Tulsa Network Penetration Testing for HR Companies

 

Human resources firms in Tulsa and across Oklahoma sit on a goldmine of data: Social Security numbers, payroll details, background checks, medical information, and more. That makes HR systems a priority target for cybercriminals. Common attack methods include phishing emails to HR staff, malware in job applications and résumés, password attacks against remote access, and database attacks (such as SQL injections) against applicant tracking or payroll platforms.

The financial impact is not theoretical. In 2021 the median reported cost of a data breach reached $4.24M per incident—without counting unreported events and long-term reputational damage. For an HR company handling sensitive employee and candidate data across Oklahoma, a serious breach can quickly become an existential business risk.

To reduce that risk, organizations need to regularly review, test, and upgrade their cybersecurity controls—not just rely on firewalls and antivirus. This is where network penetration testing comes in.

 

What Network Penetration Testing Means for HR Firms

 

Network penetration testing (net-pen testing) is a controlled, ethical hacking engagement where our specialists simulate real-world cyberattacks against your IT infrastructure, HR systems, and cloud platforms. The goal is straightforward: identify vulnerabilities before criminals do, then show exactly how they could be exploited in an HR context.

For HR companies in Tulsa, this typically includes testing:

• HR and payroll systems (on-premise or cloud-based)
• Applicant tracking systems (ATS) and recruiting portals
• Remote access used by recruiters and HR staff (VPN, RDP, web portals)
• Email and collaboration tools commonly abused in phishing and fraud
• File shares and document repositories storing employee and candidate records

The results give leadership a clear, non-technical view of:

• Where attackers can actually get in
• What sensitive HR data they could reach
• How effective current security controls and monitoring really are
• Which fixes deliver the highest risk reduction for the least effort

 

Oklahoma Network Penetration Testing Experience

 

OCD Tech provides network penetration testing and IT security assessments to HR organizations in Tulsa and across Oklahoma—from local staffing agencies and recruiters to multi-location HR outsourcing providers and PEOs.

Our team combines hands-on ethical hacking expertise with practical knowledge of HR operations and compliance requirements that often apply in Oklahoma, including:

• Protection of personally identifiable information (PII) and financial data
• Support for SOC 2, HIPAA-adjacent environments, and client-driven security requirements
• Vendor and third-party risk expectations from enterprise clients using Tulsa-based HR providers

The outcome is more than a technical exercise. You receive a prioritized, business-focused assessment of your security posture, with clear guidance on how to close gaps affecting HR data confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

 

Our Network Penetration Testing Methodology

 

OCD Tech uses a structured, repeatable methodology aligned with industry best practices. In plain language, we think like real attackers—but work under a contract instead of an arrest warrant. Our testing typically includes:

• Passive Reconnaissance – Quietly gathering information about your HR systems and network from public sources, without touching your environment.
• Active Reconnaissance – Safely scanning your external and internal network to identify live systems, services, and potential entry points.
• Social Engineering – Testing how HR and support staff respond to realistic phishing or impersonation attempts, often a primary risk in HR departments.
• Exploitation – Attempting to use identified weaknesses to gain access to systems, such as VPNs, web portals, or HR platforms.
• Post-Exploitation – Demonstrating what an attacker could do after gaining access, including viewing or extracting HR records, without disrupting business.
• Privilege Escalation – Trying to move from standard user access to admin or domain-level control, which would put all HR data at risk.
• Lateral Movement – Testing whether access to one compromised workstation (for example, a recruiter’s laptop) can lead to HR databases or file servers.
• Maintain Access – Assessing how easily an attacker could stay in your environment undetected over time.
• Cover Tracks – Evaluating how well your logging and monitoring could detect or miss an actual intrusion.
• Reporting – Delivering a clear, prioritized report that explains the findings in business terms, with remediation steps tailored to HR operations and budgets.

Throughout the engagement, we coordinate closely with your IT and security teams—whether that’s an internal group, a managed service provider, or a mix of both—so testing is controlled, safe, and minimally disruptive to HR operations.

 

National Reach, Local Focus

 

While we work extensively with HR organizations in Tulsa and Oklahoma, OCD Tech also provides network penetration testing and security assessments to clients 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 exposure allows us to bring lessons from larger markets back to Tulsa-based HR providers, strengthening defenses against current attack techniques used against HR and staffing companies nationwide.

 

Contact Our Oklahoma Network Penetration Testing Consultants

 

OCD Tech provides network penetration testing, ethical hacking, and cybersecurity consulting to HR firms and other organizations in Tulsa and throughout Oklahoma. If you want to understand how securely your HR data is protected—and what a determined attacker could really do—complete the form below and a team member will follow up with you.

The test is simulated. The risk we uncover is not.