Network Penetration Testing for HR Companies in Wilmington, DE

 

HR and staffing companies in Wilmington and across Delaware are prime targets for cybercriminals. You hold exactly what attackers want most: large volumes of personally identifiable information (PII), background checks, payroll data, Social Security numbers, healthcare details, and sometimes even immigration and financial records.

Threats such as phishing emails against recruiters, malware and ransomware on shared HR systems, password attacks on web portals, and SQL injection against candidate and client databases are all routinely used to gain access to this data. According to industry research, the average reported cost of a data breach in 2021 reached $4.24M (source)—and that does not include unreported incidents or long‑term reputational damage, especially severe for HR brands built on trust.

Network penetration testing (often called a network pentest) is a controlled, ethical hacking exercise against your IT environment. For HR companies, this typically includes your applicant tracking systems (ATS), HRIS platforms, remote work solutions, client portals, and internal networks in Wilmington offices and remote branches. The goal is simple: find security weaknesses before real attackers do, prove how far those weaknesses can be exploited, and provide clear, practical remediation guidance.

Regular penetration testing gives HR leadership, compliance teams, and IT the information needed to:

• Reduce the risk of unauthorized access to candidate and employee data

• Validate existing security controls (firewalls, VPNs, MFA, endpoint security)

• Support regulatory and contractual requirements (e.g., client security questionnaires, SOC reports, privacy mandates)

• Demonstrate due diligence to clients, partners, and regulators in Delaware and beyond

 

Wilmington Network Penetration Testing Experience for HR Firms

 

OCD Tech provides network penetration testing services to HR, staffing, payroll, and talent management companies in Wilmington and across Delaware. Our team combines IT security assessment expertise with a deep understanding of how HR operations actually work day‑to‑day: distributed recruiters, high email volume, cloud‑based HR platforms, third‑party background check integrations, and frequent access from personal and remote devices.

We routinely help HR organizations:

• Assess security of cloud-based HR and recruiting systems that store sensitive applicant and employee data

• Test VPN, remote access, and office networks used by recruiters and HR staff across Wilmington, Newark, and the broader Delaware region

• Evaluate exposure to phishing and social engineering targeting HR inboxes (offer letters, payroll changes, W‑2 requests, and more)

• Review configuration and access controls for systems shared with payroll providers, background screeners, and benefits vendors

The result is not just a list of vulnerabilities. You receive clear, prioritized remediation steps that your internal IT team or external providers can implement, with practical guidance on what to fix first to protect your HR data and meet client expectations.

 

Network Penetration Testing Methodology

 

OCD Tech uses a structured, repeatable methodology aligned with industry best practices. For HR companies, this approach is tailored to the systems and workflows you actually use. A typical network penetration test includes:

• Passive Reconnaissance – Quietly collecting information about your public presence (domains, HR portals, email patterns) without directly interacting with your systems.

• Active Reconnaissance – Scanning and probing your infrastructure (external and internal networks, VPNs, HR web apps) to identify open services and potential weaknesses.

• Social Engineering – Where in scope, testing how HR and recruiting staff respond to realistic phishing or pretext scenarios (e.g., fake candidate CVs with malicious attachments, spoofed executive requests).

• Exploitation – Safely attempting to exploit identified vulnerabilities to validate real‑world impact on HR systems and data.

• Post‑Exploitation – Demonstrating what an attacker could do after getting in: viewing or extracting candidate, employee, or client data.

• Privilege Escalation – Attempting to move from a low‑level account to higher‑privileged HR, IT, or admin roles.

• Lateral Movement – Testing whether access to one HR system can be leveraged to compromise other internal or cloud platforms.

• Maintaining Access – Showing how attackers might establish persistent access if not detected by your security controls.

• Covering Tracks – Evaluating your logging and monitoring capabilities by reviewing what evidence an attacker might be able to remove or hide.

• Reporting – Delivering a clear, non‑technical executive summary for HR and leadership, along with detailed technical findings, risk ratings, and remediation steps for IT and security teams.

 

National Reach for HR Cybersecurity

 

Although OCD Tech maintains a strong presence in Wilmington and the Delaware Valley, our penetration testing and cybersecurity consulting services support HR and staffing organizations across the United States, including:

• Boston (MA)

• New York City (NY)

• Washington DC

• Philadelphia (PA)

• Dallas (TX)

• Los Angeles (CA)

• Chicago (IL)

• Baltimore (MD)

 

Contact Our Wilmington Network Penetration Testing Consultants

 

OCD Tech provides network penetration testing and cybersecurity consulting to HR companies, staffing agencies, payroll providers, and talent management firms in Wilmington and across Delaware. If you would like to discuss a tailored penetration test for your HR environment, please complete the form below. A member of our team will contact you to review your systems, timelines, and specific regulatory or client requirements.