Challenges
The client’s primary concern was the integrity of its internal network and the sensitive operational data it handles daily. The assessment aimed to uncover vulnerabilities in systems, services, and authentication protocols, without disrupting production or daily workflows.
CyberGlobal Italy’s team faced typical challenges in industrial environments, including legacy systems, complex access controls, and limited prior hardening measures.
To carry out the assessment, CyberGlobal Italy followed a multi-step approach:
- Enumeration of internal network components and services
- Vulnerability scans across defined IP ranges
- Manual verification and exploitation of discovered weaknesses
- Active Directory (AD) testing and credential-based attacks
- Real-time alerts for high-priority issues
- Thorough documentation of validated vulnerabilities
The tools used included industry standards like Nessus, Nmap, Nikto, Nuclei, and Burp Suite for vulnerability scans, and NetExec, BloodHound, and Certipy for AD enumeration. Snaffler was used to locate sensitive files on network shares, while Hydra was employed for credential strength testing.
The assessment revealed multiple security risks, including:
| Severity Level | Findings |
| Medium Severity | Broken authentication on internal applications, unencrypted HTTP communications, exposed sensitive files, and outdated components vulnerable to exploitation. |
| Low & Informational | Misconfigurations, lack of security headers, and insufficient hardening of certain services. |
Though no malware or high-severity threats were detected, the combined impact of these issues posed a considerable risk to operational security.
Solutions
CyberGlobal Italy recommended and supported the implementation of a multi-layered remediation plan, as follows:
- Service Hardening: Disabled unnecessary services, refined configurations.
- Patch Management: Updated legacy software to remove vulnerabilities.
- Encryption Enforcement: Mandated HTTPS, eliminating insecure protocols.
- Secure Configurations: Fixed security headers, disabled directory listings.
- Authentication Controls: Enforced strong passwords, secured sessions, and monitored login activity.
- Access Control and Segmentation: Improved file permissions, segmented network assets.
Additionally, the client adopted secure configuration management tools, routine vulnerability scans, and centralized monitoring systems to maintain oversight and ensure continued protection.
Results
CyberGlobal Italy’s testing resulted in meaningful improvements to client’s cybersecurity posture. All medium-level vulnerabilities were addressed quickly, including the resolution of broken authentication pathways and the hardening of exposed services. Encryption protocols were updated, and security headers were implemented site-wide.
After remediation, CyberGlobal Italy assessed the residual risk as low to medium. The firm is now better aligned with security baselines for industrial IT environments and has laid the groundwork for continuous security improvement.
Key lessons learned include the following:
- Weak authentication mechanisms remain one of the most impactful risks and must be addressed without delay.
- Encryption, both in transit and at rest, is vital for data protection in operational environments.
- Regular patching and software updates are critical to avoid exploitation of known CVEs.
- Misconfigurations and poor access controls are low-hanging fruit for attackers, but automated tools and periodic audits help mitigate them.
- Frequent penetration testing is essential for ongoing risk reduction and infrastructure resilience.
By engaging CyberGlobal Italy, the client not only strengthened its defenses but also reinforced its commitment to cybersecurity maturity in a high-risk industry.