Network Penetration Testing for Colleges and Universities in Omaha

 

Colleges and universities in Omaha and across Nebraska are prime targets for cybercriminals. Higher education networks hold exactly what attackers want: student records, financial data, research, payroll, and intellectual property. Common attack methods — malware, phishing emails to faculty and students, password attacks, SQL injections against student portals, and ransomware — are all designed to quietly gain access, move laterally, and monetize your data.

The cost of a data breach continues to climb. In 2021 the median reported breach cost reached $4.24M, and that only reflects incidents that were disclosed. For a campus environment with thousands of users, multiple locations, and third-party integrations, the real impact can be significantly higher when you factor in downtime, incident response, legal exposure, lost enrollment trust, and reputational damage.

To manage this risk, regular network penetration testing is essential. A “net-pen” test is a controlled, simulated cyberattack on your IT and OT infrastructure — wired and wireless networks, data centers, cloud, VPNs, remote access, and critical applications (e.g., SIS, LMS, HR/Finance systems). The goal is simple: identify vulnerabilities before an attacker does, safely exploit them, and provide clear, prioritized remediation guidance your internal IT or security team can act on.

For higher education leadership — presidents, CIOs, CISOs, and boards — the results of a professional penetration test help you:

• Understand your true exposure across campus networks, residence halls, research labs, and remote users.
• Validate existing security controls such as firewalls, EDR, MFA, and network segmentation.
• Support compliance requirements related to FERPA, GLBA, HIPAA (for campus health), research contracts, and cyber insurance.
• Prioritize budget and projects based on real, tested risk — not guesswork or tool dashboards.

 

Network Penetration Testing Experience in Nebraska Higher Education

 

OCD Tech provides network penetration testing and IT security assessments for colleges and universities in Omaha and across Nebraska. Our consultants combine deep offensive security expertise with practical knowledge of higher-ed environments — open networks, shared labs, legacy systems, student-owned devices, and complex identity platforms.

We routinely perform ethical hacking engagements and security reviews for academic institutions and other mission-driven organizations. Our work ranges from assessing campus core networks and data centers, to simulating insider threats, to testing remote access used by faculty and staff working from off-campus locations.

The outcome is not just a list of vulnerabilities. You receive:

• Risk-ranked findings in language that executive leadership, IT staff, and auditors can all understand.
• Actionable remediation steps mapped to your environment, staffing, and budget reality.
• Guidance on strengthening your security program — from configuration reviews to longer-term roadmap items.

 

Network Penetration Testing Methodology

 

OCD Tech follows a structured, repeatable penetration testing methodology tailored for higher education networks. While the underlying work is technical, the approach is straightforward and fully coordinated with your IT leadership to avoid disrupting classes or critical operations.

Our typical network penetration test includes the following phases:

• Passive Reconnaissance – Quietly gathering information about your public footprint, domains, and technologies without touching internal systems.
• Active Reconnaissance – Safely scanning and mapping campus networks, data centers, and cloud assets to identify potential entry points.
• Social Engineering (where in scope) – Testing how well your users resist realistic phishing or pretexting attempts, especially staff with elevated access.
• Exploitation – Attempting to exploit identified weaknesses to gain initial access, simulating an external attacker or assumed-compromise scenario.
• Post-Exploitation – Determining what an attacker could do after gaining access: data exposure, system control, or impersonation of key accounts.
• Privilege Escalation – Attempting to move from a low-privilege account (e.g., standard student or staff) to administrative or domain-level access.
• Lateral Movement – Testing how easily an attacker could move between segments: from residence hall networks into administrative systems, research environments, or backups.
• Maintaining Access – Demonstrating how long-term, stealthy access might be established if not detected by monitoring or Blue Team operations.
• Covering Tracks – Showing which logs and alerts did — or did not — capture attacker activity, supporting improvements in detection and response.
• Reporting & Executive Debrief – Delivering a clear report, technical details for IT staff, and an executive-level briefing focused on risk, impact, and next steps.

Throughout the engagement, we coordinate closely with your internal security, network, and IT operations teams — whether you run a centralized IT model or a distributed model across colleges and departments.

 

National Reach with Local Understanding

 

While OCD Tech maintains a strong presence in Omaha and Nebraska, our security consultants deliver network penetration testing services across the United States, including:

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

This national experience, combined with familiarity with Midwestern higher education environments, allows us to benchmark your security posture against peer institutions while accounting for the realities of local budgets, staffing, and regulatory expectations.

 

Contact Our Omaha Network Penetration Testing Consultants

 

OCD Tech provides network penetration testing, security assessments, and cybersecurity consulting to colleges and universities in Omaha and across Nebraska. Whether you are building a new security program, validating existing controls, or responding to increased board and regulator scrutiny, we can help you understand and reduce your risk.

If you would like to discuss a network penetration test or broader IT security assessment for your institution, please complete the form below. A member of our team will contact you to review your environment, objectives, and timeline.