To mimic several attack vectors, an external or internal penetration test can be carried out.
A penetration tester could or might not be familiar with the environment and systems they’re trying to compromise, depending on the objectives of each test.
Let’s discuss in detail how penetration testing services can help with different types of pen testing.
Penetration Testing: What Is It?
Penetration testing involves simulating an attack in order to identify weaknesses that an attacker might exploit. This technique helps avoid cyberattacks.
This enables the company or organization to pinpoint precisely where they need to strengthen their defensive strategies in order to guarantee the security of their data and systems.
White hat hacking, often known as ethical hacking, is another term for penetration testing.
What Are the Different Approaches for Penetration Testing?
The methods used by penetration testers vary, as do the vulnerabilities they aim to crack.
The pen tester’s strategy and the project’s scope will depend on the amount of information they have access to.
Will the penetration tester, for instance, already be aware of how a network is mapped, or will they have to find out this information on their own?
The various methods for conducting penetration tests include of:
- Black Box
- White Box
- Gray Box
Different Types of Penetration Testing
The different kinds of cyber security pen tests that are offered should be understood before choosing a reputable service because they differ in terms of time, depth, and focus. Typical ethical hacking activities consist of:
Pen Testing for Social Engineering
Physical attacks on a structure or infrastructure, such as eluding security personnel and using email, a website, or other channels, can be a part of social engineering pen testing.
Attempting to fool staff members into disclosing information that could expose the business to an attack and grant access to its systems is the test’s tactic.
Cloud Penetration Testing
Since more and more businesses are switching to cloud infrastructure, cloud penetration testing is a crucial procedure that involves assessing the security of a specific enterprise’s cloud infrastructure and services.
As more businesses shift to using cloud computing, it is critical to reduce any vulnerabilities that attackers might attempt to take advantage of.
Based on the service model, cloud penetration testing services may be divide into three categories: Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS).
Automated Penetration Testing
Understandably, many people naturally wonder if automated penetration testing is viable, given that penetration tests can be expensive and rare (usually conducted once or twice a year).
A penetration test can never be completely automated because there will always be a manual component carried out by qualified experts.
It is also impossible for humans to manually look for every vulnerability that exists because there are just too many of them.
Network Penetration Testing—Both Internal And External
An evaluation of the network infrastructure, including routers, switches, firewalls, system hosts, and other hardware, on-site and in the cloud.
It can be described as an external penetration test that targets infrastructure that is visible to the internet, or as an interior penetration test that concentrates on resources within the company network.
You must be aware of the quantity of sites, network subnet size, and internal and external IP addresses to be test in order to scope a test.
Blind Pen Testing
Blind box pen tests are another name for blind pen exams.
In this case, the penetration tester only has access to the firm name and any other publicly available information; they don’t know anything about the system they are attacking.
Double-Blind Pen Testing
A blind pen test differs from a double-blind pen test in that the workers or team members in charge of managing the attacks are not aware of what is occurring.
Double-blind pen testing has the advantage of teaching you how the business will react to an actual attack.
Wireless Penetration Testing
A test that targets wireless technologies like Bluetooth, ZigBee, and Z-Wave, as well as an organization’s WLAN (wireless local area network). It aids in locating rogue access points, encryption flaws, and WPA vulnerabilities.
Testers will need to know the number of guest and wireless networks, their locations, and the distinct SSIDs that need to be evaluate in order to scope an engagement.
API Penetration Testing
An approach to pentesting APIs that finds security flaws by imitating attacks on them is call API (Application Programming Interface) penetration testing.
Due to its ongoing significance in bringing together various apps and services, the API has grown in popularity as a target for hackers seeking illegal access to vital information or features.
Web Applications Testing
A review of websites and custom apps that are make available online that looks for vulnerabilities in development, coding, and design that could use maliciously.
It’s crucial to determine the quantity of apps that require testing as well as the quantity of static pages, dynamic pages, and input fields that require evaluation before contacting a testing company.
The Importance of Penetration Testing Services
In recent years, penetration testing services has gained popularity as a security procedure among enterprises.
This is particularly true for businesses that keep and handle private or sensitive data, including banks and healthcare organizations.
Even if exposing or exploiting vulnerabilities is the major goal of a pen test, it’s vital to remember that this target is frequently link to a business objective with a larger plan.
How Frequently Ought Pen Tests To Be Carry Out?
Owing to its intricacy and expense, penetration tests are typically only perform once a year.
Vulnerability scanning is one of the most crucial automatic and ongoing solutions since it keeps your systems safe in between yearly penetration examinations.
