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How We Strengthened Network Security for a Hospitality Business

A hospitality provider engaged Redscale to assess the security posture of its internal and external network infrastructure. The engagement focused on validating segmentation between guest and corporate networks, identifying exploitable vulnerabilities, and ensuring there were no unintended exposures across the public perimeter.
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Industry

Hospitality

Organisation Size

Multi-site Hotel Environment

Location

Melbourne, Australia

Environment

Hybrid Network Infrastructure

Service Provided

Cybersecurity Assessment and Penetration Testing

The Challenge

The client operated a hotel environment with multiple network segments supporting both internal business operations and guest internet access. Given the sensitive nature of customer data and business operations, the organisation required assurance that its network controls could withstand real-world attack scenarios.

Key concerns included:

  • Potential exposure of external-facing services
  • Security gaps across internal corporate systems
  • Risks associated with guest Wi-Fi without client isolation
  • Weaknesses in Active Directory security controls
  • Possible VLAN segmentation bypass between guest and corporate environments

The primary goal was to validate whether attackers could move laterally or gain unauthorized access across environments.

Objectives

The engagement focused on:

  • Identifying vulnerabilities across external and internal network assets
  • Validating external perimeter security
  • Testing guest Wi-Fi segmentation controls
  • Assessing internal domain security and authentication weaknesses
  • Evaluating privilege escalation and lateral movement risks
  • Providing actionable remediation recommendations

Scope of Assessment

External Perimeter Security

Assessment of the public-facing IP to identify exposed services, open ports, and remotely exploitable vulnerabilities.

Internal Back-Office Network

Review of internal systems, domain-joined endpoints, network shares, and authentication controls.

Guest Network Security

Testing of guest Wi-Fi configurations, peer-to-peer communication risks, and client isolation weaknesses.

VLAN Segmentation Validation

Assessment of whether guest traffic could access corporate systems through segmentation bypass.

Active Directory Security

Review of domain security posture, credential attack vectors, privilege escalation paths, and trust configurations.

Our Approach

Redscale followed an industry-aligned penetration testing methodology based on:

  • Penetration Testing Execution Standard (PTES)
  • OWASP Testing Guide
  • NIST SP 800-115

Key Findings

The assessment identified several security risks, including:

  • Potential exposure points on the public perimeter
  • Weak internal authentication controls
  • Opportunities for credential harvesting
  • Guest network peer-to-peer visibility risks
  • Inconsistent segmentation enforcement
  • Active Directory hardening opportunities

Each finding was risk-rated based on exploitability and business impact.

Outcomes

Following the assessment, the client gained:

  • Improved visibility into network security weaknesses
  • Validation of external perimeter exposure
  • Stronger internal access controls
  • Better segmentation assurance between guest and corporate networks
  • Improved Active Directory security posture
  • Reduced risk of lateral movement and unauthorized access

Deliverables

The client received:

  • Executive summary report
  • Detailed technical findings report
  • Risk-prioritised remediation recommendations
  • Evidence-based attack path documentation
  • Optional remediation validation testing
  • Stakeholder debrief session

Business Impact

By addressing the identified security gaps, the client significantly improved its overall cloud security posture and reduced its exposure to preventable cyber risks.

01

Stronger protection

Stronger protection of customer and operational data by reducing opportunities for unauthorized access across internal systems and guest-facing environments.
02

Improved network segmentation assurance

Improved network segmentation assurance by validating that guest traffic could not cross into corporate systems, reducing the risk of lateral movement between networks.
03

Reduced external attack surface

Reduced external attack surface through better visibility into public-facing exposures and the hardening of perimeter controls.
04

Enhanced internal security controls

Enhanced internal security controls by identifying weaknesses in authentication, access permissions, and Active Directory configurations that could be exploited by attackers.
05

Lower risk of credential compromise

Lower risk of credential compromise through the detection of insecure protocols and opportunities for credential harvesting within the internal network.
06

Greater operational continuity

Greater operational continuity by proactively identifying vulnerabilities before they could disrupt hotel operations, staff productivity, or guest experiences.
07

Improved compliance readiness

Improved compliance readiness by strengthening network security controls and aligning with industry-recognised security testing standards.
08

Increased trust in guest-facing digital services

Increased trust in guest-facing digital services by improving the security of guest Wi-Fi infrastructure and reducing the risk of misuse or compromise.

"Penetration testing highlighted critical areas we needed to address and helped us improve the security of both our business systems and guest-facing services."

IT Manager

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