Zero Trust Penetration Testing Case Study
Client | Confidential
Engagement Overview
AJQ Technology was engaged by a client to conduct a penetration test of a new solution built on a zero trust architecture. The architecture’s design choices made conventional penetration testing approaches difficult to apply directly. A standard test plan would have produced findings of limited value to the client.
Scope & Complexity
Key complexity factors included
- A zero trust design that invalidated several common penetration testing assumptions
- The need to design a test approach that would meaningfully exercise the controls relied upon by the architecture
- The requirement to translate technical findings into business-relevant, actionable recommendations rather than a raw vulnerability list
AJQ Approach
AJQ worked with the client to understand the zero trust design choices and the assumptions they relied on, and then designed a test approach appropriate to the architecture. The test exercised the actual control surfaces of the solution rather than the surfaces a generic test would have targeted. Findings were delivered in a form the client could act on directly.
Outcomes Achieved
- Penetration test approach successfully designed and executed against a non-standard zero trust architecture
- Actionable report delivered with prioritised, business-relevant findings
- Client equipped with a clear remediation path appropriate to the solution design