When Firewalls Fail: Why Proactive Pen Testing Is Your Best Defense Against Ransomware

Cybersecurity isn't what it used to be. Not long ago, firewalls were seen as one of the industry’s trusted lines of defense—enterprise-grade and battle-tested. But a recent wave of ransomware attacks shattered that perception. Organizations across multiple sectors were breached, their systems encrypted, and their operations held hostage. The entry point? Critical vulnerabilities in firewall devices that had already been patched.

These attacks weren’t "zero-day" exploits or some advanced nation-state attack. These were entirely preventable.

A recent report sheds light on how attackers were able to exploit this flaw, quietly move through networks, and ultimately hold entire businesses for ransom. And it highlights a hard truth that cybersecurity professionals have been shouting for years: having the right tools is not the same as using them properly.

The organizations that fell victim weren’t negligent—they had firewalls, endpoint protection, and security teams. What they didn’t have was visibility into whether their defenses were still effective. The patches were available. The vulnerability was public. But no one had confirmed whether the fix had actually been applied, or whether the configuration left any cracks in the armor.

That’s where proactive security testing comes in.

At Mile High Cyber, we regularly see environments where the technology is sound, but the implementation leaves gaps. Systems are deployed with best intentions, but over time, updates are missed, settings drift, and assumptions are made. Without routine vulnerability assessments and penetration testing, these weaknesses often go unnoticed—until an attacker finds them first.

These tests aren’t just about checking boxes or meeting compliance requirements. They’re about simulating the real-world tactics adversaries use, identifying blind spots, and fixing them before they turn into incidents. Penetration testing, in particular, provides a window into how an attacker might move within your network, what data they could access, and how they’d bypass your defenses. It’s an exercise in thinking like the enemy—so you can be better prepared to stop them.

The Fortinet incident is a cautionary tale, not just for those who use their firewalls, but for anyone who assumes their defenses are “good enough.” Cyber threats evolve. So should your defenses.

At Mile High Cyber, we help organizations take a proactive stance—because waiting until after an attack to discover a vulnerability is too late.

If you’re ready to take a fresh look at your security posture, let’s talk.

Reach out to us today: https://www.milehighcyber.com/contact-us