Network Penetration Testing for MSPs in Des Moines, IA

 

IT Managed Services Providers (MSPs in Des Moines and across Iowa) are increasingly targeted by cybercriminals. By compromising one MSP, an attacker can quietly pivot into dozens of client networks across central Iowa. Common attack methods include ransomware, phishing, credential theft, misconfigured remote access, and exploitation of outdated systems. Each of these techniques is designed to gain unauthorized access to sensitive client and internal data.

According to industry research, the average reported cost of a data breach in 2021 reached $4.24M (source). This figure does not account for unreported incidents, regulatory investigations, contract losses, or the reputational hit an MSP faces when client environments are affected.

Network penetration testing (net-pen testing) is a controlled, ethical hacking exercise where security specialists simulate real-world attacks against your MSP infrastructure, tools, and remote access paths. The objective is straightforward: identify and exploit vulnerabilities before a real attacker does. For MSPs, this means validating the resilience of:

• Remote monitoring and management (RMM) platforms

• VPNs, firewalls, and secure remote access solutions used for client support

• Domain controllers, ticketing systems, and backup infrastructure

• Multi-tenant configurations and client network segmentation

The outcome of a well-executed penetration test is a clear, prioritized view of security weaknesses, allowing MSP leadership to improve controls, meet contractual and regulatory expectations, and strengthen client trust across the Des Moines metro area.

 

Iowa Network Penetration Testing Experience for MSPs

 

OCD Tech provides network penetration testing services for MSPs in Des Moines and throughout Iowa. Our team has extensive experience in IT risk advisory, cybersecurity consulting, and hands-on security assessments for managed service providers and their clients across sectors such as healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, and local government.

We focus on practical, real-world attack paths that directly affect MSP operations, including:

• Compromise of technician accounts and administrative tools

• Abuse of remote access to move from the MSP into client networks

• Privilege escalation within shared or multi-tenant environments

• Configuration review of critical infrastructure and security controls

The result is not just a list of vulnerabilities, but actionable guidance on how to remediate gaps, harden your environment, and reduce the likelihood that a compromise at your MSP becomes a multi-client incident.

 

Network Penetration Testing Methodology

 

OCD Tech follows a structured, repeatable methodology tailored to MSP environments. Our testing approach covers the full attack lifecycle, including both external and internal perspectives:

• Passive Reconnaissance – Quietly collecting information about your MSP and hosted client infrastructure from public sources to understand your exposure.

• Active Reconnaissance – Safely scanning and probing networks, services, and applications to identify live systems and potential entry points.

• Social Engineering – Where in scope, testing how attackers might trick staff into revealing credentials or granting access (for example, helpdesk or on-call engineers).

• Exploitation – Attempting to exploit identified weaknesses such as missing patches, weak configurations, or insecure remote access.

• Post-Exploitation – Assessing what an attacker could do after initial access, including viewing or modifying sensitive data and internal systems.

• Privilege Escalation – Trying to move from ordinary accounts to high-privilege roles, such as domain admin, RMM admin, or backup administrator.

• Lateral Movement – Testing whether an attacker can move from your MSP environment into client environments, or between clients, using the same tools your team uses every day.

• Maintaining Access – Demonstrating how a real attacker might persist in your network over time if not detected.

• Covering Tracks – Evaluating logging and monitoring to determine whether malicious activity would be noticed by your internal team or external SOC.

• Reporting & Executive Briefing – Delivering a clear report with risk ratings, technical detail for your engineers, and plain-language recommendations for leadership.

This approach gives MSPs in Des Moines a realistic view of how they would stand up against a focused attacker and how their blue team and monitoring capabilities might respond.

 

National Reach

 

While we work extensively with MSPs in Iowa, OCD Tech also provides network penetration testing and IT security assessments to organizations across the U.S., including:

• Boston (MA)

• New York City (NY)

• Washington DC

• Philadelphia (PA)

• Dallas (TX)

• Los Angeles (CA)

• Chicago (IL)

• Baltimore (MD)

This national perspective helps us bring lessons learned from complex attacks and advanced threat activity back to MSPs in Des Moines and throughout Iowa.

 

Contact Our Iowa Network Penetration Testing Consultants

 

OCD Tech provides network penetration testing, configuration review, and cybersecurity consulting to IT Managed Services Providers in Des Moines and across Iowa. If you would like to discuss how a focused penetration test can help protect your MSP and your clients, please complete the form below. A member of our team will contact you to review your environment, objectives, and appropriate testing scope.