“We do all sorts of penetration testing services like internal penetration testing, external social engineering, adversary emulation, you name it. Everything offensive we do, even the jokes are offensive”

Every organization, no matter how large or small, is susceptible to cybersecurity threats. With more evolved ways of breaching online systems and infrastructures, including through advanced phishing attacks to ransomware and insider risks, companies may feel that they have gaps in their security postures. Amidst this complex environment, Alacrinet stands out as a leading force in the cybersecurity space, delivering comprehensive, tailored solutions to address the most pressing challenges organizations face today.

Founded with a focus on providing exceptional software and security solutions, Alacrinet has grown into a trusted partner for organizations worldwide. Initially specializing in selling software and building robust relationships with Fortune 50 companies, the firm identified a critical gap in the industry: the lack of comprehensive cyber risk services. “There was something that was missing and something that clients needed and that was cyber risk services,” says Hector Monsegur, Senior Director of Research at Alacrinet.

Under the leadership of CEO Brian Bouchard, Alacrinet expanded its offerings to include penetration testing, adversary emulation, and security program assessments, filling in the cyber risk gaps remaining for clients. This strategic pivot was bolstered by the addition of seasoned practitioners like Hector Monsegur, whose unique blend of expertise as a former adversary and offensive security researcher enables Alacrinet to stay ahead of emerging threats. Using expertise developed from real-world simulation and pen-testing, Alacrinet is able to ensure comprehensive and holistic threat protection for their clients. “We do all sorts of penetration testing services like internal penetration testing, external social engineering, adversary emulation, you name it. We do it right. Everything offensive we do, even the jokes are offensive,” says Monsegur.

Most of the challenges that Alacrinet’s clients face revolve around context. Monsegur describes it this way: “If you were to buy Nexus which is the enterprise security scanner and you scan your internal network and then it comes back with a SMB signing disabled or SMB signing—that's considered a vulnerability. Someone will look at that alert, labelled medium severity, and not prioritize it that much. It’s just what Nexus has identified, but from our perspective as adversaries, we say ‘hold on a second’. Nexus has found this SMB signing, not a forced issue. But we could use this issue in tandem with another, let's say, a broadcast protocol, and now we have an attack path.”

What Monsegur’s team does is simulate what real world adversaries would do, meaning, the breach can be combined with another threat and weaponized against a company’s infrastructure. By testing for undetectable threat paths, Alacrinet is staying one step ahead to ensure their client’s security posture remains uncompromised. Put another way, Alacrinet excels in offensive security services, including Penetration Testing, Red Team Exercises, Contextual Security Analysis and Customized Risk Mitigation Strategies.

Alacrinet’s team constantly monitors the cybersecurity landscape for emerging threats and trends, recreating attacks to help clients understand and defend against them. For example, following high-profile attacks involving deepfake AI, Alacrinet developed a service to emulate these scenarios, enabling clients to bolster their defenses against such sophisticated threats. Similarly, the team replicated the tactics used in the infamous MGM hack to help clients test the resilience of their help desks and internal protocols. This proactive approach ensures that Alacrinet is always offering cutting-edge solutions to evolving threats.

Further, Alacrinet’s commitment to client success goes beyond technical expertise. The company is renowned for its vendor-agnostic approach, which allows clients to choose the best solutions for their unique needs. By partnering with a wide range of vendors, Alacrinet ensures that clients have access to a suite of tools and services tailored to their specific challenges.

Monsegur is describing the need for organizations to become the trusted vendor that others use, which means there needs to be a reliant security posture in place. Through all these challenges, Alacrinet offers a diversified toolkit to help solve them, including by deploying flexible engagement models, leveraging corporate budgets and conducting workshops to help customers maximize their resources. It also includes education and awareness, driven by engaging insights meant to empower clients (for more, take a listen to Monsegur’s podcast Hacker and the Fed)! And lastly, Alacrinet prioritizes transparency, reliability, and results-driven engagement, ensuring that clients can trust them as a true partner in security.

Alacrinet’s blend of technical expertise, research-driven insights, and client-focused solutions has earned it a reputation as a trusted partner in cybersecurity. Whether helping organizations navigate complex regulatory requirements, identifying and mitigating risks, or providing guidance on emerging trends, Alacrinet delivers unmatched value, especially when using technical expertise, as exemplified by Monsegur, to simulate threats in an increasingly volatile digital world.