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External Penetration Testing

What is External Penetration Testing?

Authorized security testing conducted from outside the organization's network perimeter to identify vulnerabilities accessible from the internet.

Information Security

Frameworks that govern external penetration testing

ISO 27001:2022View framework →NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5View framework →NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0View framework →

What the standards actually require on external penetration testing

Requirements naming external penetration testing across 3 standards, quoted from the control text.

PCI DSS 4.02 controls

External penetration testing must be performed: using the methodology the entity has defined; no less than annually; after every significant upgrade or change to infrastructure or applications;

11.4.3 · 11.4.3 External penetration testing annually and after change →
CFTC System Safeguards (17 CFR 37, 38, 39, 49)1 control

Conduct external penetration testing of a scope sufficient to satisfy the scope requirement, at a frequency determined by an appropriate risk analysis and no less frequently than annually for covered entities, with the required annual test performed by indepen...

CFTC-SS-14 · External Penetration Testing →
MARS-E1 control

Implement NIST 800-53 AU Audit and Accountability family + CM Configuration Management family + Information System Continuous Monitoring (ISCM) program per MARS-E v2.0.

MARS-E-Audit-Accountability-Continuous-Monitoring-AU-Family-CM-Family-SIEM-Log-Retention-IRS-Pub-1075 · MARS-E Audit + Accountability + Continuous Monitoring + AU + CM Families + SIEM + IRS Pub 1075 →

Questions people ask about external penetration testing

What is External Penetration Testing?
Authorized security testing conducted from outside the organization's network perimeter to identify vulnerabilities accessible from the internet.
Why is External Penetration Testing important for compliance?
External Penetration Testing is a key concept in Information Security. Understanding external penetration testing helps organizations meet regulatory requirements, reduce risk, and demonstrate due diligence during audits. Our compliance platform maps 1,016 frameworks with 316K cross-framework control mappings.
Which compliance frameworks address External Penetration Testing?
External Penetration Testing appears in the requirement text of PCI DSS 4.0, CFTC System Safeguards (17 CFR 37, 38, 39, 49), MARS-E. Across these standards we have identified 4 controls that name it directly, each linked to the control text on the compliance platform.
Where can I learn more about External Penetration Testing?
Explore our compliance framework pages to see how external penetration testing applies across different standards and regulations. Our implementation guides provide step-by-step guidance, and the compliance platform offers AI-powered analysis of how this concept maps across 1,016 frameworks.

See how External Penetration Testing applies across compliance frameworks

Our platform maps 1,016 frameworks with 316K cross-framework control mappings. Explore how this concept is addressed across standards.

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Written and maintained by Gerard Blokdyk, The Art of Service.