Penetration Testing in Pasadena, California

Penetration Testing means identifying security vulnerabilities before attackers do with penetration testing services. It includes external penetration testing with open ports, exposed services, public-facing vulnerabilities, DNS and certificate issues, and attack surface mapping, internal penetration testing with lateral movement, privilege escalation, network segmentation failures, file access testing, and traffic analysis, identity and access testing with password cracking, MFA bypass attempts, misconfigured accounts, privilege review, and password spray testing, configuration testing with firewall rules, endpoint settings, logging configurations, network architecture, and patch levels, web application testing (if applicable) with input validation, authentication flaws, authorization issues, SQL testing, and session handling, cloud penetration testing with identity weaknesses, misconfigured roles, external sharing leaks, and OAuth and token issues, reporting with executive summaries, technical details, screenshots, evidence, and clear remediation plan. Think of it like having an expert try to break into your systems — the safe way — to show how a real attacker could target your business. Instead of unknown vulnerabilities, false confidence, blind spots, weak passwords, misconfigurations, outdated controls, exposed services, credential theft, ransomware attacks, insurance exclusions, and compliance failures, you get you know the truth, you gain clarity, you eliminate risk, you strengthen defenses, you satisfy compliance, you build resilience, you stop guessing, you sleep better at night, and security becomes a strategy — not an assumption. For Pasadena businesses with security concerns, Penetration Testing gives you the proof needed to know the truth about your security — not assumptions, not guesses, not "I think we're fine."

You probably need Penetration Testing if you've been told "everything is secure" but never seen proof, you worry attackers could find weaknesses they don't know about, your cyber insurance requires a penetration test, you want an outside expert to validate your systems, you've seen news about ransomware hitting local businesses, you've grown tired of vague answers from your IT provider, you want a clear honest understanding of your risk, or you want to fix issues before attackers find them. Many Pasadena businesses don't realize they need Penetration Testing until they face a vendor asking for proof. A Pasadena manufacturing company had been working with the same IT provider for years. Every time leadership asked about security, their provider said the same thing: "You're fully protected." "Everything is secure." "We've got it under control." "You don't need to worry about anything." The statements were confident. But they were never backed up with reports, evidence, scans, vulnerability summaries, documentation, or any actual testing. Just reassurance. The CEO trusted them — until one day a vendor asked a simple question during a partnership review: "Do you have a recent penetration test you can share?" The CEO froze. He looked at his IT provider, who said: "We don't need a penetration test. We're already secure." The vendor pushed back gently: "Security isn't about guessing. It's about validating." That was the moment the CEO realized something wasn't right. He called Alcala Consulting the same afternoon. When we arrived on-site at their Pasadena facility, the CEO led us into a conference room overlooking the production floor. The CEO looked tired. He said: "I don't know if we're safe. I've been told we are, but it's never sat right with me. I want to know the truth." We asked a simple question: "When was the last time anyone tried to break into your system the way a real attacker would?" He shook his head. "Never." That was the real problem. If you want proof — not promises — that's a sign you need Penetration Testing. We test your environment like an attacker — so you can fix issues before attackers find them.

Businesses that skip penetration testing experience unknown vulnerabilities, false confidence, blind spots, weak passwords, misconfigurations, outdated controls, exposed services, credential theft, ransomware attacks, insurance exclusions, and compliance failures. The worst cyberattacks happen to businesses that say: "We're too small to be a target." Attackers don't target businesses. They target vulnerabilities. Most businesses believe they are secure because nothing bad has happened yet. But that's not how cybersecurity works. Attackers look for one unpatched system, one weak password, one exposed port, one misconfigured service, one forgotten vendor account, one user with too much access, or one device that missed an update. It takes only one. Penetration testing exposes these weaknesses before someone malicious does. You can't fix what you can't see. A penetration test shows the truth. One Pasadena manufacturing company almost lost everything because they believed they were secure. Their IT provider said: "You're fully protected." "Everything is secure." "We've got it under control." "You don't need to worry about anything." But when we ran a full penetration test — internal external and cloud-based — we found an exposed service on the public internet, unpatched systems, weak passwords, excessive permissions, no MFA on critical accounts, a vendor account with dangerous access, misconfigured network segmentation, sensitive data stored in unprotected locations, weak firewall rules, and no logging or monitoring. Without Penetration Testing, businesses face unknown vulnerabilities, false confidence, blind spots, weak passwords, misconfigurations, outdated controls, exposed services, credential theft, ransomware attacks, insurance exclusions, and compliance failures. Assumptions don't protect businesses. Testing does.

Penetration Testing prevents problems through comprehensive security testing: we test external systems to find open ports, exposed services, public-facing vulnerabilities, DNS and certificate issues, and attack surface mapping, we test internal systems to find lateral movement, privilege escalation, network segmentation failures, file access testing, and traffic analysis, we test identity and access to find password cracking, MFA bypass attempts, misconfigured accounts, privilege review, and password spray testing, we test configuration to find firewall rules, endpoint settings, logging configurations, network architecture, and patch levels, we test web applications (if applicable) to find input validation, authentication flaws, authorization issues, SQL testing, and session handling, we test cloud systems to find identity weaknesses, misconfigured roles, external sharing leaks, and OAuth and token issues, we provide executive summaries to explain findings, we provide technical details to show vulnerabilities, we provide screenshots to show evidence, we provide evidence to prove vulnerabilities, and we provide clear remediation plan to fix issues. Instead of reacting to security incidents after attackers have exploited vulnerabilities, we prevent them before attackers find them. This proactive approach means you avoid unknown vulnerabilities, false confidence, blind spots, weak passwords, misconfigurations, outdated controls, exposed services, credential theft, ransomware attacks, insurance exclusions, and compliance failures. Many Pasadena businesses find that Penetration Testing transforms how they handle security. Instead of assuming you're protected, you get proof. Instead of guessing, you get clarity. Instead of "I think we're fine," you get the truth. Penetration testing shows what an attacker could do — before they do it.

Our Penetration Testing services include: external penetration testing with open ports, exposed services, public-facing vulnerabilities, DNS and certificate issues, and attack surface mapping, internal penetration testing with lateral movement, privilege escalation, network segmentation failures, file access testing, and traffic analysis, identity and access testing with password cracking, MFA bypass attempts, misconfigured accounts, privilege review, and password spray testing, configuration testing with firewall rules, endpoint settings, logging configurations, network architecture, and patch levels, web application testing (if applicable) with input validation, authentication flaws, authorization issues, SQL testing, and session handling, cloud penetration testing with identity weaknesses, misconfigured roles, external sharing leaks, and OAuth and token issues, reporting with executive summaries, technical details, screenshots, evidence, and clear remediation plan. Penetration testing shows what an attacker could do — before they do it. For 27 years, Alcala Consulting has helped Pasadena businesses test their real-world security, find hidden vulnerabilities, discover attack paths, validate assumptions, strengthen defenses, protect revenue, satisfy cyber insurance requirements, and gain peace of mind. You get clear findings, plain English explanations, proof not guesses, a roadmap for improvement, and confidence. We don't sell fear. We sell clarity.

Penetration Testing is fundamentally different from vulnerability scanning. Vulnerability scanning uses automated tools to find known vulnerabilities. Penetration Testing uses controlled ethical attempts to break into your systems — the safe way — to show how a real attacker could target your business. Penetration Testing goes far beyond vulnerability scanning. It includes testing external systems to find open ports, exposed services, public-facing vulnerabilities, DNS and certificate issues, and attack surface mapping, testing internal systems to find lateral movement, privilege escalation, network segmentation failures, file access testing, and traffic analysis, testing identity and access to find password cracking, MFA bypass attempts, misconfigured accounts, privilege review, and password spray testing, testing configuration to find firewall rules, endpoint settings, logging configurations, network architecture, and patch levels, testing web applications (if applicable) to find input validation, authentication flaws, authorization issues, SQL testing, and session handling, testing cloud systems to find identity weaknesses, misconfigured roles, external sharing leaks, and OAuth and token issues, providing executive summaries to explain findings, providing technical details to show vulnerabilities, providing screenshots to show evidence, providing evidence to prove vulnerabilities, and providing clear remediation plan to fix issues. A Pasadena manufacturing company learned this the hard way. They had been working with the same IT provider for years. Every time leadership asked about security, their provider said: "You're fully protected." "Everything is secure." "We've got it under control." "You don't need to worry about anything." But when we ran a full penetration test — internal external and cloud-based — we found an exposed service on the public internet, unpatched systems, weak passwords, excessive permissions, no MFA on critical accounts, a vendor account with dangerous access, misconfigured network segmentation, sensitive data stored in unprotected locations, weak firewall rules, and no logging or monitoring. Vulnerability scanning wouldn't have found all of this. Penetration Testing did. It's the difference between assuming you're protected and proving it.

Three things set our Penetration Testing apart: First, we test your environment like an attacker — we run internal testing, external testing, cloud testing, identity testing, password testing, configuration analysis, and exploitation attempts (safe and controlled). Second, we don't just find vulnerabilities — we provide clear findings, plain English explanations, proof not guesses, a roadmap for improvement, and confidence. Third, we communicate in plain English — you'll understand what's happening and what we're doing. Many Penetration Testing providers focus on one aspect (like web application testing) but don't help with comprehensive testing or clear reporting. We provide comprehensive Penetration Testing that covers everything from external testing to cloud testing. We also understand that security testing can be overwhelming for business owners. We make Penetration Testing practical and manageable instead of confusing and stressful. For Pasadena businesses with security concerns, this practical, comprehensive approach makes all the difference. We test your environment like an attacker — so you can fix issues before attackers find them. We have 27 years securing SMBs. We have deep penetration testing experience. We have local engineers who respond quickly. We have a clear direct honest communication style. We have 17 five-star Google reviews, a 4.3-star Facebook rating, and four five-star Yelp reviews. We don't sell fear. We sell clarity.

Getting started is simple. First, book a 15-minute discovery call where we'll learn about your environment, risks, and business goals. We'll ask questions like: What security concerns do you have? What does your cyber insurance require? What would you like to achieve? Based on that conversation, we'll run the penetration test — including internal testing, external testing, cloud testing, identity testing, password testing, configuration analysis, and exploitation attempts (safe and controlled). We'll explain what we'll test, how it will help, and what it will cost. Once you approve, we'll provide clear results — an executive summary, detailed technical findings, proof-of-concept evidence, risk ratings, remediation steps, and a clear plan to secure your environment. The process typically takes 1-2 weeks for the penetration test, and then we provide clear reporting with no jargon, no guessing, and no sugarcoating. There's no commitment required for the initial consultation — it's just a chance to see if Penetration Testing makes sense for your Pasadena business. If you want proof — not promises — it's time to schedule your penetration test. Book your 15-minute discovery call today. We'll walk you through what a penetration test will reveal in your environment.