Could a Hacker Walk Straight Into Your Business? 5 Security Gaps We See All the Time

Most business owners feel pretty confident about their cyber security – until they’re proven wrong.

It’s easy to get complacent and assume your systems are protected because you’ve ticked a few boxes: antivirus installed? Check. Firewall in place? Probably. Passwords changed every now and then? Hopefully. But when it’s time for pentesting—a controlled way to simulate a cyber-attack—we see the same weaknesses, time and again. The reality? Many businesses are far easier to break into than they realise.

In this blog, we’ll walk you through five of the most common vulnerabilities we uncover during penetration testing. No scare tactics – just a clear-eyed look at the gaps hackers love to exploit.

Because the real question to ask yourself is: would a hacker even need to try that hard?

1. Out-of-Date Firewalls: The Digital Equivalent of a Broken Lock

Firewalls are supposed to be your first line of defence. But what if that line hasn’t been updated in months (or even years?)

Businesses regularly run on outdated or poorly configured firewalls. Whether it’s old hardware no longer supported by the manufacturer or software that’s missed multiple critical updates, these gaps are low-hanging fruit for attackers. It’s like putting a rusty padlock on your front door and hoping no one jiggles it.

Modern threats evolve fast, and if your firewall can’t keep up, neither can your protection. Worse still, many companies assume their firewall is “set and forget.” But without regular updates and reviews, it quietly becomes a liability. We’re seeing this come to fruition in real time, with Sophos’ Annual Threat Report finding that systems on the network edge (which includes firewalls, as well as routers and VPNs) were the initial point of compromise for over a third of all incidents involving intrusion into smaller organisations.

Quick fix: Ensure your firewall is actively maintained, monitored, and updated – ideally by a managed IT support provider who makes it part of a broader cyber security strategy.

2. Weak Passwords & Reused Credentials: A Hacker’s Favourite Shortcut

From “CompanyName123” to “Password1!”, weak and recycled passwords are still incredibly common. We understand the reasons why – it’s convenient or you have trouble remembering. However, it’s effectively an open goal for cybercriminals. What makes it even worse is that staff often reuse the same login details across multiple systems. Once a single set of credentials is leaked—something that’s easily checked on the dark web—it’s game over.

Hackers don’t need to be geniuses to break in; they just need time and a password list. And with automated tools doing the hard work for them, it doesn’t take long a lot of the time.

Quick fix: Enforce strong, unique passwords with a password manager, enable multi-factor authentication (MFA), and audit accounts regularly to revoke unused access.

3. Misconfigured Permissions: When Too Much Access Becomes a Liability

Not every employee needs access to everything, but you’d be surprised how often they have it anyway.

During pentesting, one of the most common issues uncovered is excessive user permissions. Whether it’s staff with admin rights they don’t need or shared folders open to everyone on the network, these oversights create unnecessary risk. All it takes is one compromised account, and suddenly, the attacker has free rein across your systems.

This isn’t just a tech problem; it’s a people and process problem. Permissions creep in slowly over time, especially when teams are growing quickly or roles change without IT oversight.

Quick fix: Apply the principle of least privilege. Regularly review user access rights and tighten them up. If someone doesn’t need it, they shouldn’t have it.

4. Unsecured Remote Access: The Open Back Door You Forgot About

Remote working is here to stay, which means so are the risks that come with it.

We often find remote access tools configured with weak settings, outdated software, or—shockingly—no multi-factor authentication at all. In some cases, businesses unknowingly leave RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) ports exposed to the internet, which is a bit like leaving your office door wide open and inviting everyone in.

Cybercriminals actively scan for these vulnerabilities. Once they find their way in, they can move laterally across your network, plant ransomware, or exfiltrate data – without raising alarms.

Quick fix: Lock down remote access with up-to-date VPNs, enforce MFA, and restrict access only to those who need it. And never expose RDP directly to the internet.

5. No Regular PenTesting or Security Reviews: Hoping for the Best Isn’t a Viable Security Strategy

Here’s a truth we’ve learnt time and again: businesses don’t usually realise they have vulnerabilities until someone shows them.

Without regular pentesting or security reviews, there’s no way to know what risks are lurking beneath the surface. It’s like assuming your car is roadworthy without ever getting an MOT. Just because nothing’s gone wrong yet doesn’t mean you’re in the clear.

Businesses can have antivirus installed, basic firewalls in place, and “good enough” policies and still be wide open to attack because no one ever properly tested the setup. Security isn’t about ticking boxes. It’s about staying a step ahead.

Quick fix: Schedule regular penetration tests and reviews with a trusted IT partner. You might be surprised by what you find – and relieved to fix it before someone else takes advantage.

The Confidence of Knowing Your IT is Tested, not Targeted

The reality is, most businesses don’t fall victim to complex, state-sponsored attacks. They fall because of overlooked basics: a missed update, a forgotten login, or a poorly secured connection. The good news? These are fixable – if you know where to look.

That’s where Confidence IT comes in.

The five vulnerabilities we’ve shared here aren’t rare – they’re the ones we see all the time during real-world pentesting engagements. And if we’re finding them this often, you can bet cybercriminals are too.

Book a penetration test and strengthen your security today. It’s your chance to discover what a hacker would see before a real one finds it.