Penetration testing (or pen testing) is an exercise performed by a cyber-security professional to identify and breach weak areas in a client’s computer system. The purpose of this “mock cyber-attack” is to discover any vulnerabilities in a system’s defenses which outside criminals could exploit. A pen-test should reveal the actual security level of critical systems infrastructure and demonstrate what it will take to reinforce it.
What variations of pen tests are most often utilized?
Open-box pen test: The simulated hacker will be provided with limited prior information regarding the target company’s security data.
Closed-box pen test: The hacker is provided no background information except the name of the target company. (also known as a ‘single-blind’ test)
Covert pen test: Virtually no one at the target company is aware that the pen test is occuring, including the IT and security professionals on-staff. Thiese type of pen tests must be wel documented ahead of time to avoid any issues with law enforcement.
External pen test: The “hired hacker” conducts the attack from a remote location or nearby truck or van, and is tasked with engaging with external facing technologies such as websites or customer portals.
Internal pen test: The simulated hacker performs the test from inside the company’s internal network. This kind of penetration test is appropriate to determine how much harm a disgruntled employee can cause from behind the organization’s firewall.
What is the protocol for a typical pen test?
Pen tests begin with a reconnaissance phase. During this period, the ethical hacker works to gather information and data that they will utilize in the planning of their simulated cyberattack. After they have gathered the information they need, the hacker will then concentrate on obtaining and maintaining access to the target network, which necessitates a broad array of tools.
These tools may include software specifically developed for SQL injections or brute-force attacks. There also may be hardware uniquely designed for penetration testing, such as inconspicuous, small boxes that can be plugged into a device on the network to grant the hacker remote access. The hacker may employ social engineering methods to dscover vulnerabilities. For example, they may contact company staff with phishing emails, or set up fake meetings to gain access to a secure location.
The pen-test hacker will finish by taking steps to cover their movements; such as removing embedded hardware and leaving the target system network exactly how they found it prior to the test.
What results can you expect from a pen test?
After the pen test is completed, the ethical hacker will share their findings and results with the target’s security personnel. This data can then be utilized to introduce security upgrades to repair and close up any vulnerabilities found during the test. These upgrades may include rate limiting, new WAF rules, and DDoS mitigation, tighter validation forms and sanitization.
Who can you hire to perform a pen test?
The most effective penetration test will be performed by someone with as little prior knowledge of the system’s security protocols as possible. This will better simulate an actual nefarious cyber attack from the outside. Those who are familiar with the system may have blind spots, but third-party contractors or ‘ethical hackers’ will hack into the system (with permission) so that they can find the areas where security needs to be increased.
The Penetration Testing Services team is proficient at simulating a real-world attack on your networks, devices, applications and employees. If you are a Sarasota area SMB looking to strengthen your defenses against cyber attack, call Alliance IT today for a consultation.
