Penetration Tester

Physical Penetration Tester (Freelance, On Site, Atlanta Metro)

Client: InterSec, Inc., subcontract support for a government cybersecurity assessment program

Engagement type: Project based freelance, 1099 or corp to corp

Location: Must be based in or able to work on site in the Atlanta, Georgia metro area. No relocation or travel support provided.

Assignment: One Atlanta jurisdiction

The Work

InterSec needs an experienced physical penetration tester for an authorized, on site black team assessment of a multiple government facility in the Atlanta area, testing whether an outside intruder can gain unauthorized physical and logical access the way a real attacker would. The objective is a demonstrated attack path: get in, and where possible, turn that physical foothold into a network foothold.

The engagement is coordinated, not covert. A small group, guard force, reception, and a named jurisdiction point of contact, will know a test is occurring, so a challenge resolves as a quiet escort rather than a confrontation. General staff are not forewarned, which keeps the test honest.

Scope of Work

•   Reconnaissance. Dumpster diving and open source research to build a site profile before on site work begins.

•   RFID and proximity badge cloning to test badge based access controls. Client authorized hardware only.

•   Tailgating and piggybacking through controlled doors.

•   Mechanical bypass of doors and locks: lock picking, under the door tools, latch slipping.

•   Impersonation, posing as staff, a vendor, or a contractor under an approved cover story.

•   Network access control testing. Once inside, attempt to reach the internal network via a live network jack. Proof of access only, no exploitation beyond that point.

•   USB and removable media drop testing to assess whether dropped media is picked up and used.

•   Document the full attack path with evidence, mapped to MITRE ATT&CK where applicable, with remediation guidance.

•   Work under a named stand down authority reachable throughout testing hours. If challenged, comply immediately with the quiet escort protocol and continue only once cleared.

Bonus skill, not required: a separately scoped assessment of an on site public safety in car communications system (embedded and RF testing: UART, JTAG, protocol analysis) may be available as additional paid work for a candidate with that background. This is a distinct specialty from physical red teaming and not part of the core role.

Required Qualifications

•   Located in, or able to reliably commute to, the Atlanta metro area for a multi day on site engagement.

•   5+ years of hands on physical penetration testing or physical red team experience. A strong documented portfolio (locksport results, published case studies, supervised training) will be considered in place of formal years.

•   Comfortable executing in person pretexting and impersonation under an approved cover story, maintaining composure if challenged.

•   Working knowledge of MITRE ATT&CK, particularly physical and initial access techniques.

•   Willing to carry a signed authorization letter on site at all times and comply strictly with a written Rules of Engagement: single approved site, business hours only, agreed techniques only.

•   Legally authorized to work in the U.S. and must pass a background check. Government facility engagement; a clean record is a hard requirement.

Certifications

Preferred, not all required, see note below:

•   ASIS PSP, OSCP or GPEN.

•   Note: documented hands on lock bypass or physical red team training is a meaningful plus even without formal certification. This field is more experience driven than certification driven; a strong portfolio matters more than a specific credential.

Logistics

•   On site, business hours, designated facility, no other sites and no after hours work. Multi day engagement; exact dates to be confirmed.

•   Paid per engagement, rate discussed based on scope and experience. All work performed under InterSec's signed Rules of Engagement, no activity outside the authorized site, techniques, or window, under any circumstance.