Pivoting
Using a compromised system as a route to reach networks that are not directly accessible.
A machine with a foot in two networks becomes a bridge. Traffic is routed through it to reach segments the attacker could not touch from their own position.
It is the technique that makes network segmentation worth testing rather than assuming. Segments that look isolated on a diagram frequently turn out to be reachable through a dual-homed host nobody accounted for.
Where this comes up
Pivoting sits inside our penetration testing work. If you are trying to work out what this means for your own environment rather than in the abstract, that is the page worth reading next, and a short call will get you a straight answer faster than either.
Related terms
Lateral movement The stage where an attacker moves from the machine they first landed on toward the systems they actually want. Network segmentation Dividing a network into zones with controlled traffic between them, so a compromise in one does not reach the others. Post-exploitation What a tester or attacker does after gaining initial access: gathering credentials, escalating, and moving toward the objective.