Penetration testing, more commonly called pen testing, is a simulated cyber-attack against one’s own computer, in order to test for vulnerabilities in one’s computer system. It is typically used by professionals that work in cyber security, but it can be used by people in other industries and professions. Many people find that pen testing is a very effective way of fine-tuning their WAF security policies and patch detected vulnerabilities. It is a very effective way of ensuring that your computer’s security is robust and impenetrable.

In this article, we will explore everything that’s already been mentioned and more:

Pen Testing Stages

There are five official stages of pen testing, and they are:

1.    Reconnaissance

Reconnaissance involves defining a test’s goals, in order to determine what exactly it is that the cyber-attack is intending on breaching. During this stage, the attack’s ultimate goal will be outlined. Also, during this stage, the team responsible for hacking will gather intelligence on the system’s vulnerabilities, as a team of hackers naturally would.

2.    Scanning

The next stage, scanning, involves studying how the system that is being targeted will respond to the intrusion and hacking attempts. In order to do this, risk management professionals tasked with pen testing will perform static analysis and dynamic analysis. The former involves inspecting an application’s code in order to establish how it behaves when it is static. The latter involves inspecting an application’s code when it is running.

3.    Hacking

The next stage is hacking or gaining access. At this stage, the team charged with hacking into the system will begin their attacks, which could be anything from SQL injection to cross-site scripting. During this attack, they will quickly uncover all of the system’s vulnerabilities, and when they know what they are, they will exploit them, by escalating privileges, intercepting traffic, and stealing the system’s data.

4.    Holding

After the initial attack, the hackers will try to hold onto the system. This is so that they can determine how long they can maintain a persistent presence in the exploited system. If it is long enough, then they will be able to get all of the data and information that they need – this information can be very profitable to hackers who usually sell sensitive data on the dark web. The credit card information of eCommerce site’s customers is the most common target of these hackers.

5.    Report

Once the attack has been completed, the team that launched it will then sit down and develop a report, detailing all of the information that they were able to take, and what the system’s vulnerabilities were. With this information, they will then be able to hand it over and another team will be able to fine-tune the system so that it is no longer vulnerable.

Testing Methods

There are several different methods used. The most common penetration testing method used is external testing, which targets a company’s visible assets, e.g. the website itself, or the email addresses of staff. These channels are usually targeted by hackers because they can provide information that is very valuable, such as credit card information, as already explained. Some other methods include:

Internal Testing

Internal testing is when a tester accesses a system behind its firewall, which is something that can be done by a company’s insiders. However, it can also be done after an employee’s login information has been stolen during a phishing attack. Internal testing is a very effective way of improving a system’s security.

Targeted Testing

Targeted testing is when a test team and security personnel work together, with the tester launching an attack, and the security personnel defending against it. This allows them to work together closely, developing both of their skills, and learning how to work under pressure. It is a training exercise that is commonly used by many tech-security firms because it is effective at applying pressure to their staff and seeing how they perform.

Blind Testing

Blind testing is when a company assigns a tester to a job, without giving them any information other than the name of the company or system that’s being targeted. It is then up to the tester to attack the company. This is often how actual attacks take place, which allows security personnel to closely monitor and learn how to defend against them. There is another type, called double-blind testing, which is another training exercise where security personnel aren’t notified, and the testing staff launch an attack to see what their response is.

Pen testing is a very effective way of securing one’s digital assets. It is used by high-level businesses and security firms but can be used by just about anyone that has their own website, or vulnerable online assets.