Offensive Security Consulting

Think Like the Threat.
Protect What Matters.

Every engagement is built around how real adversaries actually operate — bypassing security controls, evading detection, and moving through your environment with patience and precision. I work directly alongside your security team throughout the process, turning findings into real improvements rather than a report that sits on a shelf. Delivered at pricing designed for organizations that don't have an enterprise security budget.

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About

The Operator Behind DGSec

I'm Daren G. Smith — the founder of DGSec. I started this company because I love this work. After more than a decade in offensive security across government agencies, defense teams, and enterprise environments, every new engagement still brings a different challenge — a different environment to work through, a different set of controls to understand, a different team to collaborate with. That's what keeps it interesting, and it's what I built DGSec around.

My background includes classified operations with NSA Tailored Access Operations (TAO) and Fleet Cyber Command Combat Mission Teams, as well as building red team programs from scratch at the corporate level. I've done this long enough to understand what real threat actors look like — and what most penetration tests don't actually challenge.

DGSec exists to close that gap. You get the same tradecraft I'd bring to a nation-state level engagement, scoped and priced for an organization that doesn't have a Fortune 500 security budget. And when you engage DGSec, you work directly with me — not a junior analyst, not a subcontracted team working under my name. Every engagement is personally conducted by me, start to finish.

Every engagement personally conducted by me — no subcontractors, no junior staff, no reselling
Grey-box APT methodology aligned to MITRE ATT&CK
Purple team integration — I work with your defenders, not around them
Competitive, transparent pricing built for small and mid-size organizations
Risk-rated findings with actionable remediation guidance — no ambiguous reports

Certifications

OSCP
Offensive Security Certified Professional Offensive Security — 2018
OSCE
Offensive Security Certified Expert Offensive Security — 2019

Education

B.S. Cybersecurity American Military University — Cum Laude, 2016

Background

12+ Years in Offensive Security
Gov → Enterprise NSA, Fleet Cyber Command, and Fortune-level red teams
3 Offensive security programs built from the ground up
Services

What DGSec Offers

Comprehensive offensive security services tailored to your environment, budget, and risk profile.

Web Application Testing

Full-lifecycle web application assessments covering OWASP Top 10 and beyond — from scoping through report delivery. Authentication, injection, business logic, and API coverage.

Network Penetration Testing

Internal and external network assessments targeting infrastructure, services, and security controls. Realistic attack scenarios from both perimeter and insider threat perspectives.

Active Directory Assessment

Deep-dive AD security reviews targeting common attack paths: Kerberoasting, ACL abuse, ADCS misconfigurations, delegation attacks, and domain privilege escalation chains.

Purple Team Exercises

Collaborative offensive/defensive engagements designed to improve your SOC's detection and response capabilities. We attack — your team detects — we refine together in real time.

Cloud & Container Security

Security assessments of cloud-hosted environments and containerized workloads including Kubernetes, with focus on misconfiguration exploitation and privilege escalation paths.

Compliance-Scoped Testing

Penetration testing scoped to PCI DSS, HIPAA, and other regulatory frameworks — providing documented evidence your auditors require alongside meaningful, risk-rated findings.

Methodology

The DGSec Approach

Most pen testers run a scanner, document the CVEs, and leave. DGSec operates differently — grey-box assessments modeled on how real adversaries behave, with the operational discipline of an APT.

The goal isn't to find every vulnerability. The goal is to demonstrate what a real threat actor — with your adversary's capabilities — would actually do to your organization.

01

Scoping & Intelligence Gathering

Define objectives and rules of engagement. Conduct OSINT to map your real-world attack surface the way a threat actor would — before they ever touch your network.

02

Grey-Box Initial Access

Enter with realistic partial knowledge — mimicking the information advantage a motivated attacker would have. No black-box guessing games, no white-box hand-holding. Real-world accuracy that produces actionable results.

03

AV / EDR Bypass & Evasion

Security tools are only as effective as the adversary they're tested against. DGSec actively works to circumvent your controls — because real attackers do too. Findings include control-specific bypass techniques and coverage gaps.

04

Post-Exploitation & Lateral Movement

MITRE ATT&CK-aligned TTPs. Realistic lateral movement, privilege escalation, and persistence — executed with OPSEC discipline to stay below detection thresholds and simulate a patient, methodical threat actor.

05

SOC Collaboration & Purple Teaming

Unlike black-box engagements that leave defenders in the dark, DGSec works alongside your SOC in real time. Your team sharpens detection. Alert gaps get closed — not just logged in a report you'll read six weeks later.

06

Reporting & Remediation Support

Risk-rated findings mapped to business impact — not just CVSS scores. Clear, actionable remediation steps written for both technical teams and leadership. Post-engagement Q&A included at no extra charge.

MITRE ATT&CK APT Emulation OPSEC-Conscious AV / EDR Bypass OSINT Purple Team PCI DSS HIPAA Kill Chain Coverage Risk-Rated Reporting
Contact

Start the Conversation

Ready to understand your real exposure? Tell me what you're looking for and I'll get back to you within 48 hours.

Email daren.smith@dgsec.org
Location San Antonio, TX — Remote-capable nationwide
Response Time Within 48 hours

All inquiries are treated with full confidentiality. Whether you're facing a compliance deadline, recovering from an incident, or simply want to understand your real exposure — reach out. No sales pressure, no commitment required.