Cyber security audits that identify real exposure—not just theoretical findings.
HMH Consulting delivers consultant-led cyber security audits, vulnerability assessments, penetration testing, web application and API security testing, cloud and remote-access reviews, and compliance-focused assessments for organisations that need a clear understanding of their technical exposure.
We validate weaknesses, explain the business impact, and provide prioritised remediation roadmaps, retesting, and recertification so leadership can move from findings to measurable improvement.
Independent testing. Clear findings. Practical remediation.
Cyber risk cannot be understood through automated scanning alone. Tools can identify potential weaknesses, but they cannot reliably determine whether a vulnerability is exploitable, how it affects the wider environment, or which findings genuinely require immediate action.
HMH combines professional testing tools with direct consultant oversight. Our assessors review the organisation’s attack surface, validate technical weaknesses, test credible attack paths, and translate the results into clear priorities for technical teams and leadership.
Every engagement is designed to answer three questions:
Where are we exposed?
What could realistically be exploited?
What should we fix first?
Cyber Security Services
Web Application Security Testing
- authentication and session security
- access-control weaknesses
- input validation and injection vulnerabilities
- insecure file handling
- account and privilege escalation
- exposed administrative functions
- sensitive data leakage
- security configuration weaknesses
- business-logic vulnerabilities
- third-party components and outdated software
- application programming interface exposure
Testing is performed using automated tools supported by manual consultant validation to reduce false positives and identify weaknesses that scanners routinely miss.
API Security Testing
- broken authentication
- broken object-level authorisation
- excessive data exposure
- insecure endpoints
- privilege escalation
- rate-limiting weaknesses
- token and session issues
- input manipulation
- undocumented or exposed functions
- insecure third-party integrations
API testing can be delivered independently or as part of a broader web application assessment.
External Penetration Testing
- public IP addresses
- internet-facing servers
- firewalls and remote-access services
- VPN gateways
- cloud-hosted systems
- email infrastructure
- exposed applications and management interfaces
- domain and DNS configuration
- encryption and certificate weaknesses
- externally accessible network services
The objective is not simply to produce a
Internal Penetration Testing
- network segmentation
- internal system exposure
- user and administrator privileges
- insecure protocols
- weak authentication
- credential exposure
- domain and directory-service weaknesses
- shared resources and sensitive information
- lateral movement opportunities
- privilege-escalation paths
- legacy systems and unsupported software
- access between departments, sites, and business functions
The assessment identifies how far an attacker could move, what information or systems could be reached, and where internal controls fail to contain compromise.
Vulnerability Assessments and Scanning
- review the relevance of identified vulnerabilities
- remove or explain false positives
- validate material findings
- assess exploitability
- apply business and operational context
- prioritise remediation
- identify patterns across systems and locations
- explain which weaknesses create the greatest exposure
Vulnerability scanning can be delivered as a one-time assessment, a recurring service, or part of a broader penetration-testing programme.
Network Exposure Reviews
- network segmentation
- internet exposure
- remote-access pathways
- firewall and access-control rules
- wireless network exposure
- guest and corporate network separation
- cloud connectivity
- third-party access
- legacy protocols
- administrative interfaces
- trust relationships between systems
- single points of failure
The objective is to identify how network design and configuration may increase the likelihood or impact of compromise.
Cloud and Remote-Access Security Reviews
- cloud configuration
- identity and access management
- privileged accounts
- remote desktop exposure
- VPN configuration
- multi-factor authentication
- conditional-access controls
- user permissions
- inactive and legacy accounts
- third-party access
- data-sharing controls
- administrative security
These reviews help organisations understand where convenience, rapid growth, or inherited configuration has created avoidable risk.
Compliance-Focused Security Testing
HMH supports organisations that need to demonstrate security due diligence, satisfy contractual obligations, or improve readiness against recognised regulatory and industry expectations.
Testing can be aligned to relevant requirements and frameworks, including:
- FTC Safeguards Rule
- GLBA
- FFIEC expectations
- PCI DSS
- HIPAA security requirements
- NIST Cybersecurity Framework
- NIST SP 800-53 and related controls
- ISO/IEC 27001 and 27002
- CMMC readiness
- customer and supplier security requirements
- cyber-insurance testing requirements
- internal governance and board assurance needs
Compliance testing is not treated as a box-checking exercise. HMH evaluates whether controls are working in practice and where technical weaknesses could undermine the organisation’s stated security posture
Where formal certification must be issued by an accredited certification body, HMH supports readiness and remediation but does not misrepresent an advisory review as formal accreditation
Consultant-Led Validation
Automated tools are useful, but they do not understand business context.
Every HMH engagement includes consultant oversight to:
- validate material findings
- remove false positives
- test credible exploitation paths
- assess the likely business impact
- explain technical risk in clear language
- distinguish urgent issues from lower-priority weaknesses
- identify systemic problems rather than isolated symptoms
- support internal technical teams during remediation
This produces a more accurate assessment and prevents leadership from receiving a lengthy scanner export with no clear direction.
Reporting and Remediation Roadmaps
Every cyber security audit includes clear reporting designed for both technical teams and leadership.
Executive Reporting
- the organisation’s overall exposure
- the most significant risks
- likely business impact
- priority areas requiring leadership attention
- recurring or systemic weaknesses
- recommended next steps
Remediation Roadmap
Findings are organised into a practical improvement plan based on:
- severity
- exploitability
- business impact
- operational dependency
- complexity of remediation
- likely cost and effort
- appropriate sequencing
The objective is to give leadership and technical teams a realistic path from assessment to measurable improvement.
Technical Reporting
- validated findings
- affected systems
- severity ratings
- evidence
- exploitation context
- business impact
- technical remediation guidance
- prioritised actions
- supporting references where appropriate
Compliance testing is not treated as a box-checking exercise. HMH evaluates whether controls are working in practice and where technical weaknesses could undermine the organisation’s stated security posture
Where formal certification must be issued by an accredited certification body, HMH supports readiness and remediation but does not misrepresent an advisory review as formal accreditation
Retesting and Recertification
A security assessment should not end when the report is delivered.
HMH provides retesting after remediation to confirm whether identified vulnerabilities have been properly resolved.
- verification of completed remediation
- confirmation that vulnerabilities are no longer exploitable
- review of compensating controls where full remediation is not possible
- identification of incomplete or ineffective fixes
- updated reporting on the status of findings
Where the agreed remediation criteria have been met, HMH can issue a letter or certificate confirming successful retesting and the status of the assessed findings.
This does not guarantee that an organisation is permanently secure. It provides documented confirmation that the agreed scope was retested and the identified weaknesses were addressed at the time of review.
Fractional CISO and Remediation Support
Not every organisation needs a full-time Chief Information Security Officer. Many still require senior security oversight to turn technical findings into a managed programme of improvement.
HMH provides fractional CISO and security advisory support to help leadership:
- interpret assessment findings
- prioritise remediation
- coordinate internal teams and external vendors
- challenge MSP and technology-provider responses
- establish security ownership
- develop risk registers
- improve policies and governance
- prepare leadership and board reporting
- review third-party risk
- support incident-response planning
- track remediation progress
- prepare for follow-up testing
- align improvement work with commercial and compliance requirements
This support helps organisations move beyond isolated technical fixes and build a more structured, accountable security programme.
What HMH Does Not Do
HMH does not manufacture findings to make a report appear more severe.
- pass automated scan results off as penetration testing
- inflate low-risk findings
- recommend unnecessary products
- use fear as a substitute for evidence
- deploy destructive malware
- disrupt production systems without explicit approval
- exceed the agreed rules of engagement
- claim formal certification where accreditation is required
Testing is controlled, documented, and conducted within an agreed scope and rules of engagement.
Typical Engagement Process
Who This Is For
- automotive dealership groups
- financial services firms
- law firms and professional services
- energy and industrial organisations
- manufacturers
- schools and education providers
- luxury retail and jewellery businesses
- critical infrastructure operators
- healthcare organisations
- family offices
- businesses preparing for compliance reviews
- organisations dissatisfied with scanner-only security testing
- leadership teams seeking independent assurance
We don’t just deliver a report. We deliver clarity, direction, and measurable improvemen.
Why HMH Consulting
HMH combines technical testing with practical risk interpretation and executive-level reporting.
Our work is independent, consultant-led, and designed to produce action rather than noise. We help organisations understand where exposure exists, what can realistically be exploited, and how to improve security in a way that reflects commercial priorities and operational reality.
The result is a clearer security position, stronger remediation, and more credible assurance for leadership, customers, regulators, insurers, and business partners.
Find the weaknesses before someone else does.
HMH Consulting provides independent cyber security audits, penetration testing, web application and API security testing, vulnerability assessments, cloud and remote-access reviews, and remediation support for organisations that need clear answers and practical direction.
Discreet outreach. No obligation