The myth of the air-gapped plant is gone. For remote monitoring and maintenance, OT and IT networks have merged, and internet-facing HMIs, engineering interfaces and remote-access paths now sit one pivot away from a corporate breach. Our OT, ICS and SCADA penetration testing safely assesses that reality — from the IT/OT boundary down to PLCs, RTUs and HMIs — and shows exactly how far an attacker could reach before they touch a physical process.
We test the way a real intruder operates but with the caution an operating plant demands: passive where it must be, active only where it is safe, and always with agreed rules of engagement so production is never put at risk.
We anchor the engagement in the Purdue model, mapping zones and conduits and validating the segmentation that is supposed to keep the enterprise network away from the process network. We hunt exposed HMIs and engineering stations, default and shared credentials on controllers, weak or plaintext industrial protocols (Modbus, DNP3, S7, EtherNet/IP), insecure remote access, and the IT footholds that let an attacker pivot into OT in the first place. Where safe, we demonstrate impact against a lab or offline replica rather than live controllers.
Why it matters
OT devices were built for reliability and predictability, not for an adversary, and they cannot simply be patched on a workday without stopping the process. Meanwhile the attacks are no longer theoretical — Iran-linked actors have taken a power plant offline and disrupted water utilities, and the CyberAv3ngers reached PLCs through default passwords exposed to the internet. Under NIS2 many operators are now formally in scope, and a physical disruption is not a data leak you can quietly remediate — it is downtime, damaged equipment and potential safety impact.
What we test
- IT/OT segmentation & Purdue-zone validation
- Exposed HMI, SCADA & engineering-station review
- PLC/RTU configuration & default-credential testing
- Industrial protocol security (Modbus, DNP3, S7, EtherNet/IP)
- Remote-access & jump-host attack paths
- IT-to-OT pivot & lateral-movement assessment
Common vulnerabilities we uncover
- Flat or weakly segmented IT/OT networks
- Internet-exposed HMIs and engineering interfaces
- Default, shared or hardcoded controller credentials
- Unauthenticated / plaintext industrial protocols
- Insecure vendor and contractor remote access
- Legacy, unpatched PLC firmware and SCADA servers
Our methodology
- Scoping & rules of engagement. We agree objectives, targets and boundaries for your ot / ics / scada penetration testing, so testing is safe, authorized and focused on what matters to your business.
- Reconnaissance & mapping. We enumerate the full attack surface in scope, building a complete picture before any exploitation begins.
- Manual exploitation. Our senior testers chain vulnerabilities by hand — going far beyond automated scanners — to prove real, demonstrable impact.
- Analysis & reporting. Every finding is triaged, risk-rated with CVSS and written up with a copy-paste reproduction and clear remediation.
- Remediation support & free retest. We support your team through the fixes and retest the remediated issues to confirm they are genuinely closed.
Tools & techniques
Our methodology is deliberately conservative: we begin with passive discovery and asset inventory on the OT network, then move to careful, authorised active testing only in safe zones. We validate IT/OT segmentation from the corporate side, test remote-access and jump-host paths, review controller and HMI configurations, and assess industrial protocols for authentication and integrity weaknesses.
Where demonstrating exploitation on live equipment would be unsafe, we prove the attack path up to the controller and validate the final step against a test rig, an offline device or the vendor's simulator — so you get real evidence without risking the process.
When you need this engagement
- You operate a plant, utility, factory or critical-infrastructure site
- You are in scope for NIS2 or a national CNI regulation
- You have connected OT to corporate IT or the cloud for remote monitoring
- You are onboarding a new OT vendor or remote-maintenance path
- You need to evidence OT cyber diligence to a regulator or insurer
What you receive
- OT asset & exposure inventory
- IT/OT segmentation and pivot-path findings
- Prioritised, safety-aware remediation roadmap
- IEC 62443 alignment gap view
- Executive briefing for OT and IT stakeholders
- Re-review of applied fixes
What’s included in your report
Every ot / ics / scada penetration testing engagement concludes with a comprehensive, board-ready report and a working session to walk your team through it. Your report includes:
- An executive summary with overall risk posture for non-technical stakeholders
- Detailed technical findings, each with a step-by-step, copy-paste reproduction
- CVSS v3.1 severity ratings and business-impact context for every issue
- Prioritized, actionable remediation guidance your engineers can apply directly
- A complimentary retest to confirm fixes and update finding status
- A formal attestation letter for customers, auditors and compliance programs
Standards & frameworks
IEC 62443
NIST SP 800-82
CISA ICS guidance
NIS2 Directive
Outcomes you can expect
After your ot / ics / scada penetration testing, you will have clear, evidence-based visibility into your real security risk — not a scanner’s guesswork. You will know exactly which weaknesses an attacker could exploit, what the business impact would be, and the precise steps to fix them in priority order. Teams use our findings to close critical gaps, satisfy customer and regulator security requirements, and demonstrate due diligence to their board. With a complimentary retest included, you also get documented proof that the issues are genuinely resolved.
Engagement details & logistics
Every ot / ics / scada penetration testing starts with a short, no-obligation scoping call to understand your goals, environment and constraints, followed by a fixed-price proposal and a clear statement of work. Most engagements are delivered fully remotely, with on-site work arranged where it genuinely adds value. Throughout testing we maintain an agreed communication cadence and escalate any critical, high-impact finding to you immediately rather than waiting for the final report. All work is performed under a signed NDA with strict data-handling controls, using safe, non-disruptive techniques and carefully coordinated rules of engagement to protect your production systems. On completion you receive your report and a walkthrough session, followed by a complimentary retest once your fixes are in place. Typical engagements are booked one to three weeks in advance, and urgent or pre-deadline testing can often be accommodated — just ask at hi@agentoffense.com.
Why organizations choose AgentOffense
Our ot / ics / scada penetration testing is delivered by senior offensive-security engineers who test the way real attackers do — manually, creatively and with a relentless focus on proving genuine, demonstrable impact. Here is what sets our engagements apart:
- Manual, exploit-driven testing that chains vulnerabilities the way a real attacker would, going far beyond what automated scanners can find.
- Reproducible proof for every finding, with copy-paste reproduction steps your engineers can follow and independently verify.
- Honest severity calibration so you invest in fixing what genuinely matters and avoid wasting effort on false positives and noise.
- Clear, business-focused reporting that speaks to engineers and executives alike, tying every issue to real-world impact.
- A complimentary retest included, so you get documented proof that your fixes actually close the attack path.
- Responsible, collaborative delivery with a named point of contact and secure handling of all data throughout the engagement.
Explore related services
OT / ICS / SCADA Penetration Testing is frequently scoped alongside our other offensive-security services for broader coverage. Explore related engagements that complement it:
- Internal Network Penetration Testing — Internal network penetration testing — lateral movement, privilege escalation and segmentation review from an assumed-breach position…
- IoT Device Penetration Testing — IoT and embedded device penetration testing — firmware analysis, hardware interfaces, wireless protocols and cloud/app backends…
- External Network Penetration Testing — External network penetration testing of your internet-facing perimeter — exposed services, misconfigurations and exploitable hosts, tested…
How much does OT / ICS / SCADA Penetration Testing cost?
Every ot / ics / scada penetration testing is scoped and priced individually, so you pay for exactly the coverage you need — with no hidden extras. After a short, no-obligation scoping call we send a fixed-price quote, usually within one business day, with clear deliverables, a firm timeline and a complimentary retest included. The price of your ot / ics / scada penetration testing depends on the size and complexity of the target and the depth of testing required, so you always know the cost up front before any work begins.
Get a fixed-price quote
Frequently asked questions
Will testing disrupt our production process?
No. Safety comes first: we work to agreed rules of engagement, stay passive in sensitive zones, and demonstrate the final exploitation step against a lab, offline device or vendor simulator rather than live controllers.
Do you need to touch our live PLCs?
Only where it is provably safe and authorised. Most impact is demonstrated up to the controller and validated off-line, so you get real evidence without process risk.
Does this help with NIS2 compliance?
Yes. Our findings and IEC 62443 alignment support the risk-management and testing obligations NIS2 places on operators, and we can feed directly into a compliance-readiness engagement.
Which industrial systems and vendors do you cover?
Common PLC, RTU, HMI and SCADA platforms and protocols including Modbus, DNP3, Siemens S7 and EtherNet/IP, across manufacturing, energy, water and building-automation environments.