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A penetration test, also known as a pen test or ethical hacking, is a cybersecurity approach used by businesses to uncover, test, and highlight security flaws. The majority of penetration testing is conducted by ethical hackers. These internal personnel or external parties imitate the techniques and activities of an attacker in order to assess the hackability of a company's computer systems, network, and online services. Additionally, organizations can utilize penetration testing to assess their compliance with legislation.There are three primary penetration testing methodologies, each of which provides penetration testers with a distinct degree of knowledge necessary to execute an attack. White box testing, for instance, offers the tester with comprehensive knowledge of an organization's system or target network, whereas black box testing provides the tester with no knowledge of the system and gray box penetration testing provides the tester with limited knowledge of the system.
Penetration testing is considered a proactive cybersecurity method since it entails regular, self-initiated enhancements depending on test findings. This contrasts with reactive methods, which lack the foresight to address vulnerabilities as they emerge. An example of a non-proactive approach to cybersecurity would be a corporation upgrading its firewall after a data breach has occurred. The purpose of proactive measures, like as pen testing, is to optimize an organization's security while minimizing the number of retroactive updates.
Vulnerability scanners are automated programs that do an assessment of an environment and, once finished, generate a report detailing the vulnerabilities found in that environment. The CVE IDs, which detail the vulnerabilities found by these scanners, give information on known problems. Scanners have the potential to identify thousands of vulnerabilities; thus, there may be a sufficient number of critical vulnerabilities to require additional prioritizing. In addition to this, these grades do not take into account the specifics of each given IT infrastructure. The use of penetration testing is appropriate at this point.Penetration tests can provide additional context by determining whether the vulnerabilities could be exploited to gain access to your environment. Vulnerability scans provide a useful picture of what potential security flaws are present, but penetration tests provide even more information about those flaws. In addition, pen testing can assist in prioritizing repair activities in accordance with what provides the most danger.When conducting penetration testing, it is common practice to have a specific objective in mind. The majority of the time, these targets come under one of the following three categories:
Each aim focuses on particular consequences that IT executives want to steer clear of as much as they can. Ethical hackers would be given the task of simulating a data breach if, for instance, the purpose of a penetration test is to determine how straightforward it would be for a hacker to get access to the corporate database. The results of a pen test will not only communicate the strength of an organization's existing cybersecurity protocols, but they will also present the various hacking methods that are currently available and can be used to break into an organization's systems. This information will be communicated to the organization.
All internet-based businesses are at risk as the frequency of assaults such as distributed denial-of-service, phishing, and ransomware continues to significantly increase. When one considers the degree to which businesses are dependent on technology, one realizes that the repercussions of a successful cyber assault have never been higher. An example of this would be a ransomware assault, which might prevent a firm from accessing the data, devices, networks, and servers it needs to run its operations. A cyberattack of this nature might cause a loss of income on the order of millions of dollars. The hacker's point of view is utilized in penetration testing in order to locate and eliminate potential vulnerabilities in information technology systems before they may be used maliciously. This enables IT directors to adopt informed security enhancements that reduce the likelihood of successful attacks being carried out.
A penetration test illustrates exactly how an attacker may obtain access to sensitive data. Periodic mandatory testing ensures that companies can stay one step ahead of attackers by identifying and addressing security flaws before they can be exploited. Attack techniques are always growing and evolving, and this makes it more difficult to stay one step ahead of them. In addition, these tests can verify for auditors whether or not other legally necessary security measures are in existence or are functioning appropriately.The majority of the time, cybersecurity teams are tasked with ensuring that they are in compliance with legislation such as HIPAA, PCI DSS,SOX, NERC, HEOA, GDPR, and CMMC.For instance, a significant number of these rules either suggest or expressly demand the use of pen testing as a method of evaluating the security posture and conformance of an organization. For instance, the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) mandates the implementation of a thorough pen testing program as one of its requirements 11.3. This requirement must be met.
The initial phase includes:
The next stage is to determine how the application of interest will react to various intrusion attempts. This is often achieved by:
This step employs web application assaults, including cross-site scripting, SQL injection, and backdoors, to identify a target's weaknesses. Then, testers attempt to exploit these vulnerabilities, often by elevating privileges, stealing data, intercepting communications, etc., in order to determine the potential damage they might create.Maintaining accessThe objective of this phase is to determine if the vulnerability can be exploited to establish a persistent presence in the compromised system – long enough for a malicious actor to get in-depth access. The objective is to simulate sophisticated persistent attacks, which frequently linger in a system for months to steal an organization's most sensitive data.AnalysisThe penetration test findings are then collected into a report outlining:
Reviewing the findings of penetration testing gives an excellent chance to discuss future strategies and reconsider your entire security posture. Seeing penetration testing as a hurdle to get over and just marking it as "done" will not enhance your security posture. It is essential to schedule time for a post-mortem in order to distribute, discuss, and thoroughly comprehend the results. In addition, communicating these results with actionable insights to the organization's decision-makers will better highlight the threat that these vulnerabilities pose and the beneficial impact that repair will have on the business. With assessment, appraisal, and leadership buy-in, pen test results may be transformed into action items for immediate changes and takeaways that contribute to the formation of broader security policies.
Application security testing, also known as AST, is performed on software applications with the purpose of finding flaws and vulnerabilities in such applications so that those programs may be made more resistant to security threats and cyber attacks.
Authenticated and unauthenticated penetration testing are two types of network testing that are used in network penetration testing to locate and exploit vulnerabilities on an external and an internal network. After being stationed in a predetermined spot on the target network, penetration testers make an effort to carry out scans, exploits, and other operations in accordance with the objectives that were established beforehand.
Cloud-Based System Penetration Tests help verify the safety of a cloud deployment, determine the total risk and possibility of each vulnerability, and make recommendations on how to make your cloud environment safer.
The subtleties of the many Internet of Things devices are taken into consideration by pen testers, who examine each component as well as the interaction between the components. Pen testers are able to identify vulnerabilities in a system that could not have been discovered without the use of tiered methodologies, in which each layer is tested individually.
In the context of security breaches, social engineering refers to the practice of employing deceit as a method for gaining access to systems or information that may then be exploited for unethical reasons. Phishing schemes are the best illustration of this pattern of behavior. Phishing tools and emails specifically designed for a company are what penetration testers use to evaluate an organization's defensive mechanisms, detection and reaction skills, uncover personnel who are vulnerable and identify security procedures that may use some improvement.
Evaluating one's physical security can illustrate the ways in which nefarious actors could physically obtain access to one's facilities; testing one's physical security helps to avoid such an incident from taking place.
The digital realm is fraught with potential pitfalls. As cyber threats continue to mount, the need for robust cybersecurity measures becomes increasingly imperative. By proactively seeking out vulnerabilities, whether through penetration testing or comprehensive red teaming exercises, businesses can fortify their defenses, ensuring they're well-equipped to handle any cyber onslaught. Remember, in the world of cybersecurity, it's always better to be proactive than reactive. Don't wait for a breach to happen. Test, assess, and reinforce your security measures, ensuring your organization's digital assets remain uncompromised.
SubRosa is a cybersecurity solutions provider specializing in cyber assessments and risk and compliance.
