Step-by-Step Guide to Penetration Testing

A penetration test, also known as a "pen test," is an authorised simulated attack designed to find security holes that could be used by opposing hackers. Penetration testers, also known as ethical hackers, use many tools and techniques, such as black hat hackers, to perform penetration tests, but they do so with the target system owner's consent. Penetration testing is helpful for organisations to find security holes in their systems before hackers do. In this article, we'll walk through how to perform a penetration test step-by-step. You'll know more about penetration testing services and its benefits for your company by the end of this post because we'll cover everything.

What is Penetration Testing?

Processes, tools, and services created and put into use with the intention of modelling attacks and data breaches and identifying security flaws are referred to as penetration testing or pen-testing. A pentest can be performed on a web application, a network as a whole, or a computer system.

Finding vulnerabilities that an attacker can exploit is the primary objective of a pentest. Finding these vulnerabilities can be done in a few different ways. You can choose between automated penetration testing by a software program and manual pen tests by white-hat hackers.

Why is Penetration Testing Important?

Penetration testing is essential because it assists in finding system vulnerabilities before attackers take advantage of them. Organisations can improve their security protocols, safeguard sensitive information, and lessen the likelihood of cyberattacks by imitating actual attacks. Here is the importance of penetration testing mentioned below: -

To verify that the configurations are secure:
Penetration testing validates the work of an organisation's security team when they are performing well and have faith in their decisions and outcomes—having an outside party verify whether the system's security offers a perspective that does not align with internal preferences. An outdoor party can also assess the effectiveness of the group in providing security. It facilitates the identification of systemic gaps.
Network staff receiving security training:
Security personnel can identify and appropriately respond to various types of cyberattacks with the help of penetration testing companies. For example, it may be a sign that staff members were not adequately trained in proper security monitoring if the penetration tester managed to breach a system without effectively notifying anyone about it.
Testing the use of new technology:
Testing the technology is ideal before it enters the production phase. As it is simpler to address vulnerabilities and gaps before the application goes live, conducting a penetration test on new technologies before they enter production often saves time and money.

Types of Pen Testing

Penetration tests come in three main types, each using a different set of tools and focusing on a different set of security flaws. To ensure you can find the proper test for your needs, it is crucial to comprehend the various types of penetration testing.

Web application penetration test:
In a web application penetration test, testers look for security issues related to a web application's unsafe coding, development, or design. These tests concentrate on web browsers, webpages, web apps, and associated items like applets, procedures, and plug-ins.
Wireless network penetration test:
The vulnerabilities found in wireless devices, including tablets, laptops, notebooks, and smartphones, are the main focus of wireless network penetration tests. These assessments seek to pinpoint every device that a company uses that could be subject to cyberattacks. Weak security protocols, access point configurations, and security controls on wireless devices could all contribute to these vulnerabilities.
Social engineering penetration test:
Penetration tests for social engineering emphasise the human element of an organisation's security. In a social engineering test, researchers fool staff members into divulging private information or granting them access to the company's networks. This makes it possible for penetration testers to determine how susceptible the company is to fraud and other social engineering cyber attacks.
Cloud penetration testing
By identifying and resolving vulnerabilities in cloud and hybrid environments that can expose critical assets, customised cloud security audits can help your organisation overcome the challenges of shared responsibility.
Agile penetration testing
Ongoing, developer-focused security audits designed to identify and resolve security vulnerabilities throughout the development cycle. This agile approach helps ensure that every product release, whether it’s a minor bug fix or a critical feature, is tested from a security perspective.
Mobile application testing
The process of testing mobile apps for session control, data leakage, licensing, authentication, and authentication on platforms such as iOS and Android. Providers must define the types and versions of operating systems, the number of API calls, and the prerequisites for essential detection to be rolled into scope testing.

Penetration Testing Tools

Selecting the best testing tool for your web application may prove difficult, but many are available to assist you in finding and removing system vulnerabilities. Now, let's discuss some of the top penetration testing tools. You can choose the best one for your application with the help of the list below.

Metasploit
A complex and well-liked penetration testing framework is called Metasploit. Cybersecurity experts and certified ethical hackers use it extensively, based on Ruby. You can simulate any necessary pen testing with the help of this tool. The vulnerabilities in the system are not only found by Metasploit, but it also makes an effort to take advantage of them. This allows you to swiftly identify, illustrate, and resolve issues. Moreover, automated testing and manual exploit creation are possible with Metasploit.
Nessus
Tenable Security created the vulnerability scanner Nessus. All vulnerabilities, including software bugs, malware, and missing patches, are easily found and fixed. Security-related activities like network mapping and port scanning are also possible. The tool allows you to perform credentialed and non-credentialed scans. Consequently, the depth vulnerabilities will eventually become visible. It can also apply to network devices like servers and virtualisation platforms.
SQLmap
This open-source penetration tool can automatically find and exploit SQL injection vulnerabilities, allowing it to take over database servers. This tool runs on any system that supports Python because it is based on Python. Furthermore, the tool is capable of handling several injection attacks simultaneously.
Burp Suite
Portswigger created the Burp Suite, a collection of tools for testing application security. Among the suite is the well-known web proxy Burp Proxy.
Penetration testers can perform man-in-the-middle attacks between a web server and a browser with the help of Burp Proxy. They make it possible to examine network traffic, which is helpful in finding and taking advantage of security holes and data leaks in web applications.
Wireshark
A network monitoring tool called Wireshark records and examines network traffic via a range of communication channels. Real-time data from various networks, including Ethernet, token ring, loopback, and asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) connections, can be instinctively read by penetration testers.
IT specialists are able to record packet data from active networks and use a graphical user interface (GUI) to look at packets within the recorded files. With Wireshark, users can apply complex filters, change captured files using command-line switches, and build plugins to analyse novel protocols. Additionally, it makes real-time changes to configuration files feasible for models.
Nmap
Nmap is a free utility for analysing and researching network security. It works with Windows, Linux, Solaris, HP-UX, and AmigaOS in addition to BSD versions. It offers a GUI in addition to a CLI. Nmap is a valuable tool for penetration testers to learn about the hosts on a network that they can access, the services they share, the frameworks they run, and the kinds of firewalls or bundled tunnels that are in place.

Penetration Testing Stages

The five stages of penetration testing are reconnaissance, scanning, vulnerability assessment, exploitation, and reporting. To evaluate all of these crucial to an organisation's security posture, all the critical phases of a meticulously planned and effectively carried out penetration text are provided below.

Reconnaissance
The pen tester gathers as much data as possible about the system under evaluation during this phase. Some examples of the information collected are details about operating systems, user account management, and network topology. A testing plan (i.e., a successful attack strategy) is created using all this information.

Active and passive are the two primary approaches to reconnaissance. While information in the former requires direct interaction with the target system, information in the latter is obtained from publicly accessible sources. Both techniques are recommended to create a thorough understanding of the target's vulnerabilities. Defining the test's objectives and scope, including the systems to be tested, is always the first step in creating a solid pen test.
Scanning
After the testing team completes the reconnaissance phase, they proceed to the scanning phase. The testers utilise a wide range of tools to find open ports and examine components like network traffic on the target system. The input for the following phase is encapsulating the more open entry points that are found.
To ensure that a penetration test achieves its maximum potential, human intervention and automated scanning are always advised. There are two modes of operation for the scanning: the system's static and dynamic states.
Vulnerability Assessment
In the third step, the pen tester(s) use all the information gathered in the first two stages to find potential weaknesses and assess whether hackers could exploit them. Although vulnerability assessments are a useful cyber security tool, they are far more effective when used with other pen testing stages.
Exploitation
The tester will move on to "exploitation" after all vulnerabilities have been found and verified. The penetration tester will try to get into the target system during this phase and take advantage of the vulnerabilities mentioned. A realistic attack simulation is conducted, utilising tools like Metasploit.

Since the goal of the test is to circumvent the security restrictions, cyber security experts consider it the most delicate stage of the entire pen test process. Given that these systems may be crucial to the operation of the business, testing teams need to use caution to avoid compromising or corrupting the data or systems within.
Reporting
Finally, the tester compiles a report that precisely outlines the pen test results. This document serves as a guide for organisations looking to improve their overall security posture by fixing any vulnerabilities discovered in the system!

The findings display which specific vulnerabilities were exploited, what personal data was accessed, and how long the tester remained in the system undetected.

Penetration Testing Methods

To make sure the penetration test is real and covers all crucial areas, there are numerous methods. Below is a list of a few of them:

Internal testing
An application accessible through a firewall is tested internally by a tester who impersonates a hostile insider. It's not always the same as modelling a rogue employee. An employee whose credentials were compromised by phishing is a usual place to start.
External testing
Safety aspects visible to the public are the focus of outboard tests. This can include the business online services, apps, and public internet protocols. The penetration tester performs penetration testing that focuses on the external system and looks for deficiencies in the external system, such as business processes and service systems.

Blind testing
The name of the targeted enterprise is the only information provided to the tester during a blind test. This allows security personnel to see how an application assault might unfold in real time.
Double-blind testing
Security personnel in a double-blind test are unaware of the simulated attack beforehand. They will only have time to strengthen their security after an attempted breach, just like in the real world.

Finally, it should be noted that careful preparation, careful execution, and accurate documentation are necessary for a good penetration test. Every stage, from preliminary Reconnaissance to vulnerability identification and exploitation, necessitates close attention to detail and ethical guidelines. Organisations can improve their security posture and protect themselves from potential threats and vulnerabilities by implementing an organised approach and using the right tools and techniques.

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