Penetration testing, also known as pen testing or ethical hacking, is the practice of testing a computer system, network or web application to find vulnerabilities that an attacker could exploit.

Penetration tests can be used to test both the external and internal security of a system. External tests focus on assessing how easy it would be for an attacker to gain access to the system from the outside, while internal tests focus on assessing the security of the system from within, for example from an employee’s laptop.

Penetration tests are an important part of any security strategy as they can help to identify weaknesses in systems before attackers do. By conducting penetration tests on a regular basis, organisations can ensure that their systems are as secure as possible and that any new vulnerabilities are found and fixed quickly.

Why should you conduct penetration testing?

There are a number of factors to consider when conducting a penetration test, such as the scope of the test, the type of test to be conducted and the level of access that the testers will have.

The scope of the test is the most important factor to consider, as it will determine what systems and data are included in the test. It is important to ensure that all critical systems and data are included in the scope, as these are the most likely targets for attackers.

Types of penetration testing:

The type of test to be conducted will also need to be considered. There are two main types of penetration test: black box and white box. Black box tests are conducted without any prior knowledge of the system being tested, while white box tests are conducted with full knowledge of the system.

Black box testing

A black box penetration test is a type of security assessment that is conducted without any knowledge of the inner workings of the system being tested. The tester is only given basic information, such as the IP address or domain name, and is then left to explore the system on their own.

The goal of a black box test is to simulate the actions of a real-world attacker, and to find as many vulnerabilities as possible. These tests are often used to assess the security of web applications, since they can be conducted without any prior knowledge of the code or architecture.

Black box tests are an important part of a comprehensive security assessment, but they should not be the only type of testing conducted. White box tests, which are conducted with full knowledge of the system being tested, can also be very valuable in finding security issues.

White box testing

White box penetration testing is a type of security testing that is performed on a system where the tester has full knowledge of the system’s internals. This knowledge can include information about the system’s architecture, code, and configuration. White box testing is often contrasted with black box testing, where the tester has no knowledge of the system’s internals.

White box penetration testing is a powerful technique for uncovering security vulnerabilities. By understanding the system’s internals, the tester can more easily identify potential attack vectors and design exploit tests. White box testing can also be used to verify the effectiveness of security controls such as input validation and output encoding.

When conducting white box penetration tests, it is important to follow a structured approach. The first step is to identify the system’s attack surface. This can be done by reviewing the system’s architecture and code. Once the attack surface has been identified, the tester can begin to design exploit tests. These tests should be designed to exercise the identified attack vectors.

After the exploit tests have been designed, they should be executed. The results of the tests should be analyzed to determine if any vulnerabilities were successfully exploited. If vulnerabilities were found, they should be classified according to their severity. Finally, remediation steps should be taken to address the vulnerabilities.

White box penetration testing is an important part of any security program. By understanding the system’s internals, testers can more easily find and exploit vulnerabilities. White box testing can also be used to verify the effectiveness of security controls.

Levels of access

The level of access that the testers will have is another important factor to consider. In some cases, it may be necessary to give the testers full access to the system in order to test all of its features. However, in other cases it may only be necessary to give the testers limited access, such as read-only access to certain data.

When conducting a penetration test, it is important to consider all of these factors in order to ensure that the test is effective and that all of the right systems and data are included.