Network Penetration Testing for IT Managed Services Providers in Detroit (MI)

 

IT Managed Services Providers (MSPs in Detroit and across Michigan) sit directly between their clients and critical business data. That makes MSP networks a high‑value target for cybercriminals. Threat actors know that compromising one MSP can give them a path into dozens of client environments across Southeast Michigan and beyond.

Common attacks against MSPs in the Detroit area include ransomware, phishing, credential theft, remote access compromise, and exploitation of misconfigured VPNs and firewalls. According to industry reports, the average cost of a data breach in 2021 reached $4.24M globally (source), and MSP breaches often exceed that due to multi‑tenant impact. Many incidents are never publicly disclosed, so the real numbers are higher.

For Detroit MSPs supporting manufacturing, automotive, healthcare, and financial services, this is not a theoretical problem. Regular, independent network penetration testing is now a baseline expectation from clients, cyber insurers, and regulators. It validates that your existing IT security controls, monitoring, and configuration actually work under pressure, not just on paper.

 

What Is Network Penetration Testing for MSPs?

 

Network penetration testing (net‑pen testing) is a controlled, ethical hacking exercise where security professionals simulate real-world attacks against your MSP infrastructure. This typically includes:

• External perimeter – internet-facing firewalls, VPNs, remote access tools, cloud portals, and management consoles you use to access client networks.

• Internal network – servers, domain controllers, RMM platforms, backup systems, and shared infrastructure inside your office or data center.

• MSP tools and integrations – RMM/PSA platforms, ticketing systems, remote support tools, and configuration management that, if compromised, could be used for mass client compromise.

The objective is to identify and safely exploit security weaknesses before someone with worse intentions does. For MSP leadership in Detroit, this provides:

• Clear visibility into vulnerabilities in your network, configurations, and access paths into client environments.

• Evidence of how far an attacker could go (for example, pivoting from your MSP domain into a client’s environment).

• Validation of existing controls such as firewalls, EDR, MFA, logging, and incident response processes.

• Support for regulatory and contractual requirements (HIPAA, PCI, cyber insurance, and client security questionnaires).

Effective MSP security is not one-and-done. Penetration testing should be performed on a recurring basis—typically annually, after major infrastructure changes, or when onboarding significant new clients—so your defenses keep pace with threats.

 

Detroit & Michigan Network Penetration Testing Experience

 

OCD Tech provides network penetration testing services specifically tailored to IT Managed Services Providers in Detroit and across Michigan. Our team combines hands-on penetration testing, red team exercises, and IT risk advisory experience with a deep understanding of how MSPs actually operate.

We regularly work with MSPs that support:

• Automotive and manufacturing companies in Metro Detroit

• Healthcare providers and clinics across Michigan

• Financial, legal, and professional services firms

• Local government and education environments

Our approach goes beyond simply running automated scans. We focus on realistic attack paths an adversary would use against an MSP, including compromise of RMM tools, abuse of privileged accounts, and assumed-compromise scenarios. The outcome is a clear, prioritized security assessment that not only lists vulnerabilities, but explains business impact and provides concrete remediation steps suitable for MSP technical teams and non-technical leadership.

 

Our Network Penetration Testing Methodology for MSPs

 

OCD Tech uses a structured, repeatable methodology aligned with industry best practices. For MSP networks in Detroit and Michigan, this typically includes:

• Passive reconnaissance – Collecting information about your public footprint, domains, exposed services, and technology stack without active interaction.

• Active reconnaissance – Safely probing external and internal systems to identify open ports, services, and potential misconfigurations.

• Social engineering (where in-scope) – Testing susceptibility to phishing and attempted misuse of helpdesk or support workflows.

• Exploitation – Attempting to exploit identified weaknesses (for example, missing patches, weak configurations, or credential issues) under controlled conditions.

• Post‑exploitation – Assessing what an attacker can access after initial compromise, especially high-value MSP tools and administrative consoles.

• Privilege escalation – Attempting to move from standard user access to administrative or domain-level control.

• Lateral movement – Testing how easily an attacker could move across internal systems or from the MSP environment into client networks.

• Maintaining access – Demonstrating how persistent an attacker could remain if not detected (without leaving anything active when testing concludes).

• Covering tracks – Evaluating logging, alerting, and monitoring to determine how likely your blue team or SOC is to detect malicious activity.

• Reporting and executive briefing – Delivering a detailed report and clear presentation for MSP leadership, including technical findings, prioritized remediation, and guidance for strengthening your overall security posture.

This methodology is designed to emulate how real attackers target MSPs, while maintaining strict safety controls, change management, and documented scope to avoid business disruption.

 

National Reach with Local Focus

 

Although we work extensively with MSPs and businesses in Detroit and throughout Michigan, 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 combination of national experience and local understanding of Detroit’s industry landscape allows us to benchmark your MSP’s security posture against both regional peers and leading national providers.

 

Contact Our Detroit Network Penetration Testing Team

 

OCD Tech provides network penetration testing, IT security assessments, and cybersecurity consulting for IT Managed Services Providers in Detroit and across Michigan. If you want to understand how an attacker would actually target your MSP—and how to stop them—complete the form below, and a member of our team will follow up with you.