Top Control of Q4 2025: Penetration Testing

Every penetration test tells a story. Sometimes it’s about missed patches or weak passwords—but more often, it’s about people, priorities, and the choices that make security hard in the real world.

That’s what makes penetration testing so powerful. A good test doesn’t just check for missing patches or misconfigurations; it reveals how small cracks connect into real-world attack paths. It shows how technology and human decisions intersect—and how attackers can take advantage of both.

This quarter, LMG Security has named Penetration Testing our Top Control for Q4 2025. After reviewing trends across hundreds of client environments, one message stood out: organizations that invest in regular, high-quality penetration testing aren’t just finding vulnerabilities—they’re improving pro…

As Tom Pohl, LMG’s Head of Penetration Testing, explains, “A great penetration test doesn’t just show you what’s broken—it shows you how an attacker would actually use what’s broken to achieve their goal. That’s the difference between information and understanding.”

That understanding has never mattered more. Attackers are moving faster, using AI and automation to find and exploit subtle weaknesses before defenders can react. A recent Google Threat Intelligence report showed how cybercriminals abused a modified Salesforce tool to quietly exfiltrate data and extort companies—a tactic that relies not on flashy exploits, but on unnoticed human and process gaps.

That’s exactly what penetration testing is designed to uncover.

What Penetration Testing Is — and What It Isn’t

According to NIST Special Publication 800-115, Technical Guide to Information Security Testing and Assessment, “Penetration testing is security testing in which assessors mimic real-world attacks to identify methods for circumventing the security features of an application, system, or network.”

In practice, penetration testing is a disciplined simulation of how a real attacker would approach your environment—with the same creativity and persistence, but under controlled conditions. It’s not a vulnerability scan, a compliance checkbox, or a test of your detection systems.

As Tom puts it, “Pen testing is a team sport. We’re constantly trading ideas, showing each other new tools or tricks, and challenging assumptions. That collaboration is what makes us dangerous—in the right way.”

That teamwork and creativity are what turn a checklist assessment into an authentic, high-value evaluation of your defenses. It’s also why skilled testers occasionally uncover zero-day vulnerabilities or surprising exploit chains—the sequences of small, connected weaknesses that attackers use to move from minor access to major control.

Case Study: When Expansion Creates Exposure

In one recent internal penetration test, LMG Security’s team assessed a rapidly growing organization that had expanded its network, added new staff, and introduced cloud-based systems. The company had previously performed a successful penetration test and remediated all known issues—but during this follow-up engagement, LMG discovered that growth had quietly reintroduced risk.

An internal penetration test simulates what happens after an attacker gains a foothold inside your environment, such as through phishing, a compromised device, or a third-party connection. Testers often start with no access and then explore whether small weaknesses can be chained together into something far more serious—an exploit chain.

That’s exactly what happened here. Early in the engagement, the team identified a remote access service that allowed connections without proper authentication. By combining that oversight with weak privilege separation and reused administrator credentials, they built an exploit chain that led all the way to full domain compromise.

The finding wasn’t just technical—it was procedural. The organization’s patch management and access controls hadn’t scaled as quickly as its workforce. In the rush to expand, responsibilities shifted, and a few old settings carried forward into the new environment.

“We often see organizations that fix an issue, grow quickly, and accidentally reintroduce the same risk in a different way. That’s why continuous testing matters — your environment is always changing,” Tom explained.

This engagement became a turning point for the client. Instead of treating the report as a checklist, the IT and leadership teams used it to refine how they managed change, credentials, and configuration reviews. That’s the real value of a great penetration test—it turns findings into lasting improvement. For more details on common attack tactics, read Penetration Testing Secrets: How Hackers Really Get In.

How to Get the Most from Your Penetration Test

A great penetration test doesn’t end when the report is delivered—that’s when the real value begins. The most successful organizations use their results to identify patterns, improve communication, and refine how they manage risk.

Start by looking past individual findings. Every vulnerability reflects a decision or habit that created it: a process shortcut, a staffing limitation, or a misaligned priority. When you see the human and organizational story behind the technical issue, you can make changes that last.

Next, bring more people into the conversation. A collaborative debrief that includes IT, development, and leadership helps everyone understand how and why weaknesses occurred—and how to prevent them.

Finally, keep testing. The companies that benefit most from penetration testing treat it as part of an ongoing rhythm, not a once-a-year compliance step. They track remediation, retest regularly, and use each engagement to measure progress.

Checklist: How to Get the Most from Your Penetration Test

Before the Test

Define clear goals — Are you testing external exposure, internal controls, or a specific application?
Communicate with your testers early to establish scope, expectations, and boundaries.
Make sure documentation, credentials, and access points are organized and up to date.

During the Test

Stay engaged—ask questions and request updates to understand tester methodology.
Take note of any unexpected system behavior; it could reveal monitoring or logging gaps.
Treat testers as partners—their insights often go beyond the immediate findings.

After the Test

Read the report with your team—not just for technical findings, but for process patterns.
Prioritize remediation by potential impact, not just CVSS scores.
Assign clear ownership and track progress on every fix.
Schedule a debrief to translate findings into policy or workflow improvements.
Plan your next test—a regular cadence builds long-term resilience.

Pro Tip: Make It a Habit

Penetration testing is most effective when it’s part of a recurring cycle. Pair regular testing with continuous vulnerability management to track progress, validate fixes, and spot new risks before attackers do. Tools like Tenable Vulnerability Management can help your team maintain visibility between tests and make sure the next one comes up clean.

From Findings to Transformation

A penetration test is only partly about vulnerabilities. Its real purpose is to hold a mirror to your organization—to show how people, technology, and processes interact under stress.

When you dig into the findings, patterns emerge. You start to see where communication breaks down, where responsibilities blur, and where well-intentioned shortcuts create exposure. Addressing those systemic issues is what moves an organization from reactive to resilient.

As Tom puts it, “The real goal of a penetration test is to help clients build habits that prevent vulnerabilities before they happen. It’s about progress, not perfection.”

Why Penetration Testing Is the Top Control of Q4 2025

Attackers are innovating faster than ever, using automation and AI to discover and exploit small weaknesses before defenders can react. Penetration testing exposes how those weaknesses connect—revealing real risk, not just theoretical vulnerabilities—and helps organizations strengthen both technical controls and human processes.

The organizations that test regularly don’t just improve their security posture; they evolve. Each engagement creates opportunities to refine communication, enhance accountability, and build stronger routines. Over time, that continuous cycle of testing and remediation leads to lasting resilience.

That’s why penetration testing stands out as the Top Control of Q4 2025: it’s not just a technical exercise—it’s an ongoing dialogue between your business and its defenses, a practical way to stay adaptive, aware, and ahead.

Please connect with our team if you need help with penetration testing, advisory services, or cybersecurity training.