Conducting Internal Network Penetration Test
Overview
An internal network penetration test simulates an attacker who has already gained access to the internal network or a malicious insider. The tester operates from an "assumed breach" position — typically a standard domain workstation or network jack — and attempts lateral movement, privilege escalation, credential harvesting, and data exfiltration to determine the blast radius of a compromised endpoint.
When to Use
- When conducting security assessments that involve conducting internal network penetration test
- When following incident response procedures for related security events
- When performing scheduled security testing or auditing activities
- When validating security controls through hands-on testing
Prerequisites
- Signed Rules of Engagement with internal network scope
- Network access: physical Ethernet drop or VPN connection to internal VLAN
- Standard domain user credentials (assumed breach model) or unauthenticated access
- Testing laptop with Kali Linux, Impacket, Responder, BloodHound
- Coordination with IT/SOC for monitoring and emergency contacts
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