In this series focusing on Active Directory attacks, we’re running through four different scenarios based on real penetration testing engagements that demonstrate the variety of techniques and tactics that can be used to compromise

Prior to launching a targeted attack against an organization, threat actors conduct thorough reconnaissance missions, gathering intelligence on employees, the infrastructure, and more. They want to know every possible inch of the attack surface to find every potential exposure before they make their move, using an array of tools and tactics to exploit vulnerable infrastructure.

Active Directory is an essential application within an organization, facilitating and centralizing network management through domain, user, and object creation, as well as authentication and authorization of users. Active Directory also serves as a database, storing usernames, passwords, permissions, and more. Active Directory is a perfect example of a technological double-edged sword. While such a centralized application can streamline IT operations, it does also make for an irresistible target for attackers.

Penetration testing is more than a bunch of ex-hackers in hoodies attempting to break into an organization that hired them. It is a carefully planned and organized engagement that probes and tests a defined piece of an organization's IT infrastructure for potential flaws. Without good intelligence to work from, testers cannot efficiently conduct their attacks, leaving potentially unidentified gaps in an organization’s defense. 

Congratulations! You’ve just completed a penetration test. So what now? 

Modern threat actors and the condition of today’s threat landscape are forcing the collective hand of cybersecurity to go on the offensive -- and federal agencies are no exception. As cyber attackers grow increasingly adept at identifying and exploiting infrastructure weaknesses, they will opt for the path of least resistance. Therefore, agencies with a security posture that goes beyond traditional cyber defenses will fall farther down the list of attack targets -- but they will still be targeted. 

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (

Though we have a new release planned for later this year, we’ve made some updates to Core Impact that we just couldn’t wait to release and share! First, we have a new agent written in Python to expand its use to different environments and further enhance its flexibility. Additionally, we’re staying on top of the latest threats by updating to the latest OWASP Top 10 list, making web application tests even more effective.

The phrase “you’ve got to walk before you can run” is something that we’ve all heard and rolled our eyes at least once in our lives after we’ve attempted an advanced skill before mastering the basics. The saying is unfortunately very accurate when it comes to cybersecurity.

Once upon a time, it was often necessary to define the term “ransomware” as it was frequently met with questioning looks and the need for clarification. Nowadays, you can hardly go a day without hearing about some sort of attack. What has made ransomware such a pervasive threat, and how can organizations learn to better protect themselves?

The cybersecurity world has so many acronyms, and yet we pretend to know what all of them are. However, there are many occasions that leave us wracking our brains, trying to remember what one stands for. Is it a product? An organization? A process? One acronym that everyone should know is OWASP—the Open Web Application Security Project.

Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solutions can take much of the tedium and guesswork out of monitoring, managing, and prioritizing critical security events. That’s why increasing numbers of cybersecurity professionals are embracing SIEM. 

With cybersecurity threats perpetually looming, many organizations have come to rely on penetration testing to assess their security stance and uncover weaknesses. According to the 2023 Pen Testing Report, 86% of respondents reported they pen test at least once a year.

As security threats persist, cybersecurity professionals are increasingly relying on penetration testing to uncover weaknesses and assess their security stance. According to the 2023 Pen Testing Report, 94% of respondents reported pen testing was at least somewhat important to their security posture.

Making a decision on a new cybersecurity tool is never easy—particularly when it’s unclear how rival products compare. It’s tempting to simply type “product vs. product” into Google and see if one stands out as the clear favorite. However, sometimes you can find that two products have been mistakenly grouped together and aren’t actually in competition, but rather, they are in separate categories.

Core Impact has further enhanced the pen testing process with the introduction of two new modules.

Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solutions are often seen as a necessity only for large enterprises with massive environments to monitor for security threats. While this may have been true over a decade ago, in the early days of SIEM. Since then organizational IT infrastructures have become increasingly multifaceted, and the threat landscape continues to evolve.

In The New Normal in Cybersecurity Part 1, we examined three leading trends in the cybersecurity community over the past year. In this installment, we will take a look into the future and make predictions about where the cybersecurity landscape is potentially headed in 2022 and beyond.

The past year has shown organizations that uncertainty and a transformed reality are the new normal in business. While remote work was intended as a temporary response to the global pandemic, it is now considered a regular part of the business environment—fundamentally altering the way companies operate. This means organizations have had to respond in real-time to shift their cybersecurity strategies and keep up with an expanding IT infrastructure, the explosion of IoT devices, and a new wave of threats from more sophisticated attackers.

The MITRE ATT&CK Framework was created in 2013 to create a comprehensive document of tactics, techniques, and procedures that cyber attackers were regularly using to breach the defenses of individuals and organizations. Since then, it has grown to be a global knowledge base that has helped to standardize defensive security and remains accessible to all security professionals.

Ekoparty began as an underground hacking event, but has grown into one of the foremost cybersecurity conferences in Latin America. This year was the 20th anniversary of the incredible infosec event, which takes place every year in Buenos Aires. In order to discover insights from this year’s conference, we talked with two experts from Core Security who attended, and also served as trainers at the Hackademy portion of the event.

The latest release of Core Impact has arrived! Version 21.2 underscores our alignment with the cybersecurity community, incorporating the MITRE ATT&CK™ framework to provide further insights into security weaknesses. We’ve also added additional features to Core Impact’s attack map, making the penetration testing process even more intuitive.

Like a lot of organizations today, your company is facing increasing demands to support and protect countless systems, applications, and platforms that contain sensitive business data by controlling access to this critical information. On top of this, you are pressured to meet ongoing regulatory compliance and industry mandates.

It’s a well-known fact that TV shows and movies pride themselves on their complete and total accuracy when it comes to portraying historical events, illnesses, or jobs. That’s how we know that everyone in olden times spoke in British accents no matter what country they were in, people with tuberculosis casually cough up blood while otherwise carrying on as normal, and all doctors wander about in form fitting scrubs with only one patient to treat—right?

Make no mistake, the pace of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) has reached a fever pitch in the last year. Throughout 2021, M&A activity has continued to trend sharply upwards—with the rate of announcements projected to be the biggest ever in recorded history.