Several Methods and Stages To Keep in Mind Regarding Penetration Testing

 

What is penetration testing? This is called the pen test. This cyber attack is simulated against a computer system to check exploitable vulnerabilities. This is known for augmenting web application firewalls popular in web application security.

 

Stages Divided in Penetration

 

The following are the stages divided into penetration:

 

Planning and the Reconnaissance

It will include defining the goals and scope of a test. This will include addressing the systems including the testing methods. It also involves the gathering of intelligence.

 

Scanning

This step will include understanding the way the target application responds to different intrusion attempts. This is done with static analysis, and dynamic analysis.

 

The Gaining of Access

In this stage, it utilizes attacks on web applications like SQL injection, backdoors, and cross-site scripting. This will be geared towards uncovering the target’s vulnerabilities. The testers will try and then, exploit vulnerabilities. This will escalate the privileges, steal data, intercept traffic, and many more. This will help in understanding the damage that it can be caused.

 

The Maintenance of Access

In this stage, it sees the vulnerability to be used in achieving persistency in the presence of an exploited system. This will be longer enough for the bad actor to gain in-depth access. The goal here is to copy advanced and persistent threats. This will stay in the system for many more months, stealing the most sensitive data of an organization.

 

Analysis

In this stage, it’s all about the penetration test results compiled into a report that details the vulnerabilities exploited, the sensitive data accessed, and the time that the penetration testing remained in the system not detected.

 

The Testing Methods Used for Penetration

There are known testing methods for penetration that are as follows:

 

Internal testing

This simulates the attack coming from a malicious insider as the internal test has access to the application past the firewall. This is not needed to simulate a rogue employee. But then, this is a usual scenario to begin that an employee with credentials will be stolen because of a phishing attack.

 

External Testing

This focuses on targeting the company’s assets found on the internet. This is true with the web app, the website of the company, the domain name servers and the email. The objective here is to obtain access and extract some more valuable data.

 

Double-blind Testing

The security personnel with no prior knowledge of a simulated attack is what the double- blind testing is about. They have no time shoring up their defenses before the breach is attempted.

 

Blind Testing

The tester will be provided with an enterprise name that is targeted. This will provide a real-time look towards the security personnel as to the way the assault on an actual application will take place.

 

Targeted Testing

Both the security personnel and the tester will work together. They will also keep themselves appraised of their movements. This is an essential training exercise providing real-time feedback to the security team from the view of the hacker.

 

So, keep these methods and stages that are necessary when talking about penetration testing!