A security penetration test, also called a pen test, is an authorized attack stimulation that is performed to evaluate the overall security of a computer system. A penetration tester makes use of the same type of processes, tools, and techniques that are used by the attackers for finding and demonstrating the impacts of weaknesses in a particular system.
A penetration test generally stimulates several attacks that are capable of threatening a business. They can easily examine whether or not a particular system is robust enough to fight against any attack coming from unauthenticated and authenticated positions, along with a wide range of roles in the system. With the perfect scope, security penetration testing can dive into every aspect of every system.
Benefits of security penetration testing
Systems and software were ideally designed from the beginning with a goal pointing toward the elimination of dangerous security flaws. A pen test is known to provide an insight into the fast as to whether or not the aim was successfully achieved. Such a test can help an organization by:
- Finding any weakness in the system
- Supporting compliance with the help of security regulations and data privacy (for example GDPR, DSS, PCI, HIPAA)
- Determining the robustness of the control system
- Providing quantitative and qualitative examples of the priorities of budget and security posture at that time for effective management
Phases of a security penetration testing
A pen tester is known for the stimulation of attacks via a motivated adversary. For the same purpose, they are known to follow a typical plan including the steps mentioned below:
- Reconnaissance
Collect as much information as possible about the target from private and public sources for informing the attack strategy. Various sources include dumpster diving, social engineering, internet searches, non-intrusive network scanning, and retrieval of domain registration information. This information helps a pen tester map out the attack surface and possible vulnerabilities.
- Scanning
A pen tester uses tools for examining the system or target website for any weakness, such as application security issues, open services, open-source vulnerabilities, etc.
- Accessing
An attacker’s motivation can include deleting or changing data, stealing, moving funds, or damaging the reputation of the company. For performing every test case, a pen tester determines the best techniques and tools for gaining access to the system via weakness, social engineering, or malware.
Conclusion
With the severity and frequency of security breaches increasing with time, organizations never have witnessed a rising need for visibility when withstanding attacks. What are you waiting for? Get security penetration testing done today!
