Network Penetration Testing for Law Firms in Des Moines (IA)

 

Law firms in Des Moines and across Iowa are prime targets for cybercriminals. Client files, M&A documents, litigation strategy, settlement figures, health records, and personally identifiable information are all highly valuable on the black market. Threat actors use techniques such as malware, phishing emails, password attacks, SQL injection, and ransomware to gain access to this data and disrupt operations.

The financial impact of a data breach is substantial. In 2021 the median reported cost of a breach reached $4.24M—and that figure only reflects incidents that were disclosed. For law firms, the real risk goes beyond direct cost: reputational damage, loss of client trust, bar complaints, malpractice exposure, and potential regulatory penalties can be far more damaging in the long term.

To reduce these risks, Iowa firms need to regularly review, test, and strengthen their cybersecurity controls. This is where network penetration testing (net-pen testing) comes in. A penetration test is a controlled, ethical hacking exercise where experienced testers simulate real-world cyberattacks against your firm’s IT environment to identify and safely exploit vulnerabilities before criminals do.

For managing partners and firm administrators, a well-executed penetration test provides:

• Clear visibility into how attackers could actually get into your systems
• Verification of whether current security tools and policies are working as intended
• Prioritized remediation guidance so limited IT and security budgets are used effectively
• Support for compliance with client outside counsel guidelines, insurance requirements, and privacy/security expectations

 

Iowa Network Penetration Testing Experience for Law Firms

 

OCD Tech provides network penetration testing and IT security assessments to law firms and professional services organizations in Des Moines and throughout Iowa. Our security consultants have extensive experience working with:

• Small and mid-sized law firms with limited in-house IT staff
• Larger multi-office firms with more complex network and cloud environments
• Firms handling sensitive sectors such as healthcare, financial services, and government-related matters

We combine practical offensive security skills (ethical hacking, red team techniques) with a strong understanding of law firm operations—case management systems, document management platforms, time and billing tools, and remote-work setups commonly used by attorneys and staff. The outcome is not just a list of vulnerabilities, but actionable, prioritized recommendations that can realistically be implemented in an active legal environment without bringing the firm to a halt.

 

Our Network Penetration Testing Methodology

 

OCD Tech follows a structured, proven penetration testing methodology tailored to law firms. Testing is coordinated to minimize disruption to billable work and to protect client confidentiality at all times. Our approach typically includes:

• Passive Reconnaissance – Quietly collecting information about your public-facing infrastructure, domains, and exposed services without directly interacting with your systems.
• Active Reconnaissance – Safely probing your network, servers, and applications to identify open ports, misconfigurations, and potential entry points.
• Social Engineering (as scoped) – Testing how susceptible attorneys and staff may be to realistic phishing or pretexting attacks, a common entry route for ransomware.
• Exploitation – Attempting to use discovered vulnerabilities to gain controlled access, simulating how an attacker would move from theory to compromise.
• Post-Exploitation – Assessing what an attacker could actually do once inside: access to file shares, email, document management systems, and client data.
• Privilege Escalation – Testing whether an intruder could move from a basic user account to administrative or domain-level control.
• Lateral Movement – Evaluating how easily an attacker could pivot across practice groups, office locations, or systems once a single workstation or account is compromised.
• Maintaining Access – Determining if an attacker could establish long-term persistence in your environment without detection.
• Covering Tracks – Reviewing how effectively current logging and monitoring would—or would not—detect and record malicious activity.
• Reporting & Executive Briefing – Delivering a clear, non-technical summary for leadership and a detailed technical report for IT, including risk ratings, concrete remediation steps, and recommended improvements to your overall security posture.

Throughout the engagement, we act as your ethical adversary: thinking like a real attacker, but operating under strict rules of engagement, confidentiality agreements, and legal frameworks appropriate for law firms in Iowa.

 

National Reach

 

While we work closely with law firms in Des Moines and across Iowa, OCD Tech also provides network penetration testing and cybersecurity consulting to organizations nationwide, including:

• Boston (MA)
• New York City (NY)
• Washington DC
• Philadelphia (PA)
• Dallas (TX)
• Los Angeles (CA)
• Chicago (IL)
• Baltimore (MD)

 

Contact Our Iowa Network Penetration Testing Consultants

 

OCD Tech provides network penetration testing, IT security assessments, and cybersecurity consulting to law firms and other organizations in Des Moines and across Iowa. If you would like to discuss how a penetration test can help protect your clients, your matters, and your firm’s reputation, please complete the form below. A member of our team will contact you to review your environment, your risk profile, and the most appropriate testing approach for your firm.