penetration testing tools. The project involved scanning, vulnerability detection, ethical exploitation, and mitigation planning, strengthening my practical skills in offensive security and professional security reporting.
