Government Cyber Security Attack Protection

Cybersecurity Threats to the Federal Government

Individuals Seeking Financial Gain

Financially motivated insider attacks

Adversarial Foreign Agents

State-sponsored cyber espionage

Hacktivism

Ideology-driven cyber adversaries

Vulnerabilities Exposed by Pen Testing

Network misconfigurations

Web and mobile app vulnerabilities

Container security flaws

Default or weak credentials

Role-based privilege assignment issues

Cloud perimeter and tenant isolation risks

Weak endpoint hardening

API vulnerabilities

Common Penetration Testing Exploit Categories

Misconfigurations

Settings that aren't configured correctly are exploitable, such as default security settings.

Example: Misconfigured cloud storage repositories used by federal agencies could unintentionally expose controlled unclassified information (CUI) to unauthorized external parties.

Kernel Flaws

Security flaws in kernel code can lead to a compromise of the entire system.

Example: A vulnerability in the operating system kernel could let an attacker operate at the same privilege level as core system components, giving them direct access to hardware resources such as storage, memory, or network interfaces.

Buffer Overflows

Unchecked input length enables attackers to inject and execute code.

Example: A buffer handling weakness in a government‑managed application gateway could enable an adversary to crash the service or extract memory contents beyond authorized boundaries.

Insufficient Input Validation

Failure to filter user input can lead to SQL injection attacks.

Example: If a federal web portal accepts user‑supplied input and places it into backend database queries without proper filtering, an attacker could insert malicious SQL statements and manipulate agency data.

Symbolic Links

Symlinks can trick privileged programs into altering critical files.

Example: If a privileged maintenance script follows symbolic links without verifying their targets, an attacker could redirect it to access or modify protected system files.

File Descriptor Attacks

Improper handling of file descriptors can lead to unauthorized access or manipulation of unintended files.

Example: If a privileged federal records management tool fails to validate which files its descriptors point to, an attacker could cause the tool to read, write, or overwrite files containing sensitive citizen information or mission‑critical agency data.

Race Conditions

Timing attacks can exploit brief timing windows during privileged operations.

Example: An attacker might exploit a timing window during which a system process temporarily holds elevated privileges, allowing unauthorized actions.

Incorrect File and Directory Permissions

Weak permissions enable unauthorized access to sensitive files.

Example: Improper directory access controls on a government system could permit unauthorized users to read or alter authentication files or modify trust lists used for secure remote connections.

Federal Government Breach Repercussions

The number of records compromised in federal breaches annually

2.3M

The average cost of downtime caused by a cyberattack on U.S. government organizations

$262M

The cost of ransomware attacks on the U.S. government 2018–2024

$1.09B

FedRAMP Penetration Testing

What Is FedRAMP Pen Testing?

The Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) requires Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) to undergo a rigorous, standardized penetration testing process before they can deliver services to U.S. government agencies, ensuring compliance with strict security standards. Federal organizations can protect government cloud products and services using Core Impact to test against FedRAMP.

What Is Core Impact?

Core Impact is a powerful penetration testing platform designed to enable security teams to conduct advanced tests with ease. It helps your teams improve your security posture by:

Exploiting security weaknesses in network, web, endpoint, and SCADA environments
Expanding the capabilities and productivity of pen testing teams
Automating repetitive and time-consuming tasks

Manage All Pen Testing Phases

Identify Security Weaknesses

Simulate Phishing Attacks

Prove Regulatory Compliance

Core Impact

Complete The Form To Request Pricing

√ Intuitive automation for deploying advanced level tests

√ Extensive library of expert-developed and certified exploits

√ Multi-vector testing capabilities

√ Ransomware simulation

√ NTLM relay attack simulation

√ Tailored reporting to build remediation plans

√ Powerful integrations with other pen testing tools and more than 20 vulnerability scanners

√ Robust safety features, including fully encrypted, self-destructing agents

Offensive Security Bundles

Create a mature security program at a discounted price with our Offensive Security bundles. You can assemble your proactive security portfolio all in one place, choosing the combination that best fits the needs and security stance of your organization. Each one of our bundle offerings provides efficiency by providing centralization, reduced console fatigue, and the same best-in-class sales and technical support that Fortra offers across solutions.

EXPLORE BUNDLES

Red Team Suite

Combining OST and Cobalt Strike enables red teams to run advanced attack simulations designed to bypass defensive measures and detection tools with ease.

Offensive Security Suite

The Offensive Security Suite maximizes attack potential through interconnected platforms and mutual resources, expanding testing capabilities.

Contract Vehicles

As a federal agency, you can access Core Security’s solutions and services through a number of efficient and cost-effective government contract vehicles, including:

U.S. General Services Administration (GSA)
Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP)
CIO-CS
DHS FirstSource II

DOE BPA
Army CHESS
Army ITES-3H
Various Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPA) and State-Wide Vehicles

Core Security is a proud member of AFCEA, an international nonprofit professional association aimed at connecting military, government, and industry for learning about and collaborating on the advancement of security technology.

Related Resources

Case Study