Connected systems make tempting targets for attackers. Vulnerabilities can go undetected despite even the most diligent development practices. Standardization and regulatory bodies are well aware of the problem and now require penetration tests for certain products (UNECE r155 / ISO 21434, CRA, IEC 62443, FDA guidelines, EU MDR / IEC 81001-5-1, DO-326A / ED-202A, DO-356A / ED-203A, NIS 2). To this end, penetration testers take on the mantle of attackers in an attempt to identify vulnerabilities in the system.
And that is why we conduct penetration tests – to ensure your systems are indeed secure.
A partner to count on for pen-testing connected systems
Testing systems holistically, in context rather than in isolation, is no easy task. This takes a diverse skill-set encompassing everything from embedded systems and cloud computing to mobile user applications and enterprise networks. ITK can help you with IT penetration testing. We also excel at testing embedded systems. Our expertise with embedded systems is a matter of record. We do indeed have a deep well of cross-industry experience in the automotive, healthcare, industrial, and other sectors to draw on. And we know all about IT systems, web and cloud services, IT networks, and smartphone applications.
ITK Engineering, a team player
We play the hacker to allow our customers to see their IT from the perspective of an intruder. This is where our role as an adversary ends. Everything else we do, particularly in projects, we do in the spirit of partnership. Simply reporting our findings is not enough – we always strive to find solutions to each customer’s unique problems. If customers wish, we can even bring them on board with the testing process. This cooperative mindset is rooted in what we do. ITK Engineering develops systems, so we are aware of all the pitfalls. Our experts have the requisite domain knowledge and know what difficulties can arise when countermeasures are taken at a late stage. And we would be delighted to share our coping strategies with you.
Your benefits at a glance:
Technical and cross-domain skills: We have the skills to develop embedded security mechanisms, and we are an experienced partner who understands the fundamentals of your products and processes. After all, this is our day-to-day business.
Security engineering expertise: We know how difficult it is change systems. This is why recommend strategies to minimize disruption by changing only what really needs to be changed.
An outsider’s perspective: We are not directly involved in your product development effort, so we can give you the benefit of an unbiased perspective.
Service in the spirit of partnership: We continue to support you after submitting our report, helping to interpret and put the results into practice.
Involvement in penetration testing: If you wish, we will be happy to bring you on board to help steer the direction of pen-testing to wherever you want it to go.
In-depth probing: We dig deeper, going beyond semi-automated vulnerability scanning to identify more vulnerabilities.
Our penetration testing certifications
Our pen-testing team has the following credentials: Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP), Offensive Security Experienced Penetration Tester (OSEP), Foundation in ISMS according to ISO/IEC 27001. Rest assured, your data and prototypes are safe with us. We have the following in-house certifications, including documentation and audit experience: TISAX Certification Level 3, ISO 27001 Certification.
Our reference projects
Embedded gateway ECU penetration test
The challenge: Gateway ECUs are key components of a vehicle’s architecture and therefore a focal point of attacks. Our customer was keen to test the company’s gateway ECU for vulnerabilities, but the rigorous production schedule left little room for this task.
Our solution: Time was so tight that the system was delivered with some less than fully functional security features. We could not test these directly. Instead, the ITK pen-testing team decided to make the most of what little time was available to focus on fully functional mechanisms and start uncovering vulnerabilities. We helped identify incomplete security features on the fly and extended testing in a structured way to incorporate these features once they were made fully functional.
Added value for the customer: The customer certainly appreciated our pragmatic, cooperative response to the delivery of an incomplete system. Making the most of the time available, the team managed to complete its mission despite the deadline pressure.
Hybrid system penetration test (web service, mobile app, embedded ECU)
The challenge: A hybrid system comprised of a backend web service/ app, a smartphone app, and an ECU installed in the vehicle offered many openings for attacks. The customer asked us to check for vulnerabilities.
Our solution: Seeking to fast-track the test, ITK assembled several teams to investigate the system’s components. These teams first focused on vulnerabilities within individual components. Then they linked system-level vulnerabilities to kill-chains and identified systemic vulnerabilities.
Added value for the customer: The customer enjoyed the benefits of embedded, web, and mobile app penetration testing from a single source, ITK. This way, the customer had to coordinate with just one trusted partner who could be counted on to discover system-level vulnerabilities.
IT network penetration test
The challenge: The customer operates an IT network and has to regularly conduct penetration tests as part of the company’s ISMS. Several penetration tests of varying scope had been conducted, revealing that remedial action would have to be taken. Management tasked us to deliver an insightful report to this end.
Our solution: ITK tested the system extensively, focusing not only on critical technical components but also on obvious and traceable vulnerabilities. Using the standard reporting framework, ITK explained the many detected vulnerabilities in relatable terms readily understood by non-technical management.
Added value for the customer: The customer got exactly what was needed to make a persuasive case for taking swift and decisive countermeasures – a record of identified vulnerabilities and a relatable report for management. ITK not only helped with the penetration test; our team was also on board to assist in presenting and discussing identified vulnerabilities.
Our penetration testing portfolio
Penetration testing for several web applications, including automotive: OWASP, OAuth, Keycloak, Kubernetes, Docker, Angular, Spring Boot, React, NodeJS, SQL – and NoSQL database, etc.
Penetration testing for multiple enterprise networks (IT): Internal and Internet-facing service port scanning and detailed vulnerability analysis, Active Directory, AD forests, network shares, ADFS, AzureAD, ADCS, databases, custom enumeration and analysis, email phishing campaigns, AV evasion, etc.
Embedded penetration testing (for example, for airbag systems, gateway ECUs, specialized ECUs, medical robots): Unified diagnosticservices (UDS), controlarea network (CAN / CAN-FD), LIN, automotive Ethernet, SOME/IP, DDS, DoIP, NFC, Wifi, Bluetooth & BLE, JTAG / XCP / DAP, secureboot, secure update, etc.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Expertise in the areas of embedded and domain technology
