Approaching a Penetration Test Using

Metasploit
By
Packt
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September 26, 2016 - 12:00 am
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17 min read

“In God I trust, all others I pen-test” – Binoj Koshy, cyber security expert

In this article by Nipun Jaswal, authors of Mastering Metasploit, Second Edition, we will
discuss penetration testing, which is an intentional attack on a computer-based system with
the intension of finding vulnerabilities, figuring out security weaknesses, certifying that a
system is secure, and gaining access to the system by exploiting these vulnerabilities. A
penetration test will advise an organization if it is vulnerable to an attack, whether the
implemented security is enough to oppose any attack, which security controls can be
bypassed, and so on. Hence, a penetration test focuses on improving the security of an
organization.

(For more resources related to this topic, see here.)

Achieving success in a penetration test largely depends on using the right set of tools and
techniques. A penetration tester must choose the right set of tools and methodologies in order
to complete a test. While talking about the best tools for penetration testing, the first one that
comes to mind is Metasploit. It is considered one of the most effective auditing tools to carry
out penetration testing today. Metasploit offers a wide variety of exploits, an extensive
exploit development environment, information gathering and web testing capabilities, and
much more.

This article has been written so that it will not only cover the frontend perspectives of
Metasploit, but it will also focus on the development and customization of the framework as
well. This article assumes that the reader has basic knowledge of the Metasploit framework.
However, some of the sections of this article will help you recall the basics as well.

While covering Metasploit from the very basics to the elite level, we will stick to a step-by-
step approach, as shown in the following diagram:
This article will help you recall the basics of penetration testing and Metasploit, which will
help you warm up to the pace of this article.

In this article, you will learn about the following topics:

 The phases of a penetration test

 The basics of the Metasploit framework
 The workings of exploits
 Testing a target network with Metasploit
 The benefits of using databases

An important point to take a note of here is that we might not become an expert penetration
tester in a single day. It takes practice, familiarization with the work environment, the ability
to perform in critical situations, and most importantly, an understanding of how we have to
cycle through the various stages of a penetration test.

When we think about conducting a penetration test on an organization, we need to make sure
that everything is set perfectly and is according to a penetration test standard. Therefore, if
you feel you are new to penetration testing standards or uncomfortable with the term
Penetration testing Execution Standard (PTES), please refer to http://www.pentest-
standard.org/index.php/PTES_Technical_Guidelines to become more familiar with
penetration testing and vulnerability assessments. According to PTES, the following diagram
explains the various phases of a penetration test:
Refer to the http://www.pentest-standard.org website to set up the hardware and systematic
phases to be followed in a work environment; these setups are required to perform a
professional penetration test.

Organizing a penetration test

Before we start firing sophisticated and complex attack vectors with Metasploit, we must get
ourselves comfortable with the work environment. Gathering knowledge about the work
environment is a critical factor that comes into play before conducting a penetration test. Let
us understand the various phases of a penetration test before jumping into Metasploit
exercises and see how to organize a penetration test on a professional scale.
Preinteractions
The very first phase of a penetration test, preinteractions, involves a discussion of the critical
factors regarding the conduct of a penetration test on a client’s organization, company,
institute, or network; this is done with the client. This serves as the connecting line between
the penetration tester and the client. Preinteractions help a client get enough knowledge on
what is about to be done over his or her network/domain or server. Therefore, the tester will
serve here as an educator to the client. The penetration tester also discusses the scope of the
test, all the domains that will be tested, and any special requirements that will be needed
while conducting the test on the client’s behalf. This includes special privileges, access to
critical systems, and so on. The expected positives of the test should also be part of the
discussion with the client in this phase. As a process, preinteractions discuss some of the
following key points:

 Scope: This section discusses the scope of the project and estimates the
size of the project. Scope also defines what to include for testing and
what to exclude from the test. The tester also discusses ranges and
domains under the scope and the type of test (black box or white box)
to be performed. For white box testing, what all access options are
required by the tester? Questionnaires for administrators, the time
duration for the test, whether to include stress testing or not, and
payment for setting up the terms and conditions are included in the
scope. A general scope document provides answers to the following
questions:
 What are the target organization’s biggest security concerns?
 What specific hosts, network address ranges, or applications
should be tested?
 What specific hosts, network address ranges, or applications
should explicitly NOT be tested?
 Are there any third parties that own systems or networks that
are in the scope, and which systems do they own (written
permission must have been obtained in advance by the target
organization)?
 Will the test be performed against a live production
environment or a test environment?
 Will the penetration test include the following testing
techniques: ping sweep of network ranges, port scan of target
hosts, vulnerability scan of targets, penetration of targets,
application-level manipulation, client-side Java/ActiveX
reverse engineering, physical penetration attempts, social
engineering?
 Will the penetration test include internal network testing? If so,
how will access be obtained?
 Are client/end-user systems included in the scope? If so, how
many clients will be leveraged?
 Is social engineering allowed? If so, how may it be used?
 Are Denial of Service attacks allowed?
 Are dangerous checks/exploits allowed?
  Goals: This section discusses various primary and secondary goals that
a penetration test is set to achieve. The common questions related to
the goals are as follows:
 What is the business requirement for this penetration test?

This is required by a regulatory audit or standard

Proactive internal decision to determine all weaknesses

 What are the objectives?

Map out vulnerabilities

Demonstrate that the vulnerabilities exist

Test the incident response

Actual exploitation of a vulnerability in a network, system, or

application

All of the above

 Testing terms and definitions: This section discusses basic

terminologies with the client and helps him or her understand the terms
well
 Rules of engagement: This section defines the time of testing,
timeline, permissions to attack, and regular meetings to update the
status of the ongoing test. The common questions related to rules of
engagement are as follows:
 At what time do you want these tests to be performed?

During business hours

After business hours

Weekend hours

During a system maintenance window

 Will this testing be done on a production environment?

 If production environments should not be affected, does a
similar environment (development and/or test systems) exist
that can be used to conduct the penetration test?
 Who is the technical point of contact?

For more information on preinteractions, refer to

http://www.pentest-standard.org/index.php/File:Pre-engagement.png.
Intelligence gathering / reconnaissance
phase
In the intelligence-gathering phase, you need to gather as much information as possible
about the target network. The target network could be a website, an organization, or might be
a full-fledged fortune company. The most important aspect is to gather information about the
target from social media networks and use Google Hacking (a way to extract sensitive
information from Google using specialized queries) to find sensitive information related to
the target. Footprinting the organization using active and passive attacks can also be an
approach.

The intelligence phase is one of the most crucial phases in penetration testing. Properly
gained knowledge about the target will help the tester to stimulate appropriate and exact
attacks, rather than trying all possible attack mechanisms; it will also help him or her save a
large amount of time as well. This phase will consume 40 to 60 percent of the total time of
the testing, as gaining access to the target depends largely upon how well the system is foot
printed.

It is the duty of a penetration tester to gain adequate knowledge about the target by
conducting a variety of scans, looking for open ports, identifying all the services running on
those ports and to decide which services are vulnerable and how to make use of them to enter
the desired system.

The procedures followed during this phase are required to identify the security policies that
are currently set in place at the target, and what we can do to breach them.

Let us discuss this using an example. Consider a black box test against a web server where
the client wants to perform a network stress test.

Here, we will be testing a server to check what level of bandwidth and resource stress the
server can bear or in simple terms, how the server is responding to the Denial of Service
(DoS) attack. A DoS attack or a stress test is the name given to the procedure of sending
indefinite requests or data to a server in order to check whether the server is able to handle
and respond to all the requests successfully or crashes causing a DoS. A DoS can also occur
if the target service is vulnerable to specially crafted requests or packets. In order to achieve
this, we start our network stress-testing tool and launch an attack towards a target website.
However, after a few seconds of launching the attack, we see that the server is not responding
to our browser and the website does not open. Additionally, a page shows up saying that the
website is currently offline. So what does this mean? Did we successfully take out the web
server we wanted? Nope! In reality, it is a sign of protection mechanism set by the server
administrator that sensed our malicious intent of taking the server down, and hence resulting
in a ban of our IP address. Therefore, we must collect correct information and identify
various security services at the target before launching an attack.

The better approach is to test the web server from a different IP range. Maybe keeping two to
three different virtual private servers for testing is a good approach. In addition, I advise you
to test all the attack vectors under a virtual environment before launching these attack vectors
onto the real targets. A proper validation of the attack vectors is mandatory because if we do
not validate the attack vectors prior to the attack, it may crash the service at the target, which
is not favorable at all. Network stress tests should generally be performed towards the end of
the engagement or in a maintenance window. Additionally, it is always helpful to ask the
client for white listing IP addresses used for testing.

Now let us look at the second example. Consider a black box test against a windows 2012
server. While scanning the target server, we find that port 80 and port 8080 are open. On port
80, we find the latest version of Internet Information Services (IIS) running while on port
8080, we discover that the vulnerable version of the Rejetto HFS Server is running, which is
prone to the Remote Code Execution flaw.

However, when we try to exploit this vulnerable version of HFS, the exploit fails. This might
be a common scenario where inbound malicious traffic is blocked by the firewall.

In this case, we can simply change our approach to connecting back from the server, which
will establish a connection from the target back to our system, rather than us connecting to
the server directly. This may prove to be more successful as firewalls are commonly being
configured to inspect ingress traffic rather than egress traffic.

Coming back to the procedures involved in the intelligence-gathering phase when viewed as
a process are as follows:

 Target selection: This involves selecting the targets to attack,

identifying the goals of the attack, and the time of the attack.
 Covert gathering: This involves on-location gathering, the equipment
in use, and dumpster diving. In addition, it covers off-site gathering
that involves data warehouse identification; this phase is generally
considered during a white box penetration test.
 Foot printing: This involves active or passive scans to identify various
technologies used at the target, which includes port scanning, banner
grabbing, and so on.
 Identifying protection mechanisms: This involves identifying
firewalls, filtering systems, network- and host-based protections, and
so on.

For more information on gathering intelligence, refer to

http://www.pentest-standard.org/index.php/Intelligence_Gathering

Predicting the test grounds

A regular occurrence during penetration testers’ lives is when they start testing an
environment, they know what to do next. If they come across a Windows box, they switch
their approach towards the exploits that work perfectly for Windows and leave the rest of the
options. An example of this might be an exploit for the NETAPI vulnerability, which is the
most favorable choice for exploiting a Windows XP box. Suppose a penetration tester needs
to visit an organization, and before going there, they learn that 90 percent of the machines in
the organization are running on Windows XP, and some of them use Windows 2000 Server.
The tester quickly decides that they will be using the NETAPI exploit for XP-based systems
and the DCOM exploit for Windows 2000 server from Metasploit to complete the testing
phase successfully. However, we will also see how we can use these exploits practically in
the latter section of this article.

Consider another example of a white box test on a web server where the server is hosting
ASP and ASPX pages. In this case, we switch our approach to use Windows-based exploits
and IIS testing tools, therefore ignoring the exploits and tools for Linux.

Hence, predicting the environment under a test helps to build the strategy of the test that we
need to follow at the client’s site.

For more information on the NETAPI vulnerability, visit

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/security/bulletin/ms08-067.

For more information on the DCOM vulnerability, visit

http://www.rapid7.com/db/modules/exploit/Windows /dcerpc/ms03_026_dcom.

Modeling threats
In order to conduct a comprehensive penetration test, threat modeling is required. This phase
focuses on modeling out correct threats, their effect, and their categorization based on the
impact they can cause. Based on the analysis made during the intelligence-gathering phase,
we can model the best possible attack vectors. Threat modeling applies to business asset
analysis, process analysis, threat analysis, and threat capability analysis. This phase answers
the following set of questions:

 How can we attack a particular network?

 To which crucial sections do we need to gain access?
 What approach is best suited for the attack?
 What are the highest-rated threats?

Modeling threats will help a penetration tester to perform the following set
of operations:

 Gather relevant documentation about high-level threats

 Identify an organization’s assets on a categorical basis
 Identify and categorize threats
 Mapping threats to the assets of an organization

Modeling threats will help to define the highest priority assets with threats that can influence
these assets.

Now, let us discuss a third example. Consider a black box test against a company’s website.
Here, information about the company’s clients is the primary asset. It is also possible that in a
different database on the same backend, transaction records are also stored. In this case, an
attacker can use the threat of a SQL injection to step over to the transaction records database.
Hence, transaction records are the secondary asset. Mapping a SQL injection attack to
primary and secondary assets is achievable during this phase.
Vulnerability scanners such as Nexpose and the Pro version of Metasploit can help model
threats clearly and quickly using the automated approach. This can prove to be handy while
conducting large tests.

For more information on the processes involved during the threat modeling phase, refer to
http://www.pentest-standard.org/index.php/Threat_Modeling.

Vulnerability analysis
Vulnerability analysis is the process of discovering flaws in a system or an application. These
flaws can vary from a server to web application, an insecure application design for vulnerable
database services, and a VOIP-based server to SCADA-based services. This phase generally
contains three different mechanisms, which are testing, validation, and research. Testing
consists of active and passive tests. Validation consists of dropping the false positives and
confirming the existence of vulnerabilities through manual validations. Research refers to
verifying a vulnerability that is found and triggering it to confirm its existence.

For more information on the processes involved during the threat-modeling phase, refer to
http://www.pentest-standard.org/index.php/Vulnerability_Analysis.

Exploitation and post-exploitation

The exploitation phase involves taking advantage of the previously discovered
vulnerabilities. This phase is considered as the actual attack phase. In this phase,
a penetration tester fires up exploits at the target vulnerabilities of a system in order to gain
access. This phase is covered heavily throughout the article.

The post-exploitation phase is the latter phase of exploitation. This phase covers various tasks
that we can perform on an exploited system, such as elevating privileges,
uploading/downloading files, pivoting, and so on.

For more information on the processes involved during the exploitation phase, refer to
http://www.pentest-standard.org/index.php/Exploitation.

For more information on post exploitation, refer to

http://www.pentest-standard.org/index.php/Post_Exploitation.

Reporting
Creating a formal report of the entire penetration test is the last phase to conduct while
carrying out a penetration test. Identifying key vulnerabilities, creating charts and graphs,
recommendations, and proposed fixes are a vital part of the penetration test report. An entire
section dedicated to reporting is covered in the latter half of this article.

For more information on the processes involved during the threat modeling phase, refer to
http://www.pentest-standard.org/index.php/Reporting.

Mounting the environment

Before going to a war, the soldiers must make sure that their artillery is working perfectly.
This is exactly what we are going to follow. Testing an environment successfully depends on
how well your test labs are configured. Moreover, a successful test answers the following set
of questions:

 How well is your test lab configured?

 Are all the required tools for testing available?
 How good is your hardware to support such tools?

Before we begin to test anything, we must make sure that all the required set of tools are
available and that everything works perfectly.

Summary
Throughout this article, we have introduced the phases involved in penetration testing. We
have also seen how we can set up Metasploit and conduct a black box test on the network.
We recalled the basic functionalities of Metasploit as well. We saw how we could perform a
penetration test on two different Linux boxes and Windows Server 2012. We also looked at
the benefits of using databases in Metasploit.

After completing this article, we are equipped with the following:

 Knowledge of the phases of a penetration test

 The benefits of using databases in Metasploit
 The basics of the Metasploit framework
 Knowledge of the workings of exploits and auxiliary modules
 Knowledge of the approach to penetration testing with Metasploit

The primary goal of this article was to inform you about penetration test phases and
Metasploit.

We will dive into the coding part of Metasploit and write our custom functionalities to the
Metasploit framework.

Essential skills for penetration testing

By

Hari Vignesh

June 11, 2017 - 12:00 am

8447

6 min read
Cybercriminals are continally developing new and more sophisticated ways to exploit
software vulnerabilities, making it increasingly difficult to defend our systems. Today, then,
we need to be proactive in how we protect our digital properties. That’s why penetration
testers are so in demand.

Although risk analysis can easily be done by internal security teams, support from skilled
penetration testers can be the difference between security and vulnerability. These highly
trained professionals can “think like the enemy” and employ creative ways to identify
problems before they occur, going beyond the use of automated tools. Pentesters can perform
technological offensives, but also simulate spear phishing campaigns to identify weak links in
the security posture of the companies and pinpoint training needs. The human element is
essential to simulate a realistic attack and uncover all of the infrastructure’s critical
weaknesses.

Being a pen tester can be financially rewarding because trained and skilled ones can normally
secure good wages. Employers are willing to pay top dollar to attract and retain talent. Most
pen testers enjoy sizable salaries depending on where they live and their level of experience
and training. According to a PayScale salary survey, the average salary is approximately
$78K annually, ranging from $44K to $124K on the higher end.

To be a better pen tester, you need to upgrade or master your art in certain aspects. The
following skills will make you stand out in the crowd and will make you a better and more
effective pen tester. I know what you’re thinking. This seems like an awful lot of work
learning penetration testing, right? Wrong. You can still learn how to penetration test and
become a penetration tester without these things, but learning all of these things will make it
easier and help you understand both how and why things are done a certain way. Bad pen
testers know that things are vulnerable. Good pen testers know how things are vulnerable.
Great pen testers know why things are vulnerable.

Mastering command-line

If you notice that even in modern hacker films and series, the hackers always have a little
black box on the screen with text going everywhere. It’s a cliché but it’s based in reality.
Hackers and penetration testers alike use the command line a lot.

Most of the tools are normally command line based. It’s not showing off, it’s just the most
efficient way to do our jobs. If you want to become a penetration tester you need to be at the
very least, comfortable with a DOS or PowerShell prompt or terminal. The best way to
develop this sort of skillset is to learn how to write DOS Batch or PowerShell scripts. There
are various command line tools that make the life of a pen-tester easy. So learning to use
those tools and mastering them will enable you to pen-test your environment efficiently.

Mastering OS concepts

If you look at penetration testing or hacking sites and tutorials, there’s a strong tendency to
use Linux. If you start with something like Ubuntu, Mint or Fedora or Kali as a main OS and
try to spend some time tinkering under the hood, it’ll help you become more familiar with the
environment. Setting up a VM to install and break into a Linux server is a great way to learn.
You wouldn’t expect to be able to comfortably find and exploit file permission weaknesses if
you don’t understand how Linux file permissions work, nor should you expect to be able to
exploit the latest vulnerabilities comfortably and effectively without understanding how they
affect a system. A basic understanding of Unix file permissions, processes, shell scripting,
and sockets will go a long way.

Mastering networking and protocols to the packet level

TCP/IP seems really scary at first, but the basics can be learned in a day or two. While
breaking in you can use a packet sniffing tool called Wireshark to see what’s really going on
when they send traffic to a target instead of blindly accepting documented behavior without
understanding what’s happening.

You’ll also need to know not only how HTTP works over the wire, but also you’ll need to
understand the Document Object Model (DOM) and enough knowledge about how backends
work to then, further understand how web-based vulnerabilities occur. You can become a
penetration tester without learning a huge volume of things, but you’ll struggle and it’ll be a
much less rewarding career.

Mastering programming

If you can’t program then you’re at risk of losing out to candidates who can. At best, you’re
possibly going to lose money from that starting salary. Why? You would require sufficient
knowledge in a programming language to understand the source code and find a vulnerability
in it. For instance, only if you know PHP and how it interacts with a database, will you be
able to exploit SQL injection. Your prospective employer is going to need to give you time to
learn these things if they’re going to get the most out of you. So don’t steal money from your
own career, learn to program. It’s not hard.

Being able to program means you can write tools, automate activities, and be far more
efficient. Aside from basic scripting you should ideally become at least semi-comfortable
with one programming languageand cover the basics in another.

Web people like Ruby. Python is popular amongst reverse engineers. Perl is particularly
popular amongst hardcore Unix users. You don’t need to be a great programmer, but being
able to program is worth its weight in goldand most languages have online tutorials to get you
started.

Final thoughts

Employers will hire a bad junior tester if they have to, and a good junior tester if there’s no
one better, but they’ll usually hire a potentially great junior pen tester in a heartbeat. If you
don’t spend time learning the basics to make yourself a great pen tester, you’re stealing from
your own potential salary.

If you’re missing some or all of the things above, don’t be upset. You can still work towards
getting a job in penetration testing and you don’t need to be an expert in any of these things.
They’re simply technical qualities that make you a much better candidate for being (and
probably better paid) hired from a hiring manager and supporting interviewer’s perspective.
Top 5 penetration testing tools for ethical
hackers
By

Vijin Boricha

April 27, 2018 - 6:00 pm

5945

4 min read

Software systems are vulnerable. That’s down to a range of things, from the constant changes
our software systems undergo, to the extent of the opportunities for criminals to take
advantage of the gaps and vulnerabilities within these systems. Fortunately, penetration
testers – or ethical hackers – are a vital line of defence. Yes, you need to properly understand
the nature of cyber security threats before you take steps to tackle them, but penetration
testing tools are the next step towards securing your software.

There’s famous saying from Stephane Nappo that sums up cyber security today: It takes 20
years to build a reputation and few minutes of cyber-incident to ruin it. So, make sure you
have the right people with the right penetration testing tools to protect not only your software
but your reputation too.

The most popular penetration testing tools

Kali Linux

Kali linux is a Linux distro designed for digital forensics and penetration testing. The
predecessor of BackTrack, it has grown in adoption to become one of the most widely used
penetration testing tools. Kali Linux is based on debian – most of its packages are imported
from Debian repositories.

Kali includes more than 500 preinstalled penetration testing programs that makes it possible
to exploit wired, wireless, and ARM devices. The recent release of Kali Linux
2018.1 supports Cloud penetration testing. Kali has collaborated with some of the planet’s
leading cloud platforms such as AWS and Azure, helping to change the way we approach
cloud security.

Metasploit

Metasploit is another popular penetration testing framework. It was created in 2003 using
Perl and was acquired by Rapid7 in 2009 by which time it was completely rewritten in Ruby.
It is a collaboration of the open source community and Rapid 7 with the outcome being the
Metasploit Project well known for its anti-forensic and evasion tools.

Metasploit is a concept of ‘exploit’ which is a code that is capable of surpassing any security
measures entering vulnerable systems. Once through the security firewalls, it runs as a
‘payload’, a code that performs operations on a target machine, as a result creating the ideal
framework for penetration testing.

Wireshark

WireShark is one of the world’s primary network protocol analyzers also popular as a packet
analyzer. It was initially released as Ethereal back in 1998 and due to some trademark issues
was renamed to WireShark in 2006.

Users usually use WireShark for network analysis, troubleshooting, and software and
communication protocol development. Wireshark basically functions in the second to seventh
layer of network protocols, and the analysis made is presented in a human readable form.

Security Operations Center analysts and network forensics investigators use this protocol
analysis technique to analyze the amount of bits and bytes flowing through a network. The
easy to use functionalities and the fact that it is open source makes Wireshark one of the most
popular packet analyzers for security professionals and network administrators who want to
quickly earn money as freelancers.

Burp Suite

Threats to web applications have grown in recent years. Ransomware and cryptojacking have
become increased techniques used by cybercriminals to attack users in the browser. Burp or
Burp Suite is one widely used graphical tool for testing web application security. Since it’s
about application security there are two versions to this tool: a paid version that include all
the functionalities and the free version that comes with few important functionalities.

This tool comes preinstalled with basic functionalities that will help you with web application
security checks. If you are looking at getting into web penetration testing this should
definitely be your first choice as it works with Linux, Mac and Windows as well.

Nmap

Nmap also known as Network Mapper is a security scanner. As the name suggests it builds a
map of the network to discover hosts and services on a computer network. Nmap follows a
set of protocols to function where it sends a crafted packet to the target host and then analyses
the responses. It was initially released in 1997 and since then it has provided a variety of
features to detect vulnerabilities and network glitches. The major reason why one should opt
for Nmap is that it is capable of adapting to network conditions like network delay and
network congestion during a scan.

To keep your environment protected from security threats you should take necessary
measures. There are n number of penetration testing tools out there with exceptional
capabilities. The most important thing would be to choose the necessary tool based on your
environment’s requirement. You can pick and choose from the above mentioned tools as they
are shortlisted taking into consideration the fact that they are effective, well supported and
easy to understand and most importantly they are open-source.

Learn some of the most important penetration testing tools in cyber security

 Kali Linux – An Ethical Hacker’s Cookbook,

 Metasploit Penetration Testing Cookbook – Third Edition
 Network Analysis using Wireshark 2 Cookbook – Second Edition

For a complete list of books and videos on this topic, check out our penetration testing
products.

5 pen testing rules of engagement: What to

consider while performing Penetration
testing
By

Fatema Patrawala

May 14, 2018 - 6:00 pm

42775

6 min read

Penetration testing and ethical hacking are proactive ways of testing web applications by
performing attacks that are similar to a real attack that could occur on any given day. They
are executed in a controlled way with the objective of finding as many security flaws as
possible and to provide feedback on how to mitigate the risks posed by such flaws.

Security-conscious corporations have implemented integrated penetration testing,

vulnerability assessments, and source code reviews in their software development cycle.
Thus, when they release a new application, it has already been through various stages of
testing and remediation.

When planning to execute a penetration testing project, be it for a client as a professional

penetration tester or as part of a company’s internal security team, there are aspects that
always need to be considered before starting the engagement.

[box type=”shadow” align=”” class=”” width=””]This article is an excerpt from the book
Web Penetration testing with Kali Linux – Third Edition, written by Gilberto Najera-
Gutierrez, Juned Ahmed Ansari.[/box]
Rules of Engagement for Pen testing
Rules of Engagement (RoE) is a document that deals with the manner in which the
penetration test is to be conducted. Some of the directives that should be clearly spelled out in
RoE before you start the penetration test are as follows:

 The type and scope of testing

 Client contact details
 Client IT team notifications
 Sensitive data handling
 Status meeting and reports

Type and scope of Penetration testing

The type of testing can be black box, white box, or an intermediate gray box, depending on
how the engagement is performed and the amount of information shared with the testing
team.

There are things that can and cannot be done in each type of testing. With black box testing,
the testing team works from the view of an attacker who is external to the organization, as the
penetration tester starts from scratch and tries to identify the network map, the defense
mechanisms implemented, the internet-facing websites and services, and so on.

Even though this approach may be more realistic in simulating an external attacker, you need
to consider that such information may be easily gathered from public sources or that the
attacker may be a disgruntled employee or ex-employee who already possess it. Thus, it may
be a waste of time and money to take a black box approach if, for example, the target is an
internal application meant to be used by employees only.

White box testing is where the testing team is provided with all of the available information
about the targets, sometimes even including the source code of the applications, so that little
or no time is spent on reconnaissance and scanning. A gray box test then would be when
partial information, such as URLs of applications, user-level documentation, and/or user
accounts are provided to the testing team.

Gray box testing is especially useful when testing web applications, as the main objective is
to find vulnerabilities within the application itself, not in the hosting server or network.
Penetration testers can work with user accounts to adopt the point of view of a malicious user
or an attacker that gained access through social engineering.

[box type=”note” align=”” class=”” width=””]When deciding on the scope of testing, the
client along with the testing team need to evaluate what information is valuable and necessary
to be protected, and based on that, determine which applications/networks need to be tested
and with what degree of access to the information.[/box]

Client contact details

We can agree that even when we take all of the necessary precautions when conducting tests,
at times the testing can go wrong because it involves making computers do nasty stuff.
Having the right contact information on the client-side really helps. A penetration test is often
seen turning into a Denial-of-Service (DoS) attack. The technical team on the client side
should be available 24/7 in case a computer goes down and a hard reset is needed to bring it
back online.

[box type=”note” align=”” class=”” width=””]Penetration testing web applications has the
advantage that it can be done in an environment that has been specially built for that purpose,
allowing the testers to reduce the risk of negatively affecting the client’s productive
assets.[/box]

Client IT team notifications

Penetration tests are also used as a means to check the readiness of the support staff in
responding to incidents and intrusion attempts. You should discuss this with the client
whether it is an announced or unannounced test. If it’s an announced test, make sure that you
inform the client of the time and date, as well as the source IP addresses from where the
testing (attack) will be done, in order to avoid any real intrusion attempts being missed by
their IT security team. If it’s an unannounced test, discuss with the client what will happen if
the test is blocked by an automated system or network administrator. Does the test end there,
or do you continue testing? It all depends on the aim of the test, whether it’s conducted to test
the security of the infrastructure or to check the response of the network security and incident
handling team. Even if you are conducting an unannounced test, make sure that someone in
the escalation matrix knows about the time and date of the test. Web application penetration
tests are usually announced.

Sensitive data handling

During test preparation and execution, the testing team will be provided with and may also
find sensitive information about the company, the system, and/or its users. Sensitive data
handling needs special attention in the RoE and proper storage and communication measures
should be taken (for example, full disk encryption on the testers’ computers, encrypting
reports if they are sent by email, and so on). If your client is covered under the various
regulatory laws such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
(HIPAA), the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA), or the European data privacy laws, only
authorized personnel should be able to view personal user data.

Status meeting and reports

Communication is key for a successful penetration test. Regular meetings should be

scheduled between the testing team and the client organization and routine status reports
issued by the testing team. The testing team should present how far they have reached and
what vulnerabilities have been found up to that point. The client organization should also
confirm whether their detection systems have triggered any alerts resulting from the
penetration attempt. If a web server is being tested and a WAF was deployed, it should have
logged and blocked attack attempts. As a best practice, the testing team should also document
the time when the test was conducted. This will help the security team in correlating the logs
with the penetration tests.
[box type=”note” align=”” class=”” width=””]WAFs work by analyzing the HTTP/HTTPS
traffic between clients and servers, and they are capable of detecting and blocking the most
common attacks on web applications.[/box]

To build defense against web attacks with Kali Linux and understand the concepts of hacking
and penetration testing, check out this book Web Penetration Testing with Kali Linux – Third
Edition.

Continuous Pentesting – Integrating

penetration testing in the Agile Secure
Development Lifecycle (SDL)
Ramòn Janssen

Ramòn Janssen
Manager Cybersecurity at EY | OSCE OSEP OSCP CRTP GAWN
Published Apr 29, 2020

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Most organizations have great Agile development teams that create, release, and maintain
functional software. However, the increasing concerns and business risks associated with
insecure software have brought more attention to the need for structurally testing software for
security issues. This is where the concept of penetration testing (pentest) comes into play.

Simply put, penetration testing is a means to identify security flaws by actively attempting to
compromise a system or application from the perspective a malicious actor. This will prepare
you to proactively mitigate risks, such as sustaining reputational and financial damage,
caused by a malicious actor gained unauthorized access to personally identifiable information
of customers or sensitive company data.

As software is often developed iteratively, it does not make sense to pentest all security
requirements in the last sprint(s). Research by NIST has shown that 85% of bugs are
implemented during the first coding phase of development and that fixing these bugs when an
application is in production can cost up to 30 times more than when they are being
developed. Therefore, the Secure Development Lifecycle (SDL) has been designed. In order
to succesfully implement the Secure Development Lifecycle, EY offers the Continuous
Pentesting service to facilitate iteratively pentesting the security requirements during your
development process, starting at the earliest stage possible and continuously prioritize the
most risky areas in upcoming sprints. This way all new changes to applications, web services
and the underlying infrastructure can be efficiently and effectively tested for vulnerabilities.

Within this service proposition, we align with your development teams to adhere to the
sprints and releases of the team. In collaboration with your development team we will assess
the changes per sprint and create a test plan that will focus on all security related changes.
This service is focused on assisting the development team throughout the Agile Secure
Development Lifecycle and provide security advice and assessments. During the assessments
we will focus on all security related changes that were implemented in the latest sprints or
versions. The main purpose of this approach is to reduce your costs of resolving
vulnerabilities, maintain an agile work process and provide more efficiency in regard to the
testing activities.

A mix of integral and incremental pentesting

Continuous Pentesting consists of two parts: the integral pentest and the incremental pentest.
Below we describe both parts in more detail.

Integral pentesting

During an integral pentest, we investigate the security of selected components of your

software suite. We focus on the security of the entire suite, to create a baseline of the current
security status. Prior to the integral test, we determine in consultation with you and your team
which components fall within the scope of the test. Subsequently we map your security
measures onto your threat model, and if needed we help you define the required threat model.

Incremental pentesting

The incremental pentests focuses on testing the planned security-related changes in your
software suite. For this purpose, we use the updated features that may have a security impact.
Together with your development team, we analyze the change plan, such that all security
related changes will be included in the upcoming test.

Applied mitigation measures will be retested quickly in the next incremental pentest to
determine if they are effective.

Continuous Pentesting timeline

We start by performing an integral pentest to create a baseline of the security status of your
software suite and discuss them. The findings of this integral pentest combined with newly
developed features will be used to create a scope for the first incremental pentest. The new
findings and features can be continuously added to the scope of the next incremental pentest.

The pentests will be aligned with your development methodology and release cycle. An
example of this is displayed in the diagram below that is divided into the sprints of the
development team. To monitor progress, we perform status-update calls to align progress and
expectations. This may help direct testing activities to achieve higher value contribution and
efficiency. Periodically, we will have an evaluation session with all stakeholders to assess
and improve the effectiveness of the service.
Benefits
"Because of EYs extensive experience with our environment and applications, they are able to quickly
work with our developers and see the different objects in perspective of the entire environment."
~EY Client

From working with our clients we notice the following positive impact:

Security will structurally improve, less risk of vulnerabilities

 More centralized vulnerability mitigation implementations

 Decrease in impact and probability ratings of vulnerabilities over time
 Reduction of the attack surface
 Creation of coding best practices based on our input
 Internal development and test teams gained a better understanding of the identified
vulnerabilities
 Proactive implementation of mitigating measures in different projects that had not yet been
tested

Security costs will be reduced

 Less time spend on requesting individual pentests

 Decrease in time required to pentest the entire environment
 Mitigated vulnerabilities with a significant impact prior to public release

If you have any questions or want to learn more about how we can help your company
strengthen its security posture, please do not hesitate to contact me on
ramon.janssen@nl.ey.com or tel: +31 (0)6 2908 3080.
How Scrum with Kanban Can Help Teams
Create Technologies That Are Safer and
More Secure Against Cybersecurity Threats

Michael Parascandola

Michael Parascandola
Agile Leader & Scrum Educator • Lean Six Sigma Black Belt • Scrum Master (CSP-SM) • Product
Owner (PSPO 2) • SecureSuite Specialist • Cybersecurity Enthusiast ➣ Helping organizations

succeed for 17+ years 📈

Published Mar 15, 2022

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To combat the ever-growing number of cybersecurity threats, organizations are turning to

agile software development frameworks like Scrum and Kanban. Let’s dive into how this
combination can be a powerful tool for creating more secure technologies.

Cybersecurity is a critical concern today for businesses of all sizes, whether SMBs (small and
medium-sized businesses) or multinational companies. Organizations are turning to Scrum
and combining it with other lean methods to create more secure technologies that withstand
evolving cyber threats. Scrum with Kanban is a software development framework that
combines the best features of Scrum and Kanban to help teams work more effectively and
efficiently. Kanban helps teams visualize their work and identify and address bottlenecks,
while Scrum is a holistic approach to new product development which increases speed and
flexibility in new product development. Here's a detailed account of how this combination
works.

Agile Frameworks: Scrum with Kanban

Both Scrum and Kanban embrace principles of lean and agile development. Scrum relies on
the three main pillars: transparency, inspection, and adaptation. Scrum employs an
incremental, iterative approach to optimize predictability and control risk. On the other hand,
the Kanban core practices include visualizing (the work, workflow, bottlenecks and risks to
flow/value delivery), limiting WIP (Work in Process), managing flow, making process
explicit, implementing feedback loops, and improving collaboratively. Combined, they
cannot only save the cost of software development but also help develop robust and secure
software technologies.

So, How Can Scrum with Kanban Help Secure Software Technologies?

Scrum and Kanban are some of the most commonly embraced agile frameworks globally.
According to a recent Statista study, Scrum and Kanban combined made approximately 45%
of all the software development methodologies practiced worldwide.
Let's now delve deeper into how Scrum and Kanban can help you improve the cybersecurity
posture at large:

1. Team training on Scrum, Kanban, and Cybersecurity:

IT teams need to be trained and educated to understand Scrum, Kanban, and other agile
frameworks. They should also be trained to identify security vulnerabilities and source code
issues and anticipate the potential cybersecurity threats to the software they are developing.
Through Scrum training, teams can learn to create learning loops to quickly understand and
gather customer requirements and integrate customer feedback as and when it's available. On
the other hand, Kanban training can teach IT teams to focus on reducing the time a project or
user story takes from start to end.

2. Security requirements from the start:

Quality issues, bugs, or security vulnerabilities are costlier to fix if discovered in the
production environment or later phases of development. Both Scrum and Kanban support the
inclusion of software security requirements in the early stages of the software development
lifecycle, which can help bring down the cost and save time and resources. Teams can use a
Kanban board to create the backlog of such security requirements or user stories which will
help meet each requirement as the project progresses and continuously improve the flow of
work.

3. Building security-In:
There are many ways to build security into the design of your product, and one of the most
popular ways is to use Scrum with Kanban. Scrum combined with Kanban make security
requirements and features iteratively incorporated into the design. In addition, you can use
the Kanban board to include security features and requirements in the early phase to track the
progress and ensure that they are developed per design and are tested on time. Similarly, you
can also consider security as a non-functional requirement as part of your Scrum processes.
Once finalized, you can add these non-functional requirements into the acceptance criteria for
a user story or the Definition of Done.

4. Secure Coding:

Coding is an important part of any software development process. However, if not done
properly, it can lead to security issues and vulnerabilities in the software. Scrum with Kanban
will help to improve the source code security. By amalgamating the principles of using
Scrum with Kanban, you can ensure that coding is done in a systematic and orderly manner.
Periodic reviews are conducted with each sprint and source code is analyzed for any potential
security vulnerabilities. This can help to identify potential security issues and correct them
before they become a problem.

5. Continuous testing and reviews:

On a high level, Scrum provides a framework for managing and tracking work, while Kanban
provides a framework for managing and tracking flow. This combination can help improve
the flow of work and ensure that tests are executed frequently and in a timely manner. By
working in short iterations, Scrum encourages teams to collaborate and communicate
frequently to ensure that tasks are completed efficiently and tested simultaneously.

6. Continuous monitoring:

Scrum with lean methods, particularly Kanban, can help software development teams to work
faster and more efficiently. It can also continuously monitor and prioritize cybersecurity risks
better in the products that development teams are responsible for creating.

7. Security risk management:

'Due diligence' is a crucial part of any risk management activity. Many cybersecurity risk
management frameworks, regulations, and industry best practices advocate of being vigilant
in what you do and the way you manage the risks. When you are using Scrum with Kanban
you’re validating security controls through inspection and adaptation with sprints in
managing workflow.
On the other hand, organizations can transform their Kanban boards into a modified 'Risk
Kanban Board' that allows the mapping of user stories to a series of risk-related tasks to
manage threats and opportunities.

8. Finding the right balance:

Whichever approach you choose, you must first analyze the unique technology and the
business environment you operate in. For instance, if the new user stories, new features, or
issues are popping up faster than you have planned during a sprint, using a tool such as the
Stacey Matrix could be of great help. In such scenarios, it is time to forgo Scrum's complex
scheduling and rigidity problems and adapt for Kanban that can address chaotic problems
systematically.

Cybersecurity Risks to Watch Out for When Using Scrum with Kanban

When Scrum and Kanban are used together, they can be a powerful combination for
managing software development projects. However, there are cybersecurity risks associated
with using Scrum with Kanban that should be watched out for.

1. Project management risks:

One of the risks of using Scrum with Kanban is that it can be difficult to track the progress of
a project. In particular, it can be difficult to determine when a project is actually finished.
Scrum can be easily undermined by Kanban. Scrum is a very specific process that is designed
to help teams deliver high-quality products in a short amount of time. If Kanban is used
without following the Scrum framework, the team may struggle with ordered prioritization.

2. Cybersecurity risks:
In a Scrum with Kanban approach, it is often easy to see what tasks are being worked on and
what progress is being made. This can leave confidential data vulnerable to being accessed by
unauthorized individuals. Kanban can be used to track and manage the movement of data.
This can make it easier for attackers to steal data.

3. Lack of concrete guidance and tools:

Scrum with Kanban is a great way to manage workflow, but it can be challenging to
implement correctly without concrete guidance and tools. Without clear instructions on using
these tools effectively, team members may not be able to maximize the advantage of this
flexibility. Get an expert’s help if you want to be successful.

Final Words

As information technology (IT) and business process management (BPM) both continue to
grow in popularity, so does the potential for cyberattacks on organizations that rely on these
technologies to remain competitive. To combat this, more and more teams are turning to
Scrum with Kanban as a way to help them create safer, more secure technologies. In this
article, we have explored the benefits of using Scrum with Kanban for this purpose, as well as
some of the key considerations you need to keep in mind when implementing it.

How To Create and Scale a Penetration

Testing Policy
May 4, 2023

Est Read Time: 4 min

Jacob Fox





Penetration testing involves simulating the behavior of a threat actor to assess the resilience
of an organization’s network and digital assets. It involves using tactics, techniques, and
procedures (TTP) that a cybercriminal may use to gain unauthorized access to a network and
any sensitive data that may be of value.

To launch an effective pentest, IT teams must create a clear penetration testing policy that
outlines each aspect of the evaluation and enforces adherence to best practices. This article
will discuss how to create and scale a security testing policy to achieve optimal results.

What Is a Penetration Testing Policy?

In recent years, the rise in cyberattacks has prompted security teams to reassess their
methods. Penetration testing has emerged as an effective defense to prevent breaches.
Penetration tests also complement traditional vulnerability management strategies, such as
automated network scans that detect known vulnerabilities.

During a simulated cyberattack, it is essential to have policies in place that clarify the roles
and responsibilities of all involved parties, as well as define the test's objectives and the
network areas under evaluation. A penetration test provides a much more comprehensive
security solution when compared to traditional cybersecurity software that relies on
scheduled, automated scanning.
A penetration testing policy establishes formal guidelines and standardized procedures to
specify the requirements, overall goals, and expectations for a penetration tester. This policy
effectively governs the test, ensuring accuracy and consistency across different tests.

The policy should also define the type of testing so that every person involved in the testing
process should clearly understand their responsibilities and roles. Additionally, the policy
should provide guidelines on how to share the results with stakeholders. Stakeholders could
include IT teams, security teams, CEOs, business managers, service providers, and any
relevant departments within the organization.

What Is the Goal of a Penetration Testing Policy?

The ultimate aim of a penetration testing policy involves actively maintaining the reliability
of each test to identify and mitigate all vulnerabilities. Another common end goal is to ensure
an organization satisfies any regulatory requirements and is compliant.

Penetration Testing policies help standardize processes by setting clear guidelines, promoting
more effective and efficient procedures, and guaranteeing more reliable results.

If penetration testing is to be successful and consider new attacks, exploits, and strategies that
a network may be subjected to, then one cannot overlook the importance of a structured
approach.

What Should a Penetration Testing Policy Include?

Depending on the use case, organization type, tested digital environment, and intended
results, each penetration test policy can vary. However, most policies follow a similar format
and adhere to a range of minimum requirements to ensure it is fit for purpose.

Every penetration testing policy includes a risk assessment for digital assets, data, and
systems, a testing schedule, details about the testing types, and the various activities involved.
Any technologies deployed to assist with the testing should also be described, including the
use of AI or machine learning which are becoming increasingly used for risk management
purposes.

Third parties conduct the vast majority of penetration tests. Thus, the policy should also
include details about the chosen service providers. The policy functions similarly to a service
level agreement (SLA), outlining the expectations for the service provider.

In summary, a penetration testing policy should always include the following:

 The overall goals of the penetration test

 The types of penetration testing activities that will be performed
 Any limitations that the penetration test may encounter
 Adhering to any compliance and legal requirements
 The roles and responsibilities of any in-house personnel and third-parties
 The communication and reporting channels that will be used

Creating a Penetration Testing Policy in 5 Steps

Creating a penetration testing policy that is highly scalable is not as complex as it may seem,
but for it to be successful, all aspects of the digital environment and testing process must be
determined. Companies must also ensure that they follow industry standards and IT best
practices when creating their policy. Data protection should be at the forefront of any testing,
but the policy should also protect critical infrastructure and business operations.

To help with this, we have put together a five-point checklist to assist you in designing a
watertight policy:

1. Inventory - The first step is to build an asset inventory of the organization’s entire digital
environment, including all hardware, software, endpoints, cloud systems, apps, and whatever
else is connected to the network.

2. Risk management - Next, a risk management assessment should take place that
categorizes each asset depending on how critical it is to the organization’s operations. It is
essential to assess the potential impact of a security breach, taking into account the relevant
laws and regulations that govern such incidents.

Develop a risk scoring system alongside the risk management assessment, specifying the
required testing type for effectively mitigating identified risks. Score the testing scope and
any limitations to provide a clear overview of achievable and non-achievable outcomes.

3. Roles and responsibilities - Assign specific roles and responsibilities to both internal staff
and third-party service providers to ensure smooth project execution.

4. Communication - It is crucial to choose the proper communication channels for informing

stakeholders and other testers about test results, sharing documentation during the test, and
sending monitoring alerts.

5. Maintaining the policy - Finally, to ensure scalability, the penetration test policy must be
flexible enough to be updated when necessary, including any new risks that need to be
mitigated and any useful information that has been gathered by ongoing security monitoring
activities.

Should there be any change to business operations and infrastructure, the policy should be re-
evaluated and amended to reflect this. It is crucial to monitor all penetration testing activities
to ensure compliance with the procedures specified in the policy.

Key Differences Between an Enterprise and Small Business Penetration Testing Plan

Regardless of a business’s or organization’s size, penetration testing should be carried out to

identify the attack surface of its network and digital assets. Of course, the costs of a
penetration test for a small or medium-sized business will be much lower than that of an
enterprise, but the core principles will remain the same.

Enterprises face more challenges than SMEs due to the sheer volume of data they collect and
store, and the number of individuals working within or connected to the organization.
Due to the number of third parties involved with enterprise businesses, planning for a
penetration test can be much more complex, so using an experienced and reputable
penetration testing provider is always advised.

Conclusion
The effectiveness of a penetration test depends largely on the planning that precedes it. This
includes developing a comprehensive penetration testing policy that clearly outlines what the
test will entail, the expected results, and each individual’s role. Overlooking this key
documentation can significantly increase the risk level of penetration testing activities, breach
laws, and regulations, and impact the service level provided.

Overall, companies looking to improve their security posture should consider how they will
scale their security policies and limit their security risks to an acceptable level.

What is Agile Testing?

In this comprehensive guide, you’ll learn all about
 What is Agile Testing?
 Applying Agile Principles in Testing
 Agile Methodology Types
 Scrum
 Kanban
 Agile Testing Plan
 Agile Testing Methodology
 Traditional Testing vs Agile Testing
 Advantages of Agile Testing
& Lots more. Let’s get started !

What is Agile Testing?

Agile Testing is a software testing practice that follows the principles of agile methodology.
Unlike waterfall methodology, which pushes testing to the end of the software development
lifecycle, Agile brings together the development and testing team to build and ship quality
products in sprints at a faster rate. The agile creates an environment that encourages increased
collaboration between developers, testers and business analysts to test the application and
provide continuous feedback on the quality and fix defects in the same iteration.
Applying Agile Principles in Testing

The agile manifesto has listed points for the software development that are appropriate to test
teams also:

 Individuals and interactions over processes and tools: Testers should align with the rest of
the development team I.e.., developers, product stakeholders and the end-users. The
continuous feedback loop among these teams will help testers better understand the
product being developed/tested, and different approaches to improving the quality of the
product.
 Working software over comprehensive documentation: Testers in the agile environment
should be open to adapt to the changing requirements. Unlike waterfall, where there is an
extensive requirements documentation that testers will test against, agile testers don’t
follow strict documentation. They should be in constant communication with the rest of the
team and be informed of the changing/new requirements and define acceptance criteria
together.
 Customer collaboration over contract negotiation: Testers usually may not have direct
contact with the customers. However, agile principles encourage testers to understand the
requirements from the customer’s view and focus more on them.
 Responding to change over following a plan: To be truly able to succeed in agile Testing,
testers must respond to the change, be prepared to reprioritize their tests that will result in
minimizing the risks and achieve the goal respectively.
Agile Methodology Types:

There are two agile methodology types

1. Scrum
2. Kanban

1.Scrum

Scrum methodology is the most popular and widely used agile methodology. Scrum team will
have

a. Business Stakeholders
b. Product Owner
c. Scrum Master
d. Developers
e. Testers
f. Automation Engineers

Scrum framework is based on continuous learning and continuous improvement. It takes an

iterative approach and helps teams adapt to the changing user requirements, reprioritize tests
and minimizing risks resulting in continuous improvement and learning.

Scrum begins by identifying artifacts. Three common scrum artifacts are,

a. Product Backlog
b. Sprint Backlog
c. Sprint Goal/Done/Increments

Each of the members involved in the Scrum will oversee these artifacts and drive the entire
sprint.

a. Product Backlog

Product owner maintains the product backlog, which is a list of tasks that need to be done by
the team. The list has list of requirements, features, bugs to fix etc., which will serve as an
input for the Sprint Backlog/Tasks.
b. Sprint Planning

The entire team led by the scrum master (can be a developer/tester) planning on the tasks to
be performed for the current sprint is called sprint planning. In this meeting, teams will
choose the items from the product backlog, known as sprint backlogs, that they plan to work
on for the current sprint. After the sprint planning, every member needs to be clear on the
sprint goals and how it can be achieved.

c. Sprint

A sprint is an actual period when teams will work together and complete the goals. Although
a typical sprint period may range between 1-4 weeks, most teams prefer for a 2-week sprint.
All the events right from planning to delivery take place in a sprint. During this period, the
development and product owner can discuss the scope and can reiterate if necessary. Once
the time is fixed for a sprint, it must be consistent throughout the development period.

d. Daily Scrum Meeting

Daily scrum meeting, also called daily stand-ups are quick 15-minute meetings. The objective
of this meeting is to ensure everyone on the team is on the same page with respect to the
goals and plan a road map for the next 24 hours.

e. Review/Demo

Everyone on the team gets together at the end of a sprint for a review or demo of the sprint
goals. The development team presents the ‘Done/Increment’ tasks to the stakeholders and
teammates for review. Once after the product owner gives the go-ahead, the increment is
released.

2.Kanban

Kanban is another widely followed agile practice derived from manufacturing industries. The
successful adoption of this framework requires real-time communication and transparency at
work. In Kanban, the work items/requirements are usually presented in a Kanban board with
‘To Do, Doing, Done’ list. At any time, when the developer is ready, he can pull backlogs
from the to-do list and start working on it.
The Kanban team will have

 Product Owner
 Developers
 Testers
 Project Manager
 Automation Engineers

The team will have a fewer planning meeting compared to Scrum. Hence, it requires the
members of the team to be reasonably flexible and communicate closely. The virtual Kanban
board allows team members to track the work in progress for each item and associated details
such as who is responsible for that task, job description and a timeline. It’s best suited for
small teams that work solely based on priority and not at fixed timely releases.

Agile Testing Plan

Agile test teams irrespective of which agile methodology they follow should create a proper
test plan. It can be communicated to the team members through a document or with the help
of a test matrix. This plan will outline the user stories or acceptance criteria, test cases
required, the scope of the tests and methods of performing the test, i.e., manual or automated.
A proper test plan and management will help agile testers improve product quality and enable
shorter release cycles.
Agile Testing Methodology

1. Test-Driven Development (TDD)

TDD, as the name suggests, starts with Testing. This type of development begins by writing a
unit test – user story – write code until the test passes. TDD is applicable for unit and
component tests. It ensures the features function as expected. The other types of TDD are
Acceptance-Test Driven Development (ATDD) and Behavior Driven Development (BDD).

2. Exploratory Testing

Exploratory Testing doesn’t require a pre-defined test script. It starts by testers following
their intuition and tests the working of the software by mimicking the user behaviors. It helps
to find out bugs that escaped functionality testing and also potential high-risk bugs that could
break the software. The entire process is recorded and saved as a test.

3. Session-Based Testing

Session-Based Testing differs very little from exploratory testing in terms of having a more
structured testing process. The objective of this testing is all the same: to find critical bugs
that could break the software

Traditional testing vs Agile testing

Traditional/Waterfall Testing Agile Testing

Light on documentation and it requires

Requirements are well-documented and well-structured
minimal planning

Testing happens only at the end of SDLC. Testing shifts all the way to left

Testers and developers work independently and
there’s a very little communication
Testers may not be present in the requirement stage
Testers work alongside developers and
have a regular communication
Testers are involved in the requirements
stage

Earlier detection of defects is possible due

Defects found only in the later stages
to continuous feedback among teams

Strict adherence with requirements and if changes arise, Flexible and welcome to changes in the
very difficult to adapt and proves less effective requirements

Best suited for small projects and works

Best suited for complex and large projects
fine for long term

All features are delivered in bulk after the Shippable features of the software are
implementation delivered after each iteration

Advantages of Agile Testing

 A better understanding of the product as all teams work together

 Earlier detection of defects saving time and cost
  Continuous feedback leading to the continuous improvement of product quality
 Easy to manage the software

Final Word

The setbacks from the waterfall and advantages of the agile set-up have driven organizations
to fast transition into the agile culture to realize their digital transformation goals.

As easy as it may look to embrace agile, the real challenges lie in ‘adoption’. Businesses must
take into consideration proper on-boarding of members to the agile mind-set, training
process, know when agile doesn’t suit them, also lead(ers) by example to bridge the gap
between Embrace and Adoption.

Looking for an experienced agile testing service provider to transition into your delivery
cycle seamlessly? Drop us a line to get expert advice from Zuci’s QA experts.

What Is Software Security Testing?

In this comprehensive guide, you’ll learn all about
 What is Software Security Testing?
 What is the Importance of Software Security Testing?

 Types of Security Testing

 How to Perform Security Testing?

 Security Testing Techniques

 Security Testing Tools

Did you know that there have been instances of cybercriminals posing as the Center for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or World Health Organization (WHO) representatives
and sending sophisticated phishing email schemes. These cybercriminals are taking
advantage of the Covid-19 situation, so much so that cyber attacks have increased by 600%
during this period.

“What makes you vulnerable makes you beautiful.” said Professor Brene Brown. In the world
of IT and software, vulnerabilities don’t stand for beautiful. There is no ‘embrace your flaws’
when it comes to the murky world of IT where even a single flaw can be dangerous for your
business. Any flaws or vulnerabilities will be exploited by hackers or anyone with malafide
intent. Software security testing has its relevance at this juncture.

What is Software Security Testing?

It tests for vulnerabilities of the system and finds out if the data and resources are protected
from any intrusion. The objective behind software security testing is to ensure that there are
no loopholes or weaknesses which can be used by an intruder to wreak havoc on our systems.
Cyber Security criminals can erase all your information, cause loss in revenue, tarnish your
reputation, leak your confidential information and more. They can bring your business to its
knees if you are not prepared.

Security testing focuses on all the layers of your information system like database,
infrastructure, access channels to keep it free from vulnerabilities.

What is the importance of Software security testing?

Imagine losing personal information of more than 300 million customers, including their
passport numbers, DOB, gender, postal addresses, etc. Well, this happened to one of the
world’s biggest hospitality groups, Marriott International. Hackers gained unauthorized
access to Marriott’s database. These aren’t isolated incidents.

20% of Facebook’s 2.3 billion users were affected in 2019. Many unprotected databases were
discovered online which had 419 million records of Facebook users. There was no password
protection in place which meant anyone could gain access to it.

A simple Google search will present you with more such dreadful news. No matter the size of
your organization, you are vulnerable to attacks from cybercriminals.

If you want to save your company from external attacks, then software security testing
should be a pivotal part of your business strategy and not something you implement as an
afterthought. Even something as simple as a weak code implementation in your software
application can make you vulnerable to cyberattacks and unauthorized entry.

While there have been tremendous strides in the world of technology, it has opened up itself
to far smarter threats. With each part of the business world highly dependent on technology,
it is no wonder that businesses have begun to realize the importance of keeping oneself
secure.

Let us learn more about security testing and what it entails in the rest of the article.

Types of Security Testing

Vulnerability scanning

When you use a vulnerability scanner, it creates an inventory of all the systems that are
connected to your network. The systems are usually servers, firewalls, switches, printers,
laptops, containers, laptops, desktops, etc.

To understand more about the system, it attempts a login using default or other credentials. It
identifies the operating system it runs and software installed along with other related
attributes. Once it creates the inventory, it checks for each item there against one or more
databases of known vulnerabilities to see if it is susceptible to any.
Apart from checking for any vulnerability, it identifies those that have vulnerabilities and
suggests solutions.

The efficacy of the vulnerability testing depends on its ability to locate and identify the
different systems in your network and its ability to correlate this information with known
vulnerability information from databases.

Security Scanning

It checks for security flaws by scanning the various elements of your network, application or
device. Security scanning should be done regularly to keep your information secure. It uses a
myriad of automated tools and performs hundreds of routine tests and checks. Not only does
it perform security scans for your network, but it also does it for your application. It also
provides solutions to reduce the risks.

Penetration Testing

It is the practice of testing an application, network system or a computer system to find

vulnerabilities that potential attackers could exploit. Penetration testing is also called pen
testing or ethical hacking. Organizations need to conduct penetration testing regularly so that
they could gauge the weakness in the infrastructure, software and people.

For finding out your organization’s security policy, adherence to compliance requirements,
response management for security incidents, employee awareness towards security, etc.,
penetration testing is your best bet.

Penetration testing involves the following stages:

1. Planning and reconnaissance – Objectives are defined and necessary data is collected.
2. Scanning – Tools to perform scanning are employed to understand how targets respond.
3. Access – To find out the vulnerabilities, attacks are made.
4. Access maintenance – It is checked whether there is any vulnerability that can be taken
advantage of to gain access.
5. WAF Configuration – WAF settings are configured before testing is done again.

All of this information is used to configure the organization’s WAF settings and other
application security solutions to protect against any attacks.

This may interest you: Leading and oldest Baltimore-based credit lending institutions
improves security posture of its mobile application with penetration testing

Risk Assessment

When organizations carry out security risk assessment, it helps them look at their application
portfolio from the perspective of an attacker. The focus is to prevent application security
defects and vulnerabilities. By doing this proactively, the organization can make informed
resource allocation, tooling, security control decisions, and so on.
The risk assessment model is based upon the size, growth rate, resources and asset portfolio.
While organizations can make do with generalized assessments, it is not the ideal solution as
it does not provide detailed mappings of the assets and its associated threats.

A security risk assessment allows organizations to identify assets, create risk profiles for each
of them, understand the depth of the data and assess its importance. Based on its importance,
the overall risk for the company is measured and prioritized for assessment. Based on the
assessment, mitigating controls are placed on each of the assets.

Security Audit

It is an evaluation of the company’s security and information system based on a set of

established criteria. Security audits help protect against a data threat event, involving
technical reviews on configurations, technologies, infrastructure, etc. They should be
performed monthly, quarterly, or bi-annually. Performing it at least twice a year is
recommended. Anything less and you might be putting your security at risk.

The effectiveness of security audits is that it gives you a simple answer about your security
strategy by informing whether you need to amp your security or not. It reduces cost by
shutting down vulnerable hardware or software. If a new technology that was recently
introduced brings in any vulnerabilities, security audits will help you with it. Doing security
audits will ascertain if the organization is compliant with HIPAA, CCPA, GDPR, SHIELD,
etc.

Posture Assessment

It is good for any organization that wants to know what they are missing when it comes to
increasing the cybersecurity maturity level. Posture Assessment provides a concrete
cybersecurity roadmap to increase the cybersecurity defense of your organization.

It is calculated based on the various resources at play, starting from people, hardware,
software capabilities, and all the other mechanisms involved. Posture Assessment reveals the
security health of your system. Organizations that have a poor cybersecurity level are
susceptible to breaches, intrusions, attacks, and more. Performing this test maximizes the ROI
of the organization as it saves you from any attacks by keeping your systems in the pink of
health.

Ethical Hacking

Hacking is not illegal as long as you do it with the intention to find out security flaws in an
organization. This is why a lot of big companies have bug bounty programs where they offer
ethical hackers a lot of money if they can find flaws in their system. Ethical hackers are
required to find out vulnerabilities in a system they target and exploit them to see the depth of
the risk. Hacking is no longer the fiefdom of a high-schooler who wants to steal data and sell
it in the Dark Web. It is an area where there are a lot of computer geniuses who reign. So you
need an equally smart computer whiz to secure your IT systems.
How to perform security testing?

One of the most popular methods used by the software industry to design, develop and test
high quality software is the Software Development Process or SDLC. There have been many
other methods that have been used like the waterfall method, prototyping, incremental
development, spiral development, and so on, but none of them have been as efficient as
SDLC.

Let us go through the security measures that should be undertaken at each of these stages.

Requirements Phase:

In this phase, there should be security measures taken to guarantee that there are no
abuse/misuse cases while ensuring that requirement gathering is followed by being
thoroughly compliant with all regulatory risks.

Design:
Risk is assessed for the functional specification. List the functional specifications and the
security areas of application. Design considerations should be kept in mind.

Coding and Unit Testing:

At this stage, you should develop security controls and secure code. It should cover session
management, authentication, error handling, etc. Testing of static and dynamic tools and
security white box testing.

Integration Testing:

At this stage, the security protocols are the following: Black Box testing, Security &
Regression testing, Secure coding, Automated test and Threat analysis.

System Testing:

Black Box testing and Vulnerability testing at this stage

Implementation:

Penetration testing, Vulnerability scanning and Secure Migration from the development to the
production stage.

Support:

After the implementation is done, do a thorough impact analysis of the patches.

Security is one of the most important pillars of software development and products. Without
testing your software, you are walking into a minefield which can blow anytime. All security
threats and vulnerabilities should be addressed before application deployment.

Security Testing Techniques

Brute-Force Attack

It is the cyberattack equivalent of trying all the keys on your keyring to find the right one.
The best part about it is that it is simple and always reliable. The computer does the work on
its own by trying different combinations of usernames and passwords until it finds one that
matches. If attackers gain access to your systems with the brute force attack, then it is
difficult to catch them as they are already inside. When it is done by the organization for
testing, brute force attack is employed using software tools.

Testing for brute force is divided into two parts:

1. Black box testing

2. Grey box testing

In Black box testing, the authentication method employed is discovered and tested. With
Grey box testing, there is partial knowledge about the credentials of the accounts.
Cross-site scripting

In this, attackers use a malicious script to gain access to the website. Businesses can be
immune to such attacks by using a variety of methods. Just to give a small example, the field
lengths for all input fields in your website can be defined as small to restrict the input of any
script.

HTML tags or script tag input can be prohibited. Script redirects from unknown or untrusted
applications should be discarded.

SQL injection testing can be done in the following ways:

 Standard SQL Injection techniques

 Detection techniques
 Fingerprint the database
 Exploitation techniques
 SQL Injection Signature Invasion Techniques

Session Management

When security testing is being done manually, you need to ensure if the application is
handling sessions properly by performing session management tests. Session Management
checks tests check how session management is handled in the web app.

You can test for session expiry after a specific idle time, session termination after logout or
login or maximum lifetime, testing to see if a single user can have multiple sessions, and
more.

Monitor Access Control Management

Access control is an important aspect which helps protect your application security from
being exploited by attackers. Access Control Management has several objectives that must be
met, they are:

1. Identification
2. Authentication
3. Authorization
4. Confidentiality
5. Integrity
6. Availability
7. Accountability

By ensuring that there is access control management, you will be allowing only authorized
users into your system. You can check this by manually creating several accounts with
different user roles.

Data Protection

There are three aspects of data security. The first one is that a user can only view or use the
data that they are supposed to. For example, a branch manager can see who are the employees
who report to him, but he cannot see their bonus percentages for the year. By assigning roles
and rights, you can make this happen.

The second aspect of data security is how it is stored in the database. Company information
which is confidential should be secured with strong passwords and other security tools that
will protect it.

The third aspect of data security is encryption. When there is information exchange between
departments using a similar application or a different one, ensure that the data being
transferred is fully encrypted.

Error Handling

The 404 error is one of the most common errors during a search. It usually provides details
about the web server and associated components. The error message can be generated by
requesting for a page that does not exist. These messages should not contain any information
that hackers can use.

Cross Site Request Forgery

CSRF, also known as XSRF is an attack vector which tricks the web browser to perform an
unwanted task when a user is logged in. It can be devastating for the user and the business if
the CSRF action is successful.

The most common method to prevent CSRF attacks is to append CSRF tokens to each
request and combine it with the user’s session. Each token should be unique for every unique
session.

Security Misconfiguration

It is one of the most critical web application security risks. Security Misconfiguration
involves failing to implement all the necessary security measures or implementing them with
errors. Security misconfiguration vulnerabilities will occur when the web application is
susceptible to be attacked due to misconfiguration or because of an insecure configuration.

Security Misconfiguration can give attackers unauthorized access to a system data or

functionality which can result in total compromise.

Specify High Risk Functions

There are a million datasets for businesses these days. There are many business
functionalities which when performed puts their data under risk. It could be an activity as
simple as file sharing or providing access to an employee or sending an email to someone
outside the organization.

Businesses need to identify these high-risk functions and ensure that better security protocols
are followed and executed to the tee. If an application deals with any sensitive data, you
should check it for injection vulnerabilities, password guessing, etc.
Security Testing Tools

The web application security scanner doesn’t access the source code, it only performs
automatic black-box testing and identifies security vulnerabilities. There are various paid and
free web application vulnerability scanners. We will look at some of them here.

1. Grabber

It is a web application scanner that detects the following vulnerabilities: Cross-site scripting,
Ajax testing, file inclusion, Backup file check, JS source code analyzer, and SQL injection. A
simple and reliable application, it is good to test small applications.

Developed in Python, the tool is open-source, which means that you can modify it based on
your specific needs.

2. Zed Attack Proxy

This open source tool is developed by OWASP, and is useful to find a wide range of
vulnerabilities. An easy to use tool, it can be employed for the following: Intercepting Proxy,
Automatic Scanner, Fuzzer, Web Socket Support, REST-based API, Dynamic SSL
certificates, Smartcard and Client Digital Certificates Support, etc. You can also use this tool
to manually perform tests on certain pages.

3. W3af

Developed using Python, it is useful to identify more than 200 kinds of web application
vulnerabilities. Built with a graphical and console interface, it aims to provide a better web
application penetration testing platform.

4. SonarQube

Apart from finding out the vulnerabilities in your system, it will also measure the source code
quality of the web application. It is easy to integrate it with other tools and can carry out
analysis of more than 20 programming languages. The issues that are highlighted by
SonarQube are color-coded. If your system is under low risk, then it is displayed green in
color and the ones with severe issues are coded red in color.

Memory corruption, SQL injection, HTTP response splitting, Denial of Service (DoS) attacks
and Cross-site scripting are some of the vulnerabilities that it finds.

5. SQLMap

This free tool comes with a powerful engine that is capable of supporting 6 types of SQL
injection techniques, such as the following: Boolean-based blind, Error-based, Out-of-band,
Time-based blind, UNION Query, and Stacked Queries. SQLMap automates the process of
detecting and utilizing SQL injection vulnerability in the website’s database.

6. Wapiti

Wapiti is one of the leading web application security tools which is an open source project
from SourceForge and Devloop. Wapiti is a command-line application which means that you
should be familiar with the commands that it usually uses. So if you are a novice, then it can
be pretty difficult to use it. Wapiti provides support for GET and POST HTTP attack
methods.

Vulnerabilities exposed by Wapiti are the following: Server Side Request Forgery, XXE
Injection, XSS Injection, Shellshock, File disclosure, Database injection, CRLF injection,
Command Execution detection, and more.

It uses Kerberos, NTLM and other methods to authenticate. Operates similar to a Fuzzer, it
allows brute force directories and file names on the web server that is targeted.

7. Probely
Probely scans your web application to find out vulnerabilities or any security issues that it
discovers along with advice on how to fix them. It has a sleek interface and is built with an
API-first development approach. Probely covers more than thousands of vulnerabilities. You
can also use it to check specific PCI-DSS, ISO27001, HIPAA, and GDPR requirements.

Conclusion

Your customer’s data is sacred. If you ever lose their data or put it in a position of danger by
following sloppy IT security protocols, it will be hard to regain their trust. There can be no
compromises. By ensuring that you follow all the above techniques, you will be able to have
a modicum of confidence in your security systems. Even with all the security protocols and
protection methods in place, you are still vulnerable, but you can always be better prepared to
face any kind of attack.

Looking to improve your Product’s Security Posture? Take a look at Zuci’s security testing
services and see how you can leverage Zuci for your business needs.

Security Audit

Planning for a Pentest? Here’s What You

Should Know (All FAQs Answered)
Updated on: June 21, 2023

Kanishk Tagade

10 mins read
Data theft and data breaches have become the most common form of cybercrimes, and with
the advent of complex SaaS applications, they are getting even more frequent. And here
comes the time when you realize that you might have been the next target of a cyberattack,
and you become paranoid about the security of your data.

This Blog Includes show

Penetration testing (aka. pentest) is the most crucial thing in a business. Because if you are a
business owner and do not perform penetration testing, you would be in a terrible position.
The penetration testing will help you find the different vulnerabilities in your system and fix
them. You can identify the security flaws in your system and prevent hacking or cyber-
attacks. Penetration testing also helps you find the different things you can do to fix your
security flaws. But what exactly is Penetration Testing?

Penetration testing is a process of identifying vulnerabilities in an information system and

attempting to exploit them. The goal of a penetration test is to determine if a system can be
compromised.

Penetration testing is a method of validating the security of an information system by

simulating or emulating an attack on the system or software. The pentesting is used to
identify security vulnerabilities and weaknesses in the system or software and determine the
extent of damage a malicious user could cause to the system or software.

Read also: Step-By-Step Guide To Web Services Pentest | Third-Party Penetration

Testing And Why You Should Consider It

Why should I undergo Penetration Testing?

Penetration Testing helps to identify any problem that a cyber-criminal can exploit. The most
important benefit of penetration testing is that it helps improve the system’s security by
identifying weaknesses.

Penetration testing is a way to provide your organization with an external view of the security
of your applications and get a higher level of detail and focus than an internal vulnerability
assessment would provide. Penetration testing is the best way to determine the security of a
network or an application. It ensures that the network or an application has been tested for
flaws and vulnerabilities.

Image: Benefits of Pentest

Who performs Penetration Testing?

Based on the size of the organization, penetration testing is performed by two parties:

 Internal security team

 External penetration testing provider

The main difference between them is the perspective. An external penetration testing
provider tests your security systems from outside, from the perspective of a malicious hacker.
An internal security team member takes a more internal view, testing their security systems
from inside, from the perspective of an insider who could damage the system.

Most organizations opt for an external penetration testing provider to test the security of their
network infrastructure and applications. Many companies, especially large organizations with
multiple locations, rely on an internal security team to perform penetration tests.

Read About: Web Security Software | 11 Top Penetration Testing Tools/Software of 2022

How often should I perform Penetration Testing?

Penetration testing is a highly effective method for evaluating the security of your IT
infrastructure and network. Yet, this method is one of the most neglected and underused
solutions for managing the security of a network and application.

Every penetration test is different and should be treated as such. However, penetration
testing should be performed regularly to ensure consistent IT and network security
management.

Smaller businesses that offer essential services may only need to perform penetration tests
once every year. In comparison, larger companies that provide more valuable services may
often want to perform penetration tests.

Make your Website / Web Application the safest place on the Internet.
With our detailed and specially curated SaaS security checklist.

Download Checklist

free of cost

Also Read: Security Audit Services: Importance, Types, Top 3 Companies | API
Penetration Testing: What You Need to Know

How much does a Penetration Test cost?

The purpose of penetration testing is to provide business leaders with a solid understanding of
the security posture of their network and test the effectiveness of existing network security
controls. The cost of a penetration test is driven primarily by the following factors:

 Size of the company

 Complexity of the application or network
 The approach of Pentest black box, grey box, and white box
 Scope of work
 Level of expertise

The Pentest market is highly competitive, with a vast range of Pentest companies offering
their services for a wide variety of prices. Pricing primarily depends on the factors that have
been enumerated earlier. However, one might expect a fee within the range of $4500 to
$6500 for simple applications or networks and around $10,000 to $15,000 for more complex
networks or applications.

Also Read: SaaS Security Management- A Complete Guide To 6 Best Security Practices

Do I need permission from my Cloud Service Provider

before Performing Pentest?
Simply answering the question, No, you don’t need permission from your Cloud Service
Provider (CSP) before you can perform penetration tests on your applications. Earlier,
Amazon Web Services and Azure by Microsoft needed permission, but now all 3 top cloud
providers (AWS, GCP and Azure) allow cloud penetration testing. However, there are
specific boundaries to what a Cloud Penetration Tester can play with while the rest remains
out of bounds for pen-testing.

Learn about the limits of cloud providers (AWS, GCP, and Azure)

I have an in-house Security Team. Why should I choose an

External Pentest Provider?
Choosing an external pentest provider can significantly benefit your organization, even if you
already have an internal team. External pentest providers can provide you with a much more
in-depth analysis of your security. This can be highly beneficial if you are a small
organization with limited resources to dedicate to your pentest. It also provides you with
independent analysis. This allows you to view the results from an objective point of view.

An external pentest provider can act as an extra layer of security for your internal security
team. If your internal team is already stretched thin, an external pentest provider might be a
good fit for your business. An external pentest provider can also act as a second set of eyes
and give you the peace of mind that your network and application are safe.

How long does it usually take for a complete Pentest?

A complete pen test should take about 1-3 weeks on average. This may extend for a few more
days if additional tasks are requested. If a pen test is performed for an organization with an
extensive scope, then the test might take more time. The same goes for the organization that
has less of a scope. As a rule of thumb, the time it takes to perform a complete pen test
depends on an organization’s security requirements. Note that this time frame is only
average.

For instance, if your organization is starting and you only want to test the security of a single
application, then it will probably take you only a day or two. If your organization is a large
corporation with complex network infrastructure, the pentest will probably take a week or
two.

Also Read: 10 Best Cyber Security Audit Companies [Features and Services Explained]

Can Pentest help me in achieving Compliance?

Yes, a Penetration Testing Report is one of the major requirements for most compliance
standards such as PCI DSS, NIST, etc. A penetration testing report describes the
vulnerabilities found in the system and how they were discovered, and the risk associated
with the vulnerabilities.

A Penetration testing report can be complex if you do not involve the right people and an
agile approach is not adopted. Astra has the skills and expertise to seamlessly integrate
penetration testing, vulnerability assessments, and security management into your existing
processes as a trusted partner of leading organizations. Astra’s penetration testing is
completely compliance-friendly, be it NIST, PCI DSS, or others.
What would be required from my end for a Pentest?
A third-party pentest is an assessment of your security performed by an external party. Before
you engage in one, make sure you understand what your third-party vendor is planning to
test. It is essential to know what assets will be tested and whether the vendor will scan your
internal and external facing systems.

Also, here are a few other things to keep in mind before starting a pentest

1. Prepare a Penetration Testing Contract

2. Decide which environment will be scanned. If production is to be tested, inform your

customers.

3. If you are undergoing White Box Testing, share relevant accounts and access controls with
the team.

4. Authorize IP addresses for automated scanners that third-party pentest teams will be using.

5. Discuss the timeline, pentest methodology, and reporting guidelines before engaging.

Also Read: Why Firewall Penetration Testing is Essential to Your Security Strategy

What are the Top 3 Penetration Testing Tools?

Automated penetration testing tools are the best ways to keep your company safe and secure.
Here is the list of the top 3 penetration testing tools organizations use worldwide.

1. Astra’s Vulnerability Scanner

Astra’s Vulnerability Scanner offers more than 3000 tests that can test your application
thoroughly. The test cases are based on OWASP Top 10, CWE Top 25, CERT Top 25, CIS
Top 25, NIST Top 25, SANS Top 25, SANS 25 Risks, NIST 800-53, PCI DSS, HIPAA
Security Rule, FISMA, GLBA, ISO 27001, etc.

2. Vega

Vega Vulnerability Scanner is a free and open-source web security scanner and web security
testing platform to test the security of web applications. It is also available as a commercial
product. Vega was developed by the team behind the popular open-source penetration testing
framework, OpenVAS.

3. OWASP Zap

OWASP ZAP is an open-source security tool for finding vulnerabilities in your web
applications. It is designed to be used by people with a wide range of security experience. It
is ideal for developers and functional testers who are new to penetration testing.
Also Read: Top Pentest Tools In India | Top 5 Software Security Testing Tools in 2022
[Reviewed]

Why is Astra a trusted pentest provider?

Astra is a pentest provider with a team of highly skilled professionals who help organizations
find vulnerabilities in their web apps and security systems. Our team of ethical hackers and
penetration testers allows organizations of all shapes and sizes.

Astra has the experience and the technical knowledge to proactively protect our clients’
assets. Our assessment includes a broad range of tests and services that cover the complete
security chain from web application attacks and web services to networks.

Astra is one of the only penetration testing companies to provide a complete security audit
with more than 3000 tests at a very pocket-friendly price. Our penetration test services are
based on the latest industry standards, and we use the best tools and methods (including our
proprietary tools and methodologies) on the market.

Image: 5 Reasons to choose Astra

Wrapping Up
Exploitable vulnerabilities are one of the most significant risks to any organization. An
unsecured server, weak application passwords, invalidated session IDs, and hackers can
exploit other security vulnerabilities to gain access to your information and steal sensitive
information, which is why performing regular pentests are essential. Astra’s Pentest Suite is a
go-to security solution for all your security needs.

Let experts find security gaps in your cloud infrastructure

Pen-testing results that comes without a 100 emails, 250 google searches and painstaking PDFs.
You are here to read this article, so we assume you are already aware of the terms “hacking”,
“hackers,” and other words associated with unauthorized access. Penetration testing or ethical
hacking is the process of attempting to gain access to target resources and perform actual
attacks to find loopholes in the system and measure the strength of security. In this article, we
will learn about penetration testing, its requirements and understand how real-world ethical
hackers perform hacking attacks.

What is Penetration Testing?

Penetration testing is an approach in which a security expert simulates an attack on a network
or computer system to assess its security with the authorization of that system's owners, or we
can say, A penetration test (pen test) is an authorized simulated attack performed on a
computer system to evaluate its security. Penetration testers use the same tools,
techniques, and processes as attackers to find and demonstrate the business impacts of
weaknesses in a system.

A penetration test works like a real hacker would attempt to breach an organization's systems.
The pen testers start by examining and fingerprinting the hosts, ports, and network services
associated with the target organization. They will then examine potential susceptible
loopholes in the infrastructure of the organization. They will attempt to breach their
organization's security perimeter and get entry or accomplish control of their systems. They
can examine whether a system is robust enough to withstand attacks from authenticated and
unauthenticated positions and a range of system roles. With the right scope, a pen test can
dive into any aspect of a system.

If We Answer, Who Performs Pen Tests?

It’s most suitable to have penetration testing conducted by somebody with little-or-no prior
knowledge of how the organization's infrastructure is secured because there is a chance that
there are some mistakes or loopholes that might be exposed or missed by the developers
who developed the application or built the system.

For this reason, only most of the standardized pen test is performed by third-party pen testers.
These third-party pen-testers are often called ‘ethical hackers’ as they are hired to hack into a
secure infrastructure with permission.

These third-party pen-testers could sometimes be experienced developers with fancy degrees
and certifications; sometimes, they can be reformed criminal hackers who now use their skills
to help improve security, or usually, we have the best ethical hackers who are self-taught.

How is a Typical Pen Test Carried Out?

All kinds of pen tests usually follow some structure or model that contains guidance on
how to conduct the whole procedure.

If we roughly mention the phases, then we always start with

reconnaissance, aka information gathering, where the pen tester spends a
significant amount of time gathering data and information about the organization from
the active and passive method and try to use that information intelligently to plan their
simulated attack. After that, they try to figure out a way to breach into the network or system
by exploiting the vulnerabilities, which is known as the gaining access phase, then they
focus on maintaining access towards the target by doing privilege escalation or by creating a
backdoor.

During all of this activity, the certified pen tester uses a broad set of penetration testing tools
(pen test tools) to achieve the specific goal, and these tools are typical to use that why
learning about them is an essential thing that can be done by joining a quality Cyber Security
course which can provide hand-on knowledge over these tools.

Different Approaches to Penetration Testing

There are three different approaches to Penetration Testing, which are as follows:

 Black Box Testing

 White Box Testing
 Gray Box Testing

1. Black Box Penetration Testing

In a real-world Cyber-attack, the hacker presumably will not be aware of all of the entries and
exits of the organization's IT infrastructure. Due to this, the adversary will execute a variety
of attacks or use different techniques against the targeted organization, for example, brute
force attack against the IT infrastructure, in the expectancies of attempting to find a
vulnerability or loophole on which they can take advantage on.

Put, from the in this advanced penetration testing methodology perspective of the pen tester
in this category of Pen Test; there is no prior information given to the pen tester about
the internal details of the respective target, like source code or software architecture or
network internal details, or credentials. Because of this, the nature of this attack will
consume more time to complete, and sometime the pen tester will depend upon the help of
automated approaches to discover flaws and vulnerabilities. This style of a pen test is also
referred to as the “trial and error” technique or Opaque box testing.

2. White Box Penetration Testing

In this type of Pen test, also known as “Clear Box Testing or Transparent box Testing,” in
this category of testing, the tester has complete familiarity and access to the source code of
the applications and software architecture design of the infrastructure. Because of this nature,
a White Box Test can be conducted in a much shorter period in comparison to an Opaque
box Test. The additional benefit is that a much more comprehensive Pen Test can be
achieved.

But this technique also has its drawbacks. As the tester has a full understanding of the
infrastructure, it could take more time to determine what to concentrate on, particularly in
terms of testing the organization's infrastructure. Additionally, to perform White box
penetration testing, more sophisticated penetration testing tools are needed.
3. Gray Box Penetration Testing

As the name suggests, this category of Penetration testing is a blend of the White Box Test
and Black Box. Over here, the penetration tester only has a partial understanding of the
internal infrastructure of the organization.

In the Gray Box Test (aka Semi-opaque box), both manual and automated testing methods
can be employed. In this approach, a pen tester can concentrate on their immediate actions
and focus on those areas of the infrastructure which they understand the most. With this
method, there is a more elevated chance that more difficult-to-find “security loopholes” will
be discovered by the pen tester.

All these methodologies are being taught in one of the best CEH courses, where industry
experts give guidance on how these methods work in real life.

What are the Categories of Pen Tests?

There are various elements in the organizations that need to be tested and have their
parameters to check the security posture.

Similarly, in cyber security, we have several specialization sectors which focus on each
element that how to check or pen test each sector. One cybersecurity individual can be an
expert in one or more domains.

Here is the list of some of them which can be considered the primary sectors or penetration
testing types required by the industry:

1. Web apps

Web application penetration testing is one of the most dynamic and most visible areas of any
organization, Pen Testers review the persuasiveness of security controls in place and look for
hidden vulnerabilities through automotive or manual testing procedures, look for logical
attack patterns that can go undetected by tools, and any other potential security gaps that can
lead to a compromise or a breach of a web application or it is data.

2. Mobile apps

Mobile applications are also a major component of today's industry; Pen testers look for
vulnerabilities using automated and advanced manual testing in application binaries running
on the mobile device, its source code, the transmission mode of data, and the related server-
side functionality. That can include a variety of tests like handling session management,
Weak or other cryptographic issues, Business logic or authentication and authorization issues,
and other common vulnerabilities.

3. Networks

At the current time, Network pen testing is necessary for every business because threats could
be anywhere inside or near the organization's infrastructure. Network pen
testing identifies common and critical security vulnerabilities in an internal & external
network used by organizations. Professionals operate a checklist that comprises test cases
for numerous issues like Host identification, encrypted transport protocols, and more.

4. Cloud

Clouds provide great advantages and endless facilities to any business today, and that is why
no organization resists shifting to a cloud environment. This is also true that the cloud
environment is quite different from the traditional on-premises infrastructure. Generally,
security responsibilities are shared between the Cloud customer (organization) using the
environment and the cloud services provider, aka the shared responsibility model. Because of
this, cloud pen testing demands specialized skills and experience to analyze the diverse
elements of the cloud, such as encryption, configurations, databases, APIs, storage, and other
security controls.

5. APIs

For every test, we have some standard or non-standard curated models of

frameworks that help every tester to plan the whole journey from beginning to end. For
example, here, automated and manual testing procedures are covered under the
testing methodology guide starting from the OWASP named OWASP API Security Top 10
list. Which allows the testers to look deeper and in a planned way to assess various
vulnerabilities, including broken object-level authorization, rate limiting, user
authentication/authorization, data exposure, and more.

6. Containers

Containers are another buzzing tech obtained from Docker and often contain vulnerabilities
that can be exploited at scale to cause damage. Misconfiguration is one of the common risks
associated with containers and their running environment. These kinds of risks can be
discovered by a professional pen tester.

7. Embedded devices (IoT)

IoT devices are becoming a major component in many industries, including the healthcare,
Oil & Gas Industry, Power sector, automobiles, etc.

These embedded devices are also being used for multiple purposes, including in-
home appliances, watches, etc. They have specific software testing conditions due to their
more extended life process, remote locations like sensors over unreachable areas, power
grids, and more. Professionals conduct a detailed analysis on both sides of the client and
server to identify weaknesses that matter most to the applicable situation.

8. CI/CD pipeline

Modern DevSecOps practices incorporate automated and smart, and secure code analysis
tools into the CI/CD pipeline. Along with static tools that discover known vulnerabilities,
automated pen testing tools and techniques can also be incorporated pipeline to simulate what
a real-life hacker can do to compromise security. Automated pen testing can
uncover hidden vulnerabilities that can go undetected with static analysis and vice versa.
Penetration Testing Stages/Phases
There are several ways in the industry that can be followed up and can help the organization
build up the penetration strategy based on the requirements as there is no single model
internationally holding accreditation as a standard penetration testing model or framework so
we have various frameworks coming from different organizations of the infosec community
that can be modified as per their needs.

Some of the penetration testing examples of methodology selection a more:

1. OSSTMM

The OSSTMM framework, one of the standards globally recognized in the industry, delivers
a research-based methodology for vulnerability assessment and specifically for network
penetration testing.

2. OWASP

This modal is an overall package for all issues of application security; the Open Web
Application Security Project (OWASP) is the most acknowledged standard in the industry.

3. NIST

Unlike other information security frameworks and manuals, NIST suggests more detailed
guidelines for penetration testers to follow.

4. PTES

The PTES Framework (Penetration Testing Methodologies and Standards) emphasizes the
most instructed procedure to structure a penetration test.

And many more penetration testing frameworks are present. Let us take one and explore
the penetration testing phases and stages it contains.

Dive into PTES Framework

In PTES Framework (Penetration Testing Methodologies and Standards) Model, we have
seven phases or steps named and sequenced as follows:

1. Phase one: Pre-engagement Interactions

This phase contains intense and multiple meetings with the clients to discuss how all things
will take place.

For instance, questions like:

 Why is the client having the penetration test conducted against their environment?
 Is the penetration test needed for a particular compliance requirement?
 How many total IP addresses will be tested?
  How many web applications will be assessed?
 etc. etc.

2. Phase two: Intelligence Gathering

Then in this phase, we perform Intelligence information Gathering, and this information and
data will be used in later phases when penetration will be done on the target while conducting
vulnerability assessment and exploitation.

3. Phase three: Threat Modeling

This section defines a threat modeling approach as required for the correct execution of
penetration testing.

For example, we make the high-level threat modeling approach:

 Gather appropriate documentation

 Recognize and classify primary and secondary assets
 Recognize and classify threats and threat neighborhoods
 Map threat neighborhoods against direct and secondary assets
 etc.

4. Phase four: Vulnerability Analysis

Over here, in this phase, we do vulnerability assessment penetration testing, which is

the procedure of uncovering weaknesses in systems, applications, and networks that can
be leveraged by an adversary. These weaknesses could be anything ranging anywhere
from the system, network, service, misconfiguration, or insecure application design.

While performing vulnerability analysis of any type of pen testing, the pen tester should
properly take care of and focus on the scope of the testing for appropriate depth to meet the
requirements of the contract and organization.

5. Phase five: Exploitation

The exploitation phase of a penetration test concentrates exclusively on establishing access to

a system or any resource by circumventing security rules. If the previous phase vulnerability
analysis was conducted correctly, this phase should be well prepared and an exactitude
walkout. The main priority is to recognize the entrance point into the infrastructure of the
organization and to determine high-value assets.

6. Phase six: Post Exploitation

This phase is also critical, and as the name suggests, the purpose of the post-
Exploitation phase is to determine the importance of the machine or data compromised and
to maintain access to the target machine for future use. The importance of the machine
is determined by the sensitivity of the data stored on it and how it values the organization.
7. Phase seven: Reporting

This is the important phase as this will contain all the findings discovered in
the previous phases and help the organization to understand the criticalness and other things
present in their infrastructure and how it can impact the organization if an attacker is
successfully able to compromise the vulnerability.

Top 10 Tools for Penetration Testing

Tools play a significant role in penetration testing. These tools help to identify security
weaknesses in the network, server, hardware, and application. Penetration tools are nothing
but software applications that are developed to check loopholes that the actual hacker us.
However, the same tools are also used by pen testers to check the threats that may
compromise the security of the organization. This is like a weapon that can kill but can also
protect from enemies.

There are hundreds of penetration testing software available in the market to perform various
penetration testing operations. We will look at some of the most common tools used for
penetration testing, which are helpful for common testing features and are widely accepted by
most organizations.

1. Metasploit

Metasploit is a widely used penetration testing tool framework. Using Metasploit, testing
teams can verify and manage security assessments that keep white hat hackers a step ahead.

Metasploit has a user-friendly GUI interface along with a command line. It also supports all
operating systems like Mac OS, Linux and Windows, But it’s more commonly run-
on Linux. Metasploit allows testers to break into the system and identify severe flaws. Testers
can exploit the flaws and perform actual attacks with this tool. Metasploit provides more than
1500 exploits using metadata.

2. Wireshark

Wireshark is the world's most widely used network protocol analyzer. This tool helps testers
to check what is happening on the network at a microscopic level. Wireshark
helps with the deep inspection of hundreds of protocols along with living captures and offline
analysis features. Wireshark also supports all major OS like Windows, Linux, MacOS,
Solaris etc.

Powerful display filters, rich VoIP analysis, coloring rules, decryption ability and many other
features make Wireshark an unbeatable industry leader in the market.

3. BeEF

BeEF stands for Browser Exploitation Framework. This penetration testing tool is used to
check a web browser and explore weaknesses in the client system and network. It also looks
past hardened network parameters and client systems.
It can use more than one browser for launching directed command modules and further
attacks in the context of the browsers.

4. Burp suite

Burp suit is ideal for testing web-based applications. Burp Suite is widely used by most
information security professionals.

This framework uses web-based penetration testing on the JAVA platform with automatic
crawling capacity over the application. It has features to map the tack surface and analyze
requests between a browser and destination servers.

5. Nessus

For 20 years, 30000 companies have been using Nessus tools for their penetration testing
process. This is the most powerful tool in the world, with more than 45000 CES (Cyber
Exposure Score) and 100000 plus plugins for scanning IP addresses and websites and
completing sensitive data searches. Using Nessus, testers can locate the weak points in the
systems.

Nessus can be helpful for locating and identifying missing patches and malware, including all
operating systems, applications, and mobile scanning. A fully featured
dashboard, wide scanning capacity and multi-format report facility make Nessus the best
tool for VAPT worldwide.

6. Nmap

Free, flexible, powerful, portable, and easy to use, Nmap is an open-source network
discovery and security auditing tool.

Nmap is useful for checking and managing service upgrade schedules, monitoring hosts and
running services with uptime, network inventory management etc. It uses raw IP packets
to determine whether hosts are available or not. Nmap also helps to check what services
are running hosts along with application name, version, and operating system details.
Testers can check what type of packet filters are in use. Nmap has the ability to scan a
single system to large networks. It supports most of the operating systems.

Nmap is so popular that it has been featured in 12 movies, including The Matrix,
Snowden, Ocean’s 8, Die Hard 4, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo etc.

7. Aircrack

Aircrack NG is the tool for the assessment of wireless security. Aircrack

can monitor captured packets and transfer data to the text file, which can help third-
party tools for monitoring processes. Using Aircrack, pen testers can crack WEP and WPA
protocols. The CLI interface of Aircrack allows heavy scripting yet also supports GUIs and
operating systems like Windows, OSx etc.
8. SQLmap

SQLmap is a tool to automate the process of detection and exploitation of SQL injection
flaws in the application and database servers. SQLmap comes with a powerful detection
engine that supports all database management systems. It supports all six SQL injection
techniques like Boolean-based blind, time-based blind, error-based, Union based etc.

By providing proper authentication, IP address, port and database name, it can bypass SQL
injection and connect with the database.

9. OWASP Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP)

ZAP is a free, open-source penetration testing tool for testing web applications. It is also
known as “man in the middle proxy” because it stands between the tester’s browser and the
web application so that it can intercept messages, modify them if required and send them to
the destination. It supports all major OSs and Docker.

It can also construct a map of the application and record the requests and responses and
generate alerts if something is wrong.

10. SET - Social Engineering Toolkit

SET (Social engineering toolkit) is an open-source penetration testing framework designed to

perform social engineering attacks. It is designed to perform a human-side penetration test to
check if any human error can convert into a threat for the organization.

SET has several custom attack vectors in which targets can get trapped easily. SET can be
integrated with the Metasploit framework. Using SET penetration, testers can perform
Phishing attacks, website attacks, malware attacks, create payload and eavesdropping, mass
mailing etc.

These are the basic and common tools used by penetration testers or white hat hackers to find
out major weaknesses in the systems or network. There are more than 300 tools available on
specialized OS for penetration testing like Kali Linux, Parrot Security Operating system,
Backbox, DEFT, Samurai Web testing framework, Node Zero etc.

What are the Benefits of Penetration Testing?

Penetration tests are a practice of simulating a variety of attacks that could be a threat to a
business. By doing consistent pen testing, businesses can acquire professional and unbiased
third-party feedback on their security posture. But it is potentially time-consuming and
expensive; pen testing can help prevent extremely expensive and harmful breaches.

Here are some of the mentions:

1. Identify and Classify Threats

The periodic web application penetration testing can help the organization to examine and
assess web applications and internal and external network security for any threat that exists
and prioritize it.

Prioritizing these threats provides organizations with an advantage in predicting threats and
controlling potential malicious attacks from happening.

It also helps to understand what security controls are necessary to have to maintain the
security of the organization's people and assets.

2. Control Adversaries from Penetrating Infrastructure

Penetration testing is like real-life hacking performed by a real-life hacker. Performing

periodic or regular penetration tests authorizes you to be aggressive in your real-world
security approach to assessing your IT infrastructure security.

The method uncovers security gaps or loopholes in your security, offering you the possibility
to appropriately remediate any faults before an actual adversary action arises.

3. Regular Upgrades in your Security Environment

Continuing to upgrade the security posture within the infrastructure of your organization’s
environment is a main method to maintain a competitive edge against other organizations or
adversaries in the industry.

4. Avoid Expensive Data Breaches that Cost Reputation

Recovering from a data breach is no doubt expensive in cost as well as reputation. Legal
expenses, IT security remediation, customer safety, loss of trust, and dejected customers can
cost businesses more than millions of bucks.

According to the IBM report, the cost of a data breach average cost increased 2.6% from
USD 4.24 million in 2021 to USD 4.35 million in 2022. Regularly planned penetration tests
are a creative way to stay ahead of your security and can help control or prevent the monetary
loss of a breach, along with guarding your brand and reputation.

5. Support Compliance with Data Privacy and Industry Security Regulations

Penetration tests help the organization comply with the compliance and security
responsibilities that are demanded by industry standards and regulations such as PCI DSS,
HIPAA, GDPR, FISMA, etc.

Having these compliance tests performed regularly along with pen tests helps to present your
commitment to information security, all the while assisting you to dodge the hefty penalties
that can be associated with non-compliance.

What are the Pros and Cons of Pen Testing?

Let's divide the Pros and cons into two contexts of Manual and automated Penetration
Testing:

A) Pros and cons of Manual Penetration Testing

Pros:

 Assures that the application is comprehensively pen-tested.

 Tests the infrastructure in-depth with various tools and techniques.
 It is commonly considered an important phase for a comprehensive security assessment.

Cons:

 This provides a slow pace the progress while the organization waits for the outcomes.
 Sometimes this process can be too expensive to conduct a test on all the components held
by the infrastructure of the organization.
 Sometimes it leaves security gaps between tests as some areas could go missing.

B) Pros and cons of Automated Penetration Testing

Pros:

 Not too pricey if we talk about per scan by an automated tool.

 Scans on demand are present and can be used in various stages of security assessment and
expansion of the organization.
 A good visual and updated benchmark shows how much progress has been made over the
selected period.

Cons:

 It is not considered to be adequate, particularly if accomplished with an on-premises tool.

 Only capable of scrutinizing the test cases that security tool vendors provide as a part of the
scanner.
 Have more potential to generate false positives and false negatives results.

Conclusion
This article delivered a comprehensive overview of what Pen Testing is, its types, stages, and
how it is done, along with the cyber security penetration testing techniques which are
involved. We dive into the PTES framework to understand the process and method of pen
testing from a closer view. In closing, this is how the hackers will make the attack, and the
defensive side will try to protect the organizations and prepare before hackers to uncover all
the possible threats by conducting pen tests and exploiting them wherever possible to know
the impact.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Which is best used for penetration testing?

The use of the pen testing process is always to stay ahead of the adversaries and protect the
organization from getting attacked.

2. What is the difference between a penetration test and a security test?

Security testing is a process of scanning the organization's network, including the physical
environment too, for the existing risks and vulnerabilities that can lead to compromise and
help an attacker steal data and cause harm to the organization.

On the other hand, Penetration testing is a more sophisticated process and a type of security
testing that focuses on discovering the vulnerabilities and exploiting them to know how they
can impact the organization's infrastructure and even how to fix them sometimes.

3. Is penetration testing difficult?

Yes, Penetration testing is a complicated process and critical process. If it is not done
carefully with the right expertise, it can bring down the organization's business or can cause
data breaches. So, it requires a lot of effort to learn and gain expertise in this domain. To
provide this kind of expertise, we provide KnowledgeHut’s Cyber Security certifications in
cyber security where learners can learn how to secure an organization from threats by
performing penetration testing.

4. How much do penetration testers earn?

The earnings always depend on the person's skill set, but if we look at statistics, then you
find, and I'll quote the statement of PayScale "As of September 2021, pay scale reported a
typical base salary of nearly $87,000 per year for pen testers. At the low end (bottom
10%), pen testers earn about $59,000 per year. At the high end (top 10%), they make up to
$138,000 per year."

5. What is a penetration Test checklist?

You can consider the penetration Test checklist as a guideline that will provide the pen
tester guidance on how to conduct a pen test and emphasize the tests that have to be done
against the target infrastructure. It will help the pen tester not to lose track and miss any test
that has to be done.

Complete guide to penetration testing best

practices
Pen testing uncovers security vulnerabilities before
hackers do. Use this guide to learn about the tooling
options, test types, use cases and common flaws in
software penetration testing.
 





By

 Stephen J. Bigelow, Senior Technology Editor

Published: 06 May 2020

Security posture is a crucial aspect of software design and implementation. Through

comprehensive application security testing, IT organizations identify risks, threats and
vulnerabilities that malicious actors can exploit.

Software penetration testing, also called pen testing, discovers flaws, and examines the
possible consequences of those defects. The organization can then handle those exploits in a
safe, controlled and well-documented manner. Although penetration tests also cover the
operation of networks, servers and other hardware, developers and testers bear responsibility
for weaknesses at the software level.

Ideally, the software's design and codebase allow only authorized users access to features and
data stores. In practice, however, software comes with a wide range of risks that might leave
the application vulnerable. Unauthorized individuals seek out these weaknesses to gain
control of the application and access, alter or steal data.

Get to know common software penetration best practices, including the basics of execution
and flaws it can find. You should also understand testing types and tools necessary for the
job. This guide covers how teams should approach pen testing and the kinds of software
projects that need the security measure most.

Penetration testing best practices

Pen testing basics. Software penetration testing is all about discovery. First, collect
information from the available sources to enable penetration tests, then perform a range of
tests to find flaws in target software.
It's a best practice to document this work carefully, including the means pen testers use to
obtain information, the actual steps and processes they use to test, and the observed results.
This way, developers can reproduce flaws later to study and remediate them. Organizations
typically conduct penetration testing over a defined time period.

Ultimately, penetration testing requires a team's security professionals to think and act like
real hackers, while behaving in a manner that supports business interests -- i.e., to be ethical
hackers. Confidentiality is crucial.

Penetration testing use cases. Penetration testing is valuable for all types of security
evaluations, but a full-scale effort might not always be worth the work and expense. A simple
software module with limited access to data storage, for instance, won't require a multi-team
security assessment. Low- or no-code applications enterprises use for internal business tasks
are also low priority.

Some software development projects, however, require thorough penetration testing. A retail
or financial services company should demand comprehensive, full-scale penetration testing
for software involved with monetary transactions, customer data and financial holdings.
Similarly, software in certain data- and security-sensitive sectors, including military and
healthcare, typically receives detailed penetration testing to find and remediate flaws that
might cost lives. Penetration testing can also validate software components external
programmers develop.

Finally, an organization can use penetration testing after a security breach. Forensic pen
testing provides insight into the flaw that led to the exploit. Developers can then search for
additional flaws in the code and its supporting infrastructure hackers have yet to exploit.

Identifiable application security risks. Countless flaws can put an application at risk and
threaten information security. Pen testers commonly find flaws in:

 the OS
 application code
 configuration files

Applications rely heavily on the OS for resources, including the UI, storage access and a
network interface. OS weaknesses can potentially give a malicious actor control of
application behavior or inappropriate access to storage. Consider how an OS manages ports
for communication to and from the network. A hacker can use port scanning to detect open
ports to attack the system and software. Install all OS security patches to protect applications
and data.

Development oversights and unintended flaws in application code can disrupt productivity,
expose data and even crash the software. If a team overlooks error handling, for example, an
application won't deal smoothly with disallowed inputs. Also, developers might hard-code
default login credentials into the software and never remove them before the code goes live.
Or, developers might enable an application to save and access some files without restricting
customer access; this a failure to anticipate certain user actions.

Software configuration files often detail important variables, such as default data storage
directories and network communication information. Attackers look for configuration files to
identify avenues of attack -- or even use their information to make software changes that
open the door for an intrusion. Protect configuration files against snooping and set up a
process to authorize any changes.

Penetration testing drawbacks

While a valuable approach for the business and IT, penetration testing isn't perfect.

First, penetration testing guarantees nothing. The test approach only succeeds when a flaw is
found and fixed. You can miss flaws, only to have them discovered later.

Second, penetration testing consumes considerable time and staff resources. Weigh the
benefits against the project budget. Budget can restrict how much penetration testing a team
performs on a build. Sensitive projects with significant penetration testing requirements can
get pricey.

Penetration testing can result in unexpected downtime and data loss or corruption -- side
effects of exploited flaws in software. Mitigate these problems through A/B testing, in which
an older build continues to run while the new build undergoes software testing and validation.
Data protection methods, such as backups and snapshots, also help guard against unexpected
data loss.

Software penetration testing types

A hacker's knowledge about the system or software they're attacking can vary dramatically.
Through penetration testing, organizations can mimic everything from a hacker with no
awareness of an application's security controls to one with knowledge of every security
measure. Consider these types of penetration testing.

Black box penetration testing. In a black box scenario, hackers have virtually no
information about the system or software they attack. There is no insight into the server
hardware, the network, the storage configuration or the software application that runs on the
infrastructure. This scenario means the target is a black box -- an unknown entity.

Penetration testers, like their malicious hacking counterparts, typically rely on a trial-and-
error approach to finding common flaws and vulnerabilities. As part of a black box approach,
a pen tester might attempt to gain administrative access to a system using common default
administrator credentials.

Of all the types of software penetration testing methods, manual black box attempts take the
longest to complete and offer the lowest chance of success. Penetration testers usually rely on
automated tools that run through common flaws and vulnerabilities.
 How
black and white box testing differ.

White box penetration testing. In a white box approach, a penetration testing team has
access to all information about the system or software under test. Information can include the
software's source code, as well as server and network architecture diagrams.

Unlike real-life attackers, white box penetration testers have almost perfect insight into the
system, which aids their search for flaws and vulnerabilities. More information means
specific manual penetration tests that speed up the testing process and enable smaller testing
windows. However, it's difficult to find the weakest or most vulnerable flaw when you have
all the information. Rather than identify the most discoverable flaw, these pen testers might
find ones obscured to most hackers, which the latter are unlikely to target.

Gray box penetration testing. The gray box testing approach provides a penetration testing
team with incomplete or partial knowledge of the system or software under test. Gray box
pen testers might get the source code or the system configuration details, but perhaps not
both.

This partial information leads to mixed testing tactics. Penetration testers usually focus their
simulated attacks first on the known information and then systematically expand the attacks
to try for vulnerabilities and flaws where less is known.

How to perform penetration testing

Now that you know the best practices around when to use software penetration testing, learn
how to execute these ethical hacks. Pen testing is rarely a solo activity. Larger software
projects might engage several competing teams in a testing exercise. For example, a hacking
team performs penetration testing, while a team of IT security staff identifies and responds to
their attacks.

Organized penetration testing efforts typically follow a four-step process that includes:

 planning
 discovery
  attack
 reporting

The penetration testing lifecycle might repeat for each build, or simply when a different
perspective is required, such as white box rather than black box testing.

Planning. Penetration testing costs money, so every test cycle needs a business justification.
Penetration test planning defines the scope, approach, goals and limitations of the project.
Imagine how a development team will perform pen testing on a pre-release build to ensure
that it adheres to existing security policies and also satisfies compliance needs.

Discovery. In this phase, penetration testers collect and assess as much information as
possible about the software and its related systems. Scan for open ports, check for
vulnerabilities and use social engineering to collect usernames and passwords. The discovery
phase is most important in black box testing, where testers don't have much intelligence to
start with.

Attack. This limited-duration phase is when a penetration testing team uses information it
discovers to validate and exploit flaws in the software. The goal is to mimic the actions of a
potential hacker or malicious user. Pen testers attempt to access resources, functionality and
data. Although penetration testing is not intentionally malicious, the attack can result in
undesirable consequences, such as software disruption and data loss. This possibility is a
necessary risk.

Reporting. Penetration testing generates feedback for a development team and other
stakeholders of the software. Reporting is a vital conclusion to the penetration testing cycle.
Reporting renders detailed findings:

 the intelligence uncovered;

 vulnerabilities and flaws discovered;
 exploits validated; and
 detailed remediation recommendations.

Software penetration testing tools

Penetration testing encompasses a wide array of techniques, such as web app hacking and
SQL injection. There are dozens of vulnerability and penetration testing tools and services,
including:

Product suites

 Burp Suite, PortSwigger tools that can scan web apps for vulnerabilities, and map content
and functionality; and
 Indusface, a product line that provides web app scanning and a firewall, plus digital SSL
certificates and mobile security testing.

Network and vulnerability scanners

 Acunetix, an end-to-end web vulnerability scanner;

 Intruder, a cloud-based vulnerability scanner;
  Nessus, a commercial vulnerability scanning product;
 Netsparker, based on an automated security vulnerability scanner;
 Nmap, a free open source network and port scanner;
 Wireshark, an open source network protocol analyzer; and
 Zed Attack Proxy, an Open Web Application Security Project tool that provides free
vulnerability scanning for web apps.

SQL injection

 sqlmap, an open source tool that automates SQL injection; and

 sqlninja, a tool for exploiting SQL injection for apps that use Microsoft SQL Server.

Password security

 Cain and Abel, a password recovery and cracking tool; and

 John the Ripper, a password cracking tool.

Cybersecurity search engine

 Spyse, a cybersecurity search engine that provides details on web components.

Frameworks

 Browser Exploitation Framework Project, also called BeEF, an open source tool that focuses
on web browsers;
 Core Impact, a commercial penetration testing framework;
 Metasploit, an open source penetration testing framework -- Rapid7 makes a commercial
version; and
 w3af, an open source security vulnerability scanner and exploitation tool for web apps.

Five Types of Penetration Test to Zero in

Potential Vulnerabilities
Last updated: 2023/05/22 at 12:55 PM

By Meenakshi Agarwal

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7 Min Read

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A penetration test or pen test is an intentionally planned attack on a software or hardware

system seeking to expose the inherent security flaws that may violate system integrity and
end up compromising user’s confidential data. In this post, we are discussing different types
of penetration tests so that you know what to cover, estimate efforts, execute efficiently.

Contents
Five Types of Penetration Test for Pen Testing1. Network Service Tests2. Web Application Tests3.
Client Side Tests4. Wireless Network Tests5. Social Engineering TestsRemote Tests.Physical
Tests.Summary – Five Types of Penetrations Test

What is Bend Testing and Its Types

Remaining Time -3:39

What is Bend Testing and Its Types

The scope of a penetration test (i.e. the level of intrusion) derives from the kind of operation
you wish to explore on the target system. Therefore, a security tester must think thoroughly
and decide upon the most relevant type of penetration test. Hence, knowing about the
different types of pen tests is what expected from a good pen tester.

Primarily, the penetration tests split up into the following five categories. Click on each
category to know how should you plan your pen tests.

 Network Service Tests

 Web Application Tests
 Client Side Tests
 Wireless Network Tests
 Social Engineering Tests

[alert-note]:arrow: Check out the Best Guide On – Penetration Testing[/alert-note]

Five Types of Penetration Test for Pen Testing

1. Network Service Tests

This type of pen test is the most common requirement for the pen testers. It aims to discover
vulnerabilities and gaps in the network infrastructure of the clients. Since the network could
have both internal and external access points, so it is mandatory to run tests locally at the
client site and remotely from the outer world.

The testers should target the following network areas in their penetration tests.

 Firewall config testing.

 Stateful analysis testing.
 Firewall bypass testing.
 IPS deception.
 DNS level attacks which include.
 Zone transfer testing.
 Switching or routing based testing.
 Any miscellaneous network parameter testing.

Also, there are a set of software modules which the penetration test should cover are as
follows.

 SSH client/server tests.

  Network databases like MYSQL/SQL Server.
 Exchange or SMTP mail servers.
 FTP client/server tests.

2. Web Application Tests

It is more of a targetted test, also, more intense and detailed. Areas like web applications,
browsers, and their components like ActiveX, Applets, Plug-ins, Scriptlets fall in the scope of
this type of pen testing.

Since this test examines the end points of each web apps that a user might have to interact on
a regular basis, so it needs thorough planning and time investment.

Also, with the increase in threats coming from web applications, the ways to test them are
continuously evolving.

3. Client Side Tests

The goal of these tests is to pinpoint security threats that emerge locally. For example, there
could be a flaw in a software application running on the user’s workstation which a hacker
can easily exploit.

These may be programs or applications like Putty, Git clients, Sniffers, browsers (Chrome,
Firefox, Safari, IE, Opera), and even presentation as well as content creation packages like
MS Power Point, Adobe Page Maker, Photoshop, and media players.

In addition to third-party software, threats could be home grown. Using uncertified OSS
(open source software) to create or extend home made application could cause severe threats
that one can’t even anticipate. Therefore, these locally developed tools should also pass
through the penetration test cycle.

4. Wireless Network Tests

This test intends to analyze the wireless devices deployed on the client site. The list of
devices include items like tablets, laptops, notebooks, iPods, smartphones, etc. Apart from the
gadgets, the penetration tester should consider preparing tests for the following.

 Protocols used for configuring Wireless – It’ll help find out the weak areas.
 Access points for Wireless setup – It’ll enable in identifying the ones violating the access
rights.

Usually, such tests should take place at the customer end. The hardware used to run pen tests
need to connect with the wireless system for exposing vulnerability.

5. Social Engineering Tests

This type of test also run as an important part of penetration testing. It paves ways for
verifying the “Human Network” of an organization. This pen test imitates attacks which the
employees of a company could attempt to initiate a breach. However, it can further split up
into two subcategories.
Remote Tests.

It intends to trick an engineer (employee) to compromise confidential data using electronic

means. The tester could conduct such an attack via a phishing email campaign.

Physical Tests.

This type of test requires direct contact with the subject to retrieve the sensitive information.
It might involve human handling tactics like Dumpster Diving, Imitation, Intimidation or
convince the subject via phone calls.

Please note that you must inform the appropriate people before conducting the social
engineering penetration test. Also, remember to emulate real-world exploit instead of playing
a movie scene.

[alert-note]:arrow: Check out- What is a Pen Test?[/alert-note]

Summary – Five Types of Penetrations Test

Penetration test not only assists in discovering the actual and exploitable security threats but
also provides their mitigation. By performing a pen test, we can make sure to identify the
vulnerabilities which are critical, which are not significant and which are false positives. We
hope that you now know the potential areas to begin designing the perfect penetration tests.

Finally, if you liked this post, then please share and connect with us on facebook or twitter.

Penetration Testing and Its Types

Last updated: 2023/05/22 at 12:55 PM

By Meenakshi Agarwal

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10 Min Read

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Penetration testing also known as Pen testing intends to detect holes in the system and
helps in making sure that the appropriate security measures are in place to secure data and
ensure functionality.

Contents

Learn Penetration TestingWhat is Penetration Testing?Phases of a Penetration TestWhat is

Vulnerability?What is an exploit?What is a payload?Why is Penetration Testing Required?What are
Different Types of Penetration Testing?Black Box TestingWhite Box TestingGray Box TestingSummary
– Penetration Testing Or Pen Testing

What is Destructive Testing? Explor...

Remaining Time -4:04

What is Destructive Testing? Exploring Types, Benefits, and Limitations.

Since it is crucial for the Software testers, so we covered everything needed for them to learn.
We’ve prepared this tutorial so that they can understand the basics of Penetration Testing and
know how to use it at work.

Here, you’ll get to know, “What is Pen Testing?“, “Why is it required?“, “What are its
different types?” along with its benefits and the limitations. So let’s dive in further to learn
the core concepts of Penetration Testing.

Learn Penetration Testing

[toc]

What is Penetration Testing?

Penetration testing is a type of black box testing approach which proposes to make authorized
attempts to violate the security and integrity of a system, application, network or database. It
aims to discover and document all the security holes in a system that is likely to compromise
it before the hackers.

Although, it has many names, yet “Pen Testing” is amongst the most popular ones. Its goal is
to outsmart the hackers by exposing the weak links or security gaps inside a system. Also, the
person who runs a penetration test is called a penetration tester or pentester.

Alternatively, you may classify it as a type of security testing which regresses the weak areas
of the system or application. It aims to identify the security vulnerabilities in the target
system.

Phases of a Penetration Test

The tests which are part of the Pen testing are known as Penetration tests. Each such test
includes the following five stages. Please see the below diagram for clarity.
  Reconnaissance – It is the process of collecting information before deploying any real
attacks.
 Enumeration – It is the process of identifying the likely entry points into the target system.
 Vulnerability Analysis – It is the process which defines, locates, and classifies the security
leaks in a computer, network, or application.
 Exploitation – It is the process of enabling pen testers to compromise a system and expose
to further attacks.
 Reporting – It is the process of documenting all the steps that led to a successful attack
during the test.

Also, let’s now review a few of the leading pen testing parameters that you should know.

What is Vulnerability?

A vulnerability is a security flaw in a piece of software, hardware or operating system that

leaves a system vulnerable to attack. The weakness could be as simple as a weak password or
as complex as buffer overflows or SQL injection.

What is an exploit?

An exploit is a software program or a service designed to turn a vulnerability into an

opportunity to gain unauthorized entry. It enables hacker access to the target system. Most
exploits form a payload to penetrate the target system and grant access for the intruder.
What is a payload?

A payload is the piece of code that enables unauthorized access to a computer system with
the help of an exploit.

It travels as a part of the exploit which unpacks it later and initiates the attack.

Metasploit is the most popular tool for penetration testing which makes use of a payload
called Meterpreter. Once the payload breaks into the system, it can launch a variety of
attacks. e.g., Upload/download files from the system, capture screenshots and steal password
hashes. It can even give you full control over the affected system.

Why is Penetration Testing Required?

Penetration testing verifies the ability of a system to protect its networks, applications,
endpoints, and users against both internal or external threats.

Also, it aims to secure the system controls and shuns any attempt of unauthorized access.

Here are a few points to emphasize the need for Penetration testing.

 With its help, we can identify the environment which an attacker can use to break the
security of a system.
 While executing the penetration tests, testers can get to know the application areas which
are susceptible to attacks.
 It intends to prevent the black hat attacks and guards the original data.
 Malicious attacks could damage critical data and in turn cause revenue loss. Hence, it is good
if you can predict the potential loss of the business which is one of the payoffs you’ll get.
 The outcome of penetration testing helps in driving investment decisions for improving the
existing security standards.

What are Different Types of Penetration Testing?

We can bifurcate Penetration testing into three categories: black-box, white-box, and gray-
box.

Black Box Testing

Since it’s impractical for a hacker to know the exact topology of company infrastructure, so
launching an all out, brute force attack is the best odd he or she could try to find out possible
vulnerabilities in a system.

Similarly, in this type of penetration test, the tester doesn’t know the internals of a web
application and nor does he has any clue about the source code or the system design. Hence,
this type of testing may take longer than the expected time to complete.

However, with automation, he can reduce the overhead a bit and focus on uncovering the
weaknesses and vulnerabilities. “Trial and Error” is also another popular name for this type
of approach.
Black-Box Pros

 It requires little details before commencing.

 Execution behavior is similar to a real attacker. So, there is a high probability of finding real
issues.

Black-Box Cons

 A tester won’t have the same time as a real attacker could have for planning the attack
 It would not cover all aspects
 Execution would lead to a high cost
 Not a tool for PCI compliance

White Box Testing

White box assumes that the tester would have in-depth knowledge of the application code and
its architecture. And since he is aware of the ins and out of the application, so he can execute
it quicker than the black box testing. Alternatively, the test would also be much more
comprehensive.

However, it would pose a few challenges which you must address as a tester. For example,
the detailed system knowledge could be a constraint in deciding upon the area or component
to focus on running the tests and analysis. Also, the testing would need the use of advanced
tools like static code analyzers, debuggers, and network sniffers.

White-Box Pros

 It is far more accurate and detailed than the black box approach.
 Planning in this approach is easy. And execution is faster.

White-Box Cons

 Significant time would be required to understand the system and prepare the data for
analysis.
 Advanced tool execution would result in cost escalation.

Gray Box Testing

It is a mixture of both the black box and white box testing techniques. Also, in this type of
testing, the tester needs just a high-level knowledge of the internals of the Web applications.
It is because even this limited knowledge is sufficient for him to gain access to the source
code and the system design.

The gray box approach promotes the use of both manual and automated testing. Also, during
the execution, the pen tester can first pick on the known application areas. It will make him
concentrate on exploiting the existing vulnerabilities. Hence, the gray box testing assures of
locating even hard to find security leaks.
Gray-Box Pros

 Low cost as compared to other types of testing.

 The pen tester can achieve the same level of coverage as they would have got during the
white box testing.

Gray-Box Cons

 Dependency on the customer to furnish information for pen testing to begin.

[alert-note]:arrow: Must Read – What is Regression Testing and How to Do it?[/alert-

note]

Summary – Penetration Testing Or Pen Testing

Being a tester, it is your responsibility to produce error-free software artifacts. Hence,
you must know about all the cornerstone concepts in software testing like Penetration testing.

Hopefully, with this tutorial, you would be able to grow your knowledge of this subject.

However, if you have any question or query for us, then use the comment section.

Also if you liked this post, then do connect us on facebook/twitter.

Happy Learning,

TechBeamers

Your 2023 Guide to Web Application

Penetration Testing
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January 30, 2023

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Due to the growing number of cyber threats, companies are constantly looking for new ways
to protect their web apps. Penetration testing is one of those techniques, and it has already
become an essential part of any solid protection strategy.

The popularity of penetration testing, also known as Pen Test or Pen Testing, is constantly
growing. According to Markets and Markets, the pen testing market is expected to increase
from $1.7 billion in 2020 to $4.5 billion by 2025. That’s why in this article, we suggest
discovering what penetration testing for a web application is, why it is important, and what
protective value it adds.

Table of Contents

 What Is Penetration Testing?

 Why Is Penetration Testing Important?
 Types of Penetration Testing for Web Applications

o Method 1: Internal Pen Testing

o Method 2: External Pen Testing

 Web Application Penetration Testing Methodology
 How is Penetration Testing for Web Apps Done?

o Step 1: Active and Passive Reconnaissance

oStep 2: Attacks or Execution Phase

oStep 3: Reporting And Recommendations
 Web Application Penetration Testing Tools

o John The Ripper

o SQLmap
o Wireshark
o Nessus
o Nmap
o Metasploit
o Aircrack-ng
o Burp Suite
 Penetration Testing Certifications

o Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) certification

o GIAC Exploit Researcher and Advanced Penetration Tester (GXPN)

o GIAC Penetration Tester (GPEN) certification
o Licensed Penetration Tester Master (LPT) Certification
o Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP)
 Automated vs. Manual Pentesting
 Summing Up
 FAQ

What Is Penetration Testing?

A Pen Test, as the name suggests, is a test that focuses solely on a web application and not on
a whole network or company. Penetration testing for web applications is carried out by
initiating simulated attacks, both internally and externally, to get access to sensitive data.
A pen test allows us to determine any security weakness of the entire web application and
across its components, including the source code, database, and back-end network). This
helps the developer prioritize the pinpointed web app vulnerabilities and threats as well as
come up with strategies to mitigate them.

Why Is Penetration Testing Important?

E-commerce, online banking, healthcare, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Content
Management Systems (CMS), billing, accounting, and payrolling software usually come in
the form of a web app. Since these web applications stores and transfer sensitive data, it is
crucial to keep these apps secure through the software development lifecycle, particularly
those that are publicly exposed to the World Wide Web.

Web penetration testing, in turn, is important for the next reasons:

 Identify unknown vulnerabilities

 Check the effectiveness of the existing web and mobile application security policies
 Test publicly exposed components, including firewalls, routers, and DNS
 Determine the most vulnerable route for an attack
 Look for loopholes that could lead to data theft

Let’s pen test your application

For 8 years of building web and mobile applications, we have learned how to make them
secure. Contact us to get a quote for penetration testing services from our cybersecurity
experts.

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Types of Penetration Testing for Web Applications
You can pen-test web applications in two ways: by simulating an inside or an outside attack.
Let’s look at how these different types of attacks are designed and carried out:

Method 1: Internal Pen Testing

As the name implies, the internal penetration testing of web applications is performed within
the organization via LAN (local area network), including testing web applications that are
hosted on the intranet.

This facilitates the identification of any vulnerabilities that may exist within the corporate
firewall. One of the greatest misconceptions is that attacks can only occur externally, so
sometimes, one can undervalue the importance of internal Pentesting.

Some of the internal attacks that can happen include:

 Malicious Employee Attacks by aggrieved employees, contractors, or other parties who have
resigned but still have access to the internal security policies and passwords;
 Social Engineering Attacks trick people into giving up information or performing certain
actions to gain control over sensitive information, such as usernames, passwords, or banking
credentials;
 Phishing Attacks are also a type of social engineering attack, but in this case, an attacker
sends an email with a malicious link that looks like an authentical one;
 Attacks using User Privileges typically occur when an attacker has gained access to a user’s
account, either by stealing or cracking their password.

The pentest is done by trying to access the environment without valid credentials and
determining the possible route of attacks.

Method 2: External Pen Testing

Unlike internal pen tests, external pen testing focuses on attacks initiated from outside the
organization to test web applications hosted on the Internet.

Testers, also called ethical hackers, do not have information about the internal system and the
security layers implemented by the organization. They were simply given the IP address of
the target system to simulate external attacks. No other information is given, and it is up to
the testers to search public web pages to get more information about the target host, infiltrate
it, and compromise it. External pen testing includes testing the organization’s firewalls,
servers, and IDS.

Web Application Penetration Testing Methodology

Penetration testing methodology implies four phases which are cyclic. The testers repeat
them until no vulnerabilities are found. Let’s discover them in brief.
  Recon. The first phase in testing is reconnaissance, which is the process of gathering
information about the target to be tested.
 Mapping. Once you have your targets’ names and IP addresses, you must map out their
network topology. Such application threat modeling involves understanding how different
networks are connected together and what kind of security controls they have in place.
 Discovery. After mapping out the target’s network, you need to discover any vulnerabilities
that could allow an attacker to gain access to sensitive data.
 Exploitation. This means creating exploits like SQL injections or buffer overflows and using
them to gain access to sensitive information within the system itself.

How is Penetration Testing for Web Apps Done?

Pen testing for web apps focuses on the environment and the setup process instead of the app
itself to do it. This involves gathering information about the target web app, mapping out the
network that hosts it, and investigating the possible points of injection or tampering attacks.

Here are the steps involved in web app penetration testing:

Step 1: Active and Passive Reconnaissance

The first step in web app pen testing is the reconnaissance or information-gathering phase.
This step provides the tester with information that can be used to identify and exploit
vulnerabilities in the web app.

Passive reconnaissance means collecting information available on the internet without

directly engaging with the target system. This is mostly done using Google, beginning with
subdomains, links, previous versions, etc.

Active reconnaissance, on the other hand, means directly probing the target system to get an
output. Here are some examples of methodologies used for active reconnaissance:

 Nmap Fingerprinting. You can use the Nmap network scanner to get information about the
web app’s scripting language, OS of the server, server software and version, open ports, and
services currently running.
  Shodan Network Scanner. This tool can help you get additional information that is publicly
available about the web app, including geolocation, server software used, port numbers
opened, and more.
 DNS Forward And Reverse Lookup. This method allows you to associate the recently
discovered subdomains with their respective IP addresses. You can also use Burp Suite to
automate this process.
 DNS Zone Transfer. You can do this by using the nslookup command to find out the DNS
servers being used. Another option would be to use DNS server identification websites, then
use the dig command to attempt the DNS zone transfer.
 Identify Related External Sites. This part of the information-gathering phase is important
because of the traffic that flows between the external websites and the target website. Using
the Burp Suite covers this step quite easily.
 Analyze HEAD and OPTION Requests. The responses generated from HEAD and OPTIONS
HTTP requests show the web server software and its version, plus other more valuable data.
You can use Burp Suite’s intercept on feature when visiting the target website to get this
information.
 Data From Error Pages. Error pages provide more information than you’d expect. By
modifying the URL of your target website and forcing a 404 Not Found error, you’ll be able to
know the server and the version the website is running on.
 Checking the Source Code. Examining the source code helps you find helpful information
you can use to pinpoint some vulnerabilities. It helps you determine the environment the
app is running on and other relevant information.
 Documenting All Data. After getting all this information, it is important to organize and
document your findings, which you can use later on as a baseline for further study or for
finding vulnerabilities to exploit.

Step 2: Attacks or Execution Phase

The next step is the actual exploitation step. In this phase, you implement the attacks based
on the information you have gathered during the reconnaissance stage.

There are several tools you can use for the attacks, and this is where data gathering plays an
important role. The information you collect will help you narrow down the tools that you
need based on the research you’ve done so far.

Step 3: Reporting And Recommendations

After the data collection and exploitation processes, the next step is to write the web
application pen testing report. At this point, a cybersecurity developer creates a concise
structure for your report and makes sure that all findings are supported by data. Aside from
writing down the successful exploits, the developers have to categorize them by criticality to
deal with the more serious exploits first.

Web Application Penetration Testing Tools

Web application penetration testing tools are a vital part of any organization’s security
strategy. These tools simulate attacks on a web application in order to identify vulnerabilities
and assess the effectiveness of the application’s defenses. Let’s look at the top penetration
tools used for web applications in the industry today:
John The Ripper

John the Ripper is a popular tool for penetration testing. It can be used to perform dictionary
attacks on passwords, as well as brute-force attacks. It works by taking a text file containing
usernames and passwords and then launching an attack on each one. It then tells you if the
password was found or not and how many times it tried to crack it.

SQLmap

SQLmap is a tool for penetration testing that helps you execute SQL injection attacks. It’s a
command line-based tool that automates the process of detecting and exploiting SQL
injection flaws and was designed to be fast, efficient, and free. It can be used against any type
of SQL injection vulnerability, including blind and error-based injection.

Wireshark

Wireshark is one of the most popular network protocol analyzers right now, facilitating deep
inspection of protocols, as well as live-traffic capture and offline analysis of a captured file.
The data can be exported using XML, PostScript, CSV, or plain text format for
documentation and further analysis.

Nessus

This vulnerability scanner helps testers identify vulnerabilities, configuration problems, and
even the presence of malware on web applications. This tool, however, is not designed for
executing exploitations but offers great help when doing reconnaissance.

Nmap

Nmap or Network Mapper is more than a scanning and reconnaissance tool. It is used for
both network discovery and security auditing purposes. Aside from providing basic
information on the target website, it also includes a scripting module that can be used for
vulnerability and backdoor detection and execution of exploitations.
Metasploit

Metasploit stands out among other penetration testing tools for web applications. The reason
is that this is actually a framework and not a specific application. You can use it to create
custom tools for particular tasks. You can use Metasploit to:

 Select and configure the exploit to be targeted

 Select and configure the payload to be used
 Select and configure the encoding schema
 Execute the exploit

Aircrack-ng

Aircrack-ng is a wireless LAN tool that can be used to recover WEP/WPA/WPA2 keys. It’s
one of the most popular wireless hacking tools, and it has been around since 2002. It’s used
by penetration testers to test the security of wireless networks and find weaknesses, but it also
comes with a few other use cases, including:

 Identifying networks that are not properly secured

 Cracking open Wi-Fi hotspots with weak passwords or no encryption at all
 Decrypting traffic on encrypted Wi-Fi networks

Burp Suite

We’ve mentioned Burp Suite a couple of times earlier, and this is because this tool is an all-
in-one platform for testing the security of web applications. It has several tools that can be
used for every phase of the testing process, including Intercepting proxy, Application-aware
spider, Advanced web application scanner, Intruder tool, Repeater tool, and Sequencer tool.

Penetration Testing Certifications

Although the concept of penetration testing seems simple at first glance, building a career in
this field requires specific certifications. Let’s review them in brief.

Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) certification

CEH is a vendor-neutral, professional certification demonstrating a candidate’s ability to

analyze and test computer networks for security weaknesses. The CEH credential requires
candidates to pass an exam that tests their knowledge of network security, scanning, and
testing. The certification also requires candidates to demonstrate their ability to use hacking
tools in an ethical manner.

GIAC Exploit Researcher and Advanced Penetration Tester (GXPN)

GIAC Exploit Researcher and Advanced Penetration Tester (GXPN) is an advanced

certification that focuses on the core skill set of a penetration tester. The GXPN certification
validates the tester’s ability to perform advanced penetration tests, research exploits, and
develop custom exploits.
GIAC Penetration Tester (GPEN) certification

The GIAC Penetration Tester (GPEN) certification is a globally recognized credential that
proves a tester has the skills to perform advanced penetration testing. The GPEN certification
tests your ability to analyze and interpret data; perform vulnerability analysis; identify risks
associated with vulnerabilities; create test plans and execute them; implement security
measures to protect against attacks; and use common tools and techniques.

Licensed Penetration Tester Master (LPT) Certification

The Licensed Penetration Tester Master (LPT) Certification is a rigorous, two-year program
that will teach you everything you need to know about penetration testing. This certification
is designed to give a tester the skills and knowledge necessary to perform an in-depth
analysis of networks and systems, as well as develop strategies for protecting valuable data
and assets.

Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP)

Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP) is a professional certification in the field of

penetration testing. It was created by Offensive Security and offers a comprehensive course
for security professionals to prepare for the OSCP certification exam. The OSCP certification
is aimed at penetration testers who are looking to gain the skills needed to perform advanced
penetration tests and operate in high-risk environments.

Automated vs. Manual Pentesting

Automated and manual pen testing are two different approaches to conducting a penetration
test.

Automated pen testing involves using specialized software tools to scan a system for
vulnerabilities and perform attacks. This approach is fast and efficient, and it can cover a
large number of vulnerabilities in a short amount of time. However, it can also produce false
positives (i.e., reporting vulnerabilities that do not actually exist) and may not be able to
identify all vulnerabilities, especially those that require a human touch to discover.

Manual pen testing, on the other hand, involves a skilled security professional manually
testing a system for vulnerabilities and exploiting them. This approach is slower and requires
more human effort, but it can be more thorough and accurate. Manual pen testing can
uncover vulnerabilities that automated tools might miss, and it allows the tester to think
creatively and adapt to unexpected situations.

While both approaches have pros and cons, they can be used together successfully to create a
more thorough test. In fact, some companies find that combining the two approaches gives
them the best possible results by bringing together the strengths of each method.

Read our guides on how to hire a cybersecurity developer and site reliability engineer.

Summing Up
Web applications are convenient, cost-effective, and value-adding. However, most systems
are publicly exposed to the Internet, and the data can become easily available to those who
are willing to do a bit of research. What’s more, even the most advanced web applications are
prone to vulnerabilities, in both design and configuration, that hackers might find and exploit.
Because of this, web application security should be a priority, especially if they handle
sensitive information.

Relevant has helped more than 200 companies with setting up teams of remote developers
and site reliability engineers with industry-specific expertise and a product-oriented mindset.
Our cybersecurity developers would also be glad to help you run a web application
penetration test and get an insightful look into the possible vulnerabilities.

Contact us now to get a quote for penetration testing for your web app.

How can security testing fit within agile

development?
The quick delivery of quality, working software is one of the key principles of agile
development and this ethos is clearly outlined throughout the agile manifesto:

1 – Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of
valuable software.
3 – Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with
a preference to the shorter timescale.
7 – Working software is the primary measure of progress.

Security isn’t specifically mentioned within the agile manifesto and historically, not many
clients asked questions about it. This meant security was low down the priority list,
if prioritised at all, and it’s easy to see a situation where an application met all the customer
requirements but also contained major security vulnerabilities.

When security was considered, it was most likely positioned towards the end of the
development process and penetration testing utilised to provide final security assurances
before the software got signed off by the client or before it went live. This end of
development security assurance testing still happens today, and the approach certainly has its place (as you
will see). Any testing is better than none, but when testing is used in isolation, at the end of development, it
can have potential problems.

Any vulnerabilities found at this stage will need to be fixed before release and depending on
the severity of the findings, it could easily result in increased development time (and
therefore costs) and could potentially push back any agreed completion dates. It’s certainly
not a great situation for either party and it completely ruins the ethos of agile development,
but it’s a situation we’ve seen happen time and time again.

Security is now rightly starting to move up the priority list and testing throughout the
development process is considered highly beneficial, after all, the earlier you can implement
security practices in the development lifecycle, the greater the return on investment typically
is.
But how do you effectively test during fast paced development? You could make it the job of
your development team, but they aren’t likely to have the specific security knowledge to provide the
assurances needed, and they are already busy trying to deliver quality software. What about conducting
penetration testing throughout development lifecycle? Well, there are several issues with this.

Firstly, there’s the issue of cost. Penetration testing isn’t cheap, so to utilise it during
development would require some serious budget, a budget many simply do not have.
Secondly, there’s the issue of scope. Agile development is all about fast incremental
development, these increments can be small in scope and therefore would not warrant a full-
scale test. Finally, there’s the issue of time. A full penetration test takes time to conduct, and
then additional time to deliver the full report. As agile development is all about speed, this is
time you just don’t have.

Agile development testing therefore needs a very different approach to work effectively.

1. Consider security from the outset & understand the key

risks
Security needs to be considered at the very start of the development process and the security
risks associated will be completely different for every project undertaken. Some development
projects may need frequent testing during development due to the highly sensitive nature of
software, or the data it holds. Others may only need one or two security testing checkpoints
during the development process.

By considering the security risks at the start, and by engaging with your testing provider
early, you get an understanding of the types of testing needed, how often testing will be
required and at what stage these security checks need to be put in place. These can then be
scheduled in by the scrum master, product owners and development leads to fit perfectly
within the development timetable.

2. Use a mix of automated scanning and manual checks

Vulnerability scanning, automated source code analysis and manual testing each have
their pros and cons, but why not combine the them to get the best coverage? Ok, you’ll need
to get the balance right, and that balance will depend very much on the project being
delivered, but if you do, you’ll be maximising your security return on investment.

But how do you get the balance right? Well, step 1 should have highlighted the key areas of
development that need testing based on the risks associated. For areas with a lower risk,
vulnerability scanning may be good enough on its own. But for those high-risk areas, you
may want to run a vulnerability scan then manually validate the remediation efforts to ensure
they are as robust as possible.

3. Immediate reporting of issues and support for dev

teams
The speed of reporting vulnerabilities needs to match that of development and instead of
receiving a lengthy report, development project leaders will want security testing providers to
report vulnerabilities quickly via tickets, or even via development Slack channels.

This pace is essential and depending on the severity of the finding, fixes can be immediately
put into the workflow or stored in the backlog for future attention.

Finding and reporting the issue quickly is only half the battle. Now a developer needs to fix
the issue. But what happens if they are unsure of the correct steps to take or are unsure
whether the fix is truly effective? That’s where you need the full support of your security testing
provider. Providers need to be working in close collaboration with your team, helping to support them with
any issues they may have following the report of a vulnerability.

4. Providing final security assurance

Ongoing security testing during development will help uncover vulnerabilities in targeted
areas as you go, but it’s always advisable to conduct a final, full test of any software before
release. Due to the ongoing testing, this penetration testing can usually be conducted in a
quicker timeframe than if no testing had been undertaken. This is because testing can be
mainly focused on the areas which have not been tested previously, whilst still ensuring that
overall security of the software is robust.

This stage also provides you with the evidence you need to satisfy any customer security
assurance requirements/questions.

5. Turn security into a USP of your development

approach
Clients looking for software development services are becoming increasingly aware of
security issues, security is quickly moving up the priority list and more and more security
assurances are being sought before clients even consider starting any development work, this
is especially true since the introduction GDPR.

By developing a robust approach to security during the agile development process, and by
working with a testing company experienced in agile testing; you instantly stand out from the
crowd. Demonstrating your commitment to secure products and dealing with any client
security questions head on.

Penetration Testing on Cloud Environment

– Important Things to Consider
By Pradeep Parthiban July 2, 2020 6 Mins Read

407

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Technically, a penetration test on the cloud computing environment does not differ that much
from any other penetration test, even an on-premise equivalent.

You may have moved data to the cloud. But that doesn’t mean your responsibilities for
securing it are gone.

In a hybrid cloud environment, where some data is stored locally while some lives in the
cloud, security must be assessed wherever information resides.

Penetration testing probes for weaknesses that could compromise security, perhaps leading
to a data breach.

When your organization stores sensitive information on behalf of customers, like medical or
financial records, you are not just responsible for protecting their data; you also must ensure
that all of your outsourcing venues are following proper protocol.

Topics Covered [hide]

 How is a typical pen test carried out?

 What happens in the aftermath of a pen test?
 Challenges of Cloud Pentesting
 Pen-testing on cloud environment – The Execution
o 1) Understand the policies of the cloud provider
o 2) Create a pen-testing plan
o 3) Select your pen-testing tools
 In Summation

How is a typical pen test carried out?

Pen tests start with a phase of reconnaissance, during which an ethical hacker spends time
gathering data and information that they will use to plan their simulated attack.

After that, the focus becomes gaining and maintaining access to the target system, which
requires a broad set of tools.

Tools for attack include software designed to produce brute-force attacks or SQL injections.

There is also hardware specifically designed for pen testing, such as small inconspicuous
boxes that can be plugged into a computer on the network to provide the hacker with remote
access to that network.

In addition, an ethical hacker may use social engineering techniques to find vulnerabilities.

For example, sending phishing emails to company employees, or even disguising themselves
as delivery people to gain physical access to the building.

The hacker wraps up the test by covering their tracks; this means removing any embedded
hardware and doing everything else they can to avoid detection and leave the target system
exactly how they found it.
What happens in the aftermath of a pen test?
After completing a pen test, the ethical hacker will share their findings with the target
company’s security team.

This information can then be used to implement security upgrades to plug up any
vulnerabilities discovered during the test.

These upgrades can include rate limiting, new WAF rules, and DDoS mitigation, as well as
tighter form validations and sanitization.

Breach of Security or not

Our Security Testing Services are a must

Read More

Challenges of Cloud Pentesting

In the past, testing of cloud-based applications and infrastructure was somewhat restricted
because of legal and geographical complications.

Security enthusiasts and professional penetration testers were not permitted to perform
intrusive security scans or penetration tests on cloud-based applications and environments
without the explicit permissions of Cloud Service Providers like Microsoft Azure and
AliCloud.

But the growing number of cyber attacks targeting the cloud in recent years is paving the way
for mainstream cloud computing penetration testing.

The recent CapitalOne data breach showed that a misconfigured access control (IAM)
configuration on AWS was enough for a malicious attacker to obtain adequate credentials to
illegally access Amazon S3 buckets and retrieve the information stored within.

Organizations are now open to QA outsourcing to conduct penetration tests on their cloud
environments under controlled circumstances.

But before going deep into what a cloud environment pentest entails, it pays for users to
understand that security of the cloud is a shared responsibility.

Cloud service providers like Amazon Web Services (AWS) inherently build security in their
infrastructure.
Cloud firewalls such as Security Groups are configured by default to disallow all traffic
unless otherwise specified by the user.

It is this user flexibility that is ballooning the risk of human error in the cloud.

If end users accidentally switch a configuration like removing a Security Group whitelist to a
VPN or internal IP, they open up their cloud infrastructure and applications to a larger attack
surface.

Pen-testing on cloud environment – The Execution

1) Understand the policies of the cloud provider

Putting private clouds aside, for now, public clouds have policies related to pen-testing.

In many cases, you must notify the provider that you’re carrying out a test, and it puts
restrictions on what you can actually do during the pen-testing process.

So, if you have an application that runs on a public cloud and would like to pen test it, you’ll
need to do some research first regarding the process your cloud provider recommends.

Not following that process could lead to trouble. For instance, your pen test will look a lot
like a DDoS attack, and it may shut down your account.

All cloud providers proactively monitor their infrastructure for anomalies. In some cases,
humans may give you a call to find out what’s up.

In most cases, cloud service providers have automated procedures in place that shut down the
system without warning when it perceives a DDoS attack.

You could come into the office the next day and find that your cloud-delivered storage
systems, databases, and applications are offline, and you’ll have some explaining to do to get
them back up and running.

Is Your Application Secure? We’re here to help. Talk to our

experts Now

Inquire Now

The long and short of this is that there are rules of the road when it comes to public clouds.

You have to understand the legal requirements of the pen testing, as well as policies and
procedures, or else you’ll quickly find yourself off the cloud system.
2) Create a pen-testing plan

Those who plan to do a cloud application pen test first need to create a pen-testing plan.

The test plan should be agreed to by the pen-testing team, and each part of the plan should be
followed. Any exceptions that occur are really part of the results, such as an application
admin seeing the pen test occurring and killing access for the pen-testing team.

3) Select your pen-testing tools

There are many pen-testing tools on the market. While pen testing cloud-based applications
with on-premises tools is a popular approach, there are now cloud-based pen-testing tools that
may be more cost-effective.

Moreover, they don’t require huge hardware footprints. It’s a cloud pen testing a cloud.
What’s important about the tool is that it can simulate an actual attack.

In Summation
Pen testing is not an option these days. It’s the only way to prove that your cloud-based
applications and data are secure enough to allow the maximum amount of user access with
the minimum amount of risk.

Penetration Testing: What Is It and How

Do You Do It (In Cybersecurity) for
companies/organizations

Peris.ai - Cybersecurity

Peris.ai - Cybersecurity
We are no longer securing computers: we are securing society. You build, we guard.
Published Feb 27, 2023

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As technology continues to evolve, so make the cybersecurity threats. For companies and
organizations, ensuring the safety and security of their data and systems is crucial to their
success. Penetration testing is essential to any organization's cybersecurity strategy, allowing
them to identify and address vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them.

Penetration testing, or "pen testing," involves simulating a cyber attack on an organization's

systems and networks to identify weaknesses and vulnerabilities. By conducting this test,
organizations can gain valuable insights into their security posture and make informed
decisions about improving it. This article will explore penetration testing, how it works, and
why organizations must include it in their cybersecurity measures. We will also discuss the
different types of penetration testing and the benefits of conducting regular testing to ensure
the security of your organization's data and systems.

Overview of penetration testing

Penetration testing is a process that aims to identify and exploit vulnerabilities in an

organization's systems, networks, and applications. The testing process can be performed
manually or through automated tools, and security experts typically conduct it with
specialized knowledge and training in cybersecurity. The process can involve various
techniques, including reconnaissance, scanning, and exploitation. It is designed to simulate a
real-world attack scenario to identify potential weaknesses in an organization's security
posture. Once the testing is complete, a comprehensive report outlines the vulnerabilities
discovered and provides recommendations for remediation. Overall, penetration testing is a
critical cybersecurity practice that helps organizations proactively identify and mitigate
potential security risks before malicious actors can exploit them.

Why Penetration Testing is Essential for

Companies/Organizations?
Penetration testing is a critical component of cybersecurity for companies and organizations.
By conducting regular penetration testing, organizations can identify vulnerabilities in their
security measures before attackers can exploit them. This proactive approach to security
enables organizations to take corrective actions to strengthen their security posture and
protect their valuable data and assets. Additionally, penetration testing helps organizations
maintain compliance with industry and regulatory standards. Failure to comply with these
standards can result in significant financial and legal consequences, making it essential to
conduct regular penetration testing. In summary, penetration testing is critical to any
company or organization that values its security, compliance, and reputation. It helps identify
vulnerabilities, strengthen security measures, and protect sensitive data and assets.

Protecting company data and assets

Protecting company data and assets is one of the main reasons why penetration testing is
essential for companies and organizations. With the increasing sophistication of cyber
attacks, organizations face a higher risk of cyber threats that can compromise their data and
assets. By conducting regular penetration testing, organizations can identify vulnerabilities in
their systems, networks, and applications and take corrective measures to strengthen their
security posture. Penetration testing helps organizations stay one step ahead of attackers by
identifying potential weaknesses before they can be exploited. Additionally, penetration
testing enables organizations to simulate real-world attack scenarios, providing insights into
the effectiveness of their security controls and enabling them to make informed decisions
about future investments in cybersecurity.
Maintaining regulatory compliance

Maintaining regulatory compliance is another critical reason penetration testing is essential

for companies and organizations. Industry and regulatory standards require organizations to
implement appropriate security controls and conduct regular security assessments to protect
sensitive data. Failure to comply with these standards can result in significant financial and
legal consequences, including fines, legal action, and damage to an organization's reputation.
Penetration testing helps organizations maintain compliance with these standards by
identifying vulnerabilities and weaknesses in their security controls and enabling them to take
corrective actions before they are subject to regulatory scrutiny. By conducting regular
penetration testing, organizations can demonstrate their commitment to security and
compliance, build customer trust, and avoid potential legal and financial consequences.

Identifying vulnerabilities before attackers do

One of the critical reasons why penetration testing is essential for companies and
organizations is to identify vulnerabilities before attackers do. The increasing sophistication
of cyber-attacks means that organizations face a higher risk of data breaches, theft of
sensitive information, and other forms of cybercrime. Regular penetration testing enables
organizations to identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses in their security measures before
attackers can exploit them. This proactive approach to security is critical in today's threat
landscape, where attackers are constantly developing new and more sophisticated methods to
bypass security controls.

By identifying vulnerabilities before attackers do, organizations can take corrective actions to
address these weaknesses, strengthen their security posture, and minimize the risk of a
successful cyber attack. Penetration testing also provides valuable insights into the
effectiveness of an organization's security controls, enabling them to make informed
decisions about future investments in cybersecurity. In summary, identifying vulnerabilities
before attackers do is a critical reason why penetration testing is essential for companies and
organizations. It enables organizations to stay one step ahead of attackers, protect sensitive
data and assets, and maintain their reputation and customer trust.

Strengthening security posture

Strengthening security posture is another critical reason why penetration testing is essential
for companies and organizations. Penetration testing comprehensively evaluates an
organization's security measures, including its policies, procedures, and technologies. By
identifying weaknesses in these areas, organizations can take corrective actions to strengthen
their security posture and minimize the risk of cyber attacks. Penetration testing also provides
valuable insights into the effectiveness of an organization's security controls, enabling them
to make informed decisions about future investments in cybersecurity.

Strengthening security posture through penetration testing is critical in today's evolving threat
landscape, where attackers constantly develop new, more sophisticated methods to bypass
security controls. A strong security posture minimizes the risk of a successful cyber attack
and enables organizations to respond effectively to security incidents when they do occur. By
conducting regular penetration testing and taking corrective actions to strengthen their
security posture, organizations can demonstrate their commitment to security and build trust
with customers and stakeholders. In summary, maintaining a security posture through
penetration testing is a critical reason companies and organizations must prioritize this
practice as part of their cybersecurity strategy.

What is Penetration Testing?

Penetration testing is a proactive and comprehensive approach to identifying and evaluating
security vulnerabilities in a company or organization's digital infrastructure. It involves
simulating attacks to find exploitable weaknesses before malicious actors exploit them. This
chapter defines penetration testing and how it differs from other cybersecurity services.
Additionally, it covers the different types of penetration testing, including those focused on
applications and content management systems. The phases of penetration testing and the
methodologies and tools used are also discussed, providing a comprehensive understanding
of the process.

Definition of penetration testing

Penetration testing is a security testing process that involves simulating a cyber attack on an
organization's systems, applications, or network infrastructure. Penetration testing aims to
identify and exploit vulnerabilities that real-world attackers could leverage. The process is
typically performed by a team of skilled cybersecurity professionals who use manual and
automated techniques to identify vulnerabilities, assess the organization's security posture,
and provide recommendations for improving its security controls. Penetration testing is an
essential component of any effective cybersecurity program, providing organizations with a
comprehensive understanding of their risk profile and helping to prioritize and allocate
resources for remediation. By regularly conducting penetration testing, organizations can
proactively identify and address security weaknesses before malicious actors exploit them.

Comparison of penetration testing with other services in cybersecurity

There are several services in the cybersecurity industry, and while they all serve to protect
organizations from cyber attacks, they differ in their approach and focus. Penetration testing,
bug bounty programs, and Security Operations Centers (SOCs) are some of the most
commonly used services in the industry.

Penetration testing involves simulating a real-world attack on an organization's systems and

infrastructure to identify vulnerabilities that attackers can exploit. The primary focus of
penetration testing is to find weaknesses in an organization's security posture before attackers
do. On the other hand, Bug bounty programs are incentive-based programs that invite ethical
hackers to find vulnerabilities in an organization's systems and reward them for their
findings. These programs are typically open to the public and can effectively identify
vulnerabilities in an organization's systems.

SOCs are dedicated teams responsible for monitoring and defending an organization's
systems against cyber threats. They use technology and human expertise to identify and
respond to threats in real-time. The focus of SOC is to continuously monitor the
organization's systems and detect threats as quickly as possible to prevent or minimize the
impact of cyber attacks.
While each service has unique approaches and benefits, penetration testing is often
considered the most comprehensive approach to identifying and addressing vulnerabilities in
an organization's security posture. Penetration testing provides a detailed and in-depth
assessment of an organization's systems and infrastructure, whereas bug bounty programs and
SOC may miss critical vulnerabilities.

Types of penetration testing

Penetration testing is a critical component of any cybersecurity program, and organizations

can use several types of penetration testing to identify vulnerabilities in their systems. White
box, black box, and grey box penetration testing provide different access levels and
information to the tester, which can help uncover other vulnerabilities. Internal and external
penetration testing simulates attacks from different perspectives, and both are important for
identifying vulnerabilities in the organization's network. Finally, manual and automated
penetration testing approaches provide other advantages and disadvantages, with manual
testing being more thorough and accurate but also slower and more labor-intensive. In
contrast, automated testing can be faster and more efficient but may not identify all
vulnerabilities. Choosing the correct type of penetration testing for an organization depends
on various factors, including the organization's goals, budget, and risk tolerance. It should be
done in consultation with experienced cybersecurity professionals.

White/ Black/ Gray box penetration testing

There are three primary types of penetration testing: white-box, black-box, and grey-box
testing. Each type of testing has its strengths and weaknesses, and the choice of testing
methodology will depend on the organization's specific needs.

White-box testing

White-box testing, or clear-box testing, is a penetration testing approach where the tester can
access the system's internal workings. This type of testing is usually performed by the
development team or system administrators with detailed knowledge of the system
architecture, programming code, and other system components. White-box testing gives the
tester a comprehensive view of the system and allows them to evaluate its security from a
technical perspective. This approach helps test complex systems where vulnerabilities may be
hidden in the system architecture or source code. White-box testing can also help identify
design and implementation flaws that may be missed in other testing methods.

Black-box testing

Black-box testing, also known as external testing, is a type of penetration testing where the
tester has no prior knowledge about the system under test. This approach simulates the real-
world scenario of an attacker without inside information about the target system. To identify
potential attack vectors, the tester starts by performing reconnaissance activities such as
information gathering and vulnerability scanning. Once the vulnerabilities are discovered, the
tester exploits them to gain unauthorized access to the system. Black-box testing can help
organizations identify vulnerabilities that may be missed during other types of testing, such as
white-box testing. However, it can also be time-consuming and not provide a complete
picture of the system's security posture.
Gray-box testing

Gray-box testing is a combination of both white-box and black-box testing methodologies. In

gray-box testing, the tester has limited knowledge of the system's internal workings but has
some understanding of its overall architecture and functionality. This testing type can be
beneficial when the tester can access some system documentation or other information but
not the complete source code. Gray-box testing can balance the in-depth analysis of white-
box testing and the realistic assessment of black-box testing. This approach can help identify
vulnerabilities that may not be apparent in black-box testing while allowing the tester to focus
on the system's most vulnerable areas.

Internal and External penetration testing

Penetration testing can be divided into two main types: internal and external testing. Both
internal and external testing are essential components of a comprehensive penetration testing
program, and each has unique benefits and challenges.

Internal testing

Internal testing is a type of penetration testing that simulates an attack from within the
network or system being tested. Internal testing aims to identify vulnerabilities and
weaknesses that an insider with legitimate access to the system could exploit. A tester
typically conducts this testing with access to the internal network or design. It can help
identify weak passwords, unpatched software, and misconfigured systems. Internal testing is
essential for organizations to identify and mitigate risks posed by internal threats, including
malicious insiders and accidental errors by employees. It helps organizations to strengthen
their security posture and protect sensitive data from unauthorized access or disclosure.

External testing

External penetration testing involves testing the security of an organization's assets from an
external perspective, simulating an attack from a malicious actor on the internet. External
testing aims to identify and exploit vulnerabilities in the organization's perimeter defenses,
such as firewalls, web application firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and other security
technologies that protect the network from external threats. The external test is performed
remotely, using tools and techniques that attackers might use, and tries to gain access to the
organization's network or applications without any prior knowledge of the system. The aim is
to determine whether an attacker can access the organization's strategies and sensitive data
and to provide recommendations for improving the security posture of the organization's
perimeter defenses.

Manual and automated penetration testing

Manual and automated penetration testing are two different approaches used to test the
security of a system or network. Manual and automated testing has advantages and
limitations, and the choice between them depends on the specific needs and objectives of the
penetration testing project. A combination of both approaches can be used to achieve the best
results.

Manual testing
In penetration testing, a human tester manually searches for vulnerabilities in a system by
attempting to exploit them. This method is proper when no automated tools are available for
the specific procedure or the tester wants to understand the vulnerabilities more deeply.
Manual testing allows testers to use their creativity and experience to identify vulnerabilities
that automated tools may miss. However, manual testing is time-consuming, and there is a
risk of human error. Additionally, manual testing can be expensive as it requires skilled
personnel to carry out the testing. Manual testing is essential to penetration testing but should
be combined with automated testing for maximum efficiency and accuracy.

Automated testing

Automated testing is a type of penetration testing that relies on software tools to identify and
exploit vulnerabilities automatically. This approach to testing is often used to complement
manual testing, as it can help identify a broader range of vulnerabilities and save time and
effort. Automated tools typically perform tasks such as scanning networks, identifying open
ports and services, and launching attacks to exploit known vulnerabilities. However, it's
important to note that automated tools are not foolproof and can miss specific vulnerabilities
that may only be identified through manual testing. As such, manual and automated testing is
often recommended for a more comprehensive and effective penetration testing strategy.

Apps and CMSs can be penetration testing

Application-based penetration testing and CMS penetration testing are essential aspects of
penetration testing. Application-based penetration testing involves identifying and evaluating
vulnerabilities in a specific application. This type of testing can be done through either black-
box, white-box, or gray-box testing methods. On the other hand, CMS penetration testing is
specifically focused on identifying and assessing the security of content management systems
such as WordPress or Drupal. This type of testing evaluates the security of the CMS
installation, plugins, themes, and application code. Both application-based and CMS
penetration testing are crucial for ensuring the security of the application and the CMS
system itself and can help to identify and address vulnerabilities before malicious actors can
exploit them.

Application-based penetration testing

Application-based penetration testing is a type of testing that is focused on applications,

including web applications, mobile applications, and other types of software. This testing
method is designed to identify vulnerabilities within the application, such as cross-site
scripting (XSS), SQL injection, and other potential issues that attackers could exploit. The
goal of application-based penetration testing is to identify these vulnerabilities and provide
recommendations on how to remediate them to improve the application's overall security
posture. The process typically involves manual testing and automated scanning tools and may
be performed internally and externally.

Web application penetration testing

Web application penetration testing is a crucial process in ensuring the security of web
applications. It involves comprehensively examining web applications to identify
vulnerabilities and potential security breaches. During this process, various techniques are
used to simulate attacks, identify weaknesses, and report them to developers for remediation.
Web application penetration testing is necessary because web applications are often the
primary entry points for cyber attackers. This type of testing can identify potential security
gaps that hackers could exploit, including injection flaws, cross-site scripting, and broken
authentication and session management. Once vulnerabilities are identified, developers can
take appropriate steps to mitigate them and improve the application's security.

Mobile penetration testing

Mobile penetration testing is a crucial aspect of application-based penetration testing. With

the rapid development of mobile applications, the need to ensure their security has become
increasingly important. Mobile penetration testing involves identifying security
vulnerabilities and potential threats in applications running on different platforms, such as
Android and iOS. The process involves analyzing the application and the underlying mobile
device's security to detect vulnerabilities and prevent unauthorized access. Common types of
mobile application vulnerabilities include weak authentication, insecure data storage, and
code injection. Penetration testing is vital for businesses that develop and use mobile
applications to protect their data and ensure the security of their customers' information.

Cloud penetration testing

Cloud penetration testing is application-based testing that assesses the security of cloud-based
services and infrastructure. With the increasing adoption of cloud computing, it has become
essential for organizations to ensure the security of their cloud-based assets. Cloud
penetration testing involves assessing the security posture of cloud-based systems, such as
virtual machines, applications, and data storage services. The testing process includes
identifying vulnerabilities and potential risks that attackers could exploit. Common areas
assessed during cloud penetration testing include access controls, data security, encryption,
and network security. Organizations can ensure their cloud-based systems and services are
secure and protected against cyber threats by performing cloud penetration testing.

Network penetration testing

While application-based penetration testing primarily focuses on identifying vulnerabilities in

web applications, network penetration testing takes a broader approach and assesses the
security of an organization's network infrastructure. It involves testing various network
components such as routers, firewalls, switches, and other network devices to identify
vulnerabilities that attackers could exploit to gain unauthorized access. Network penetration
testing can be performed internally and externally. The goal is to identify security weaknesses
in the network architecture and provide recommendations for improving the organization's
overall network security posture. The tests are conducted to simulate real-world cyberattacks
and identify the effectiveness of network security measures.

API penetration testing

API (Application Programming Interface) penetration testing is a specialized type that

focuses on identifying vulnerabilities and potential attacks in the API layer of an application.
APIs facilitate communication between different software components and systems and play
a critical role in the functionality of many modern applications. However, they can also
introduce security risks if not adequately secured. API penetration testing involves assessing
the security of APIs by testing their authentication mechanisms, authorization controls, input
validation, and output encoding, among other factors. This type of testing can help
organizations identify potential vulnerabilities and take steps to secure their APIs, reducing
the risk of security breaches and other attacks.

Smart Contract penetration testing

Smart Contract penetration testing is an application-based penetration testing that focuses on

identifying vulnerabilities in smart contracts. Smart contracts are self-executing digital
contracts that are based on blockchain technology. Since they involve the exchange of
valuable assets, such as cryptocurrencies, it is critical to ensure their security. Smart Contract
penetration testing involves thoroughly analyzing the smart contract's code to identify
vulnerabilities attackers could exploit. The process involves using specialized tools and
techniques to simulate attacks and identify weaknesses in the smart contract's logic or code.
This type of testing is essential for any organization that relies on smart contracts to ensure
that they are secure and protect their assets.

CMS penetration testing

CMS penetration testing is critical for identifying security vulnerabilities in content

management systems. Popular CMSs like Drupal, Joomla, WordPress, Magento, and Share
are all susceptible to attacks if not adequately secured. Penetration testing for these platforms
helps uncover vulnerabilities like cross-site scripting, SQL injection, insecure file uploads,
etc. Drupal penetration testing can help discover configuration issues, while Joomla
penetration testing can identify vulnerabilities like information leakage and file inclusions.
WordPress penetration testing can help detect flawed custom code, insecure plugins, and
themes, and Magento penetration testing can detect issues like insecure file permissions and
lack of encryption. Share penetration testing can help identify flaws in its REST APIs and
weak permissions. By conducting CMS penetration testing, organizations can ensure that
their content management systems are secure and minimize the risk of potential cyber-
attacks.

Drupal penetration testing

Drupal is a popular open-source content management system for developing various web
applications. Drupal websites and applications are also susceptible to security vulnerabilities,
so penetration testing is crucial to identify and address weaknesses. During Drupal
penetration testing, a tester would comprehensively evaluate the website's security posture to
detect and exploit vulnerabilities, including outdated software, weak passwords, cross-site
scripting, and other issues. The testing would be carried out using both manual and automated
techniques to provide a thorough analysis of the Drupal site's security. Once the testing is
complete, the tester will provide a detailed report of the vulnerabilities found and
recommendations for remediation.

Joomla penetration testing

Joomla is a popular content management system (CMS) used by many websites, and as with
any other CMS, it is vulnerable to security threats. Joomla penetration testing involves testing
the system for vulnerabilities, weaknesses, and configuration errors that attackers can exploit.
The process of Joomla penetration testing includes identifying the website's attack surface,
scanning for vulnerabilities, testing for known and unknown vulnerabilities, exploiting
vulnerabilities to determine the potential impact, and finally, providing recommendations for
mitigation. Some common vulnerabilities in Joomla include cross-site scripting (XSS), SQL
injection, file inclusion, and directory traversal. By performing Joomla penetration testing,
website owners can identify and remediate security weaknesses before attackers exploit them.

WordPress penetration testing

WordPress is a popular content management system (CMS) that powers millions of websites.
Due to its widespread usage, it has become a prime target for cyber attacks. Penetration
testing for WordPress involves assessing the website's security posture by simulating attacks
that real-world threat actors could carry out. The testing focuses on identifying vulnerabilities
in the WordPress installation, plugins, and themes used on the website. The testing
methodology typically includes reconnaissance, vulnerability scanning, manual testing, and
exploitation. Common vulnerabilities found in WordPress websites include weak passwords,
outdated software versions, and vulnerable plugins. Organizations need to conduct regular
WordPress penetration testing to ensure the security of their websites and protect against
potential cyber-attacks.

Magento penetration testing

Magento is an open-source eCommerce platform that powers many online stores. Due to the
sensitive customer and financial data it handles, it is crucial to ensure its security. Magento
penetration testing is a way to identify potential security vulnerabilities that attackers can
exploit. It involves testing the website's vulnerabilities, such as SQL injection, cross-site
scripting, and other web application security issues. Some critical areas of Magento
penetration testing include testing the authentication and authorization mechanisms, code
quality, server and application configuration, network architecture, and sensitive data storage.
The main objective of Magento penetration testing is to identify security vulnerabilities and
provide recommendations to fix them to secure the eCommerce platform.

Share penetration testing

SharePoint is a widely used content management system (CMS) that helps organizations
manage their documents, data, and information. Due to its popularity, SharePoint can also
become a potential cyber attack target. Penetration testing can help identify vulnerabilities in
SharePoint deployments and assist in hardening security configurations. Penetration testing
for SharePoint typically involves identifying misconfigurations, insecure access controls, and
vulnerabilities in custom-developed SharePoint components. Standard testing techniques
include a web application, authentication, authorization, and data exposure testing. It is
crucial to conduct regular penetration testing of SharePoint deployments to ensure the
security and integrity of sensitive organizational data.

Phases of penetration testing

Penetration testing typically consists of several distinct phases. These phases are crucial in
ensuring the penetration test is thorough and accurately assesses the target system's security
posture.

Planning and reconnaissance

Planning and reconnaissance are the first phases of the penetration testing process. In this
phase, the tester defines the scope of the test, identifies the target system or network, and
gathers information about the system's architecture and infrastructure. This information
gathering may include identifying potential entry points for an attacker, such as open ports or
services, and gathering information about the target system's configuration, operating system,
and applications. The tester may also research the target organization's security policies and
procedures to ensure compliance with relevant regulations and standards. The planning and
reconnaissance phase is critical to the success of the penetration test, as it lays the
groundwork for the subsequent steps and ensures that the test is conducted in a controlled and
efficient manner. It also helps identify potential risks and vulnerabilities that could threaten
the target system or network.

Scanning and enumeration

Scanning and enumeration is the second phase of the penetration testing process. In this
phase, the tester performs scans of the target system or network to identify open ports,
services, and vulnerabilities. This may involve using automated tools or manual techniques to
identify potential vulnerabilities in the system. The tester may also enumerate, identify, and
map the system's resources and services. This phase can be time-consuming, but it is critical
to the success of the penetration test, as it helps to identify potential entry points for attackers
and vulnerabilities that can be exploited to gain access to the system. The information
gathered in this phase is used to develop a plan of attack for the subsequent phases of the
penetration test.

Gaining access

Gaining access is the third phase of the penetration testing process. In this phase, the tester
exploits the vulnerabilities identified in the previous phases to gain access to the target
system or network. This may involve using various tools and techniques, including password
cracking, social engineering, or exploiting software vulnerabilities. This phase aims to gain
access to the system and escalate privileges to gain further access to sensitive data or
resources. The tester must ensure that they do not cause any damage to the system while
attempting to gain access, and they must maintain a low profile to avoid detection. Once
access is gained, the tester moves to the next phase of the penetration test.

Maintaining access

Maintaining access is the fourth phase of the penetration testing process. In this phase, the
tester attempts to maintain access to the target system or network by escalating privileges or
installing backdoors to ensure continued access. This phase aims to identify how long an
attacker could maintain access to the system or network without being detected. The tester
may attempt to access and exfiltrate sensitive data or resources, and they must ensure that
they do not trigger any alarms or alerts that could lead to their detection. This phase can be
particularly challenging, as the tester must remain undetected while attempting to maintain
access to the system. Once the tester has achieved their objectives, they move on to the final
phase of the penetration test.

Covering tracks
Covering tracks is the fifth and final phase of the penetration testing process. In this phase,
the tester attempts to cover their tracks to avoid detection by deleting logs or other evidence
of the penetration test. The objective of this phase is to leave the target system or network in
the same state as before the penetration test. The tester must ensure that they do not leave any
traces of their activities, as this could lead to their detection and compromise the integrity of
the penetration test. This phase is critical to the success of the penetration test, as it ensures
that the target organization is not left vulnerable to future attacks. The tester must also
provide a detailed report of their findings and recommendations to the target organization,
which can be used to improve the organization's security posture.

Methodologies used in penetration testing

Penetration testing methodologies are a set of guidelines and procedures that are used to
conduct comprehensive and structured penetration tests. These methodologies provide a step-
by-step approach to identifying vulnerabilities and security weaknesses in systems and
applications. The methodologies typically include various phases such as planning,
reconnaissance, scanning, enumeration, gaining access, maintaining access, and covering
tracks. Additionally, methodologies provide guidelines on documenting and reporting the
penetration test findings, which can help organizations improve their security posture. The
most widely used penetration testing methodologies include the Open Web Application
Security Project (OWASP) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
These methodologies provide a structured approach to penetration testing and help
organizations identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses in their systems. By following these
methodologies, organizations can ensure that their systems are tested comprehensively and
structured, which can help identify potential vulnerabilities and improve their overall security
posture.

Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP)

The Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) is a non-profit organization dedicated
to improving software security. The OWASP provides a range of resources for developers,
security professionals, and organizations to improve the security of their software, including
the OWASP Top Ten, a list of the most critical web application security risks. The OWASP
also provides a comprehensive testing guide for web applications, which includes a
methodology for conducting penetration tests on web applications. The OWASP testing guide
provides a structured approach to testing web applications, which includes the planning,
preparation, testing, analysis, and reporting phases. The OWASP testing guide includes
various tools and techniques for testing web applications, including manual and automated
testing approaches.

Organizations and security professionals widely use the OWASP methodology to conduct
web application penetration tests. The methodology provides a comprehensive approach to
testing web applications and ensures that all critical areas of the application are tested. The
OWASP methodology includes several key steps, including identifying the target application,
identifying the attack surface, identifying vulnerabilities, exploiting vulnerabilities, and
reporting findings. The methodology also includes various tools and techniques for testing
web applications, including automated scanning tools, manual testing approaches, and
custom testing scripts. By following the OWASP methodology, organizations can ensure that
their web applications are secure and protected from cyber-attacks.
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is a non-regulatory agency of the
United States Department of Commerce. The NIST provides standards and guidelines for
various fields, including cybersecurity. The NIST has published Special Publication 800-115,
which guides the planning and conducting of penetration testing. This publication provides a
methodology that includes the planning, discovery, attack, and reporting phases. The
methodology provides a structured approach to penetration testing and helps organizations
identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses in their systems. The NIST methodology also
emphasizes the importance of documenting and reporting the findings, which can help
organizations improve their security posture.

Organizations and security professionals widely use the NIST methodology for conducting
penetration testing. The methodology emphasizes the importance of collaboration between
the organization and the testing team to ensure that the testing is aligned with the
organization's objectives. The NIST methodology also emphasizes the importance of
understanding the system architecture and attack surface, which can help identify potential
vulnerabilities. By following the NIST methodology, organizations can ensure that their
systems are tested in a comprehensive and structured manner, which can help identify
potential vulnerabilities and improve their overall security posture.

Tools used for penetration testing

Penetration testing is a crucial part of cybersecurity, requiring specialized tools to perform the
tests effectively. Using these tools and others, penetration testers can simulate various attack
scenarios and identify potential vulnerabilities that must be addressed.

Metasploit

Metasploit is one of the most popular and widely used penetration testing tools. It is a
framework that offers a range of features for conducting penetration testing and can be used
for manual and automated testing. Metasploit provides an extensive collection of exploits and
payloads, making it easier for testers to simulate real-world attacks. It also offers a powerful
scripting language and a web interface, which makes it easy to use even for those who need
to become more familiar with command-line interfaces. With Metasploit, testers can identify
vulnerabilities, exploit them, and gain access to systems, all while maintaining control and
monitoring the entire process.

Nmap

Nmap is a network exploration and security auditing tool that is widely used in the field of
penetration testing. It can be used to identify hosts and services on a network, as well as map
out the network topology. Nmap can also detect open ports and vulnerabilities, making it an
essential tool in the initial reconnaissance phase of a penetration testing engagement. Nmap's
scripting engine allows for the development of custom scripts that can automate various
tasks, such as brute-force password cracking, service version detection, and vulnerability
scanning. Overall, Nmap is a powerful and versatile tool that every penetration tester should
be familiar with.

Burp Suite
Burp Suite is a popular penetration testing tool that detects and exploits web application
vulnerabilities. It is a comprehensive platform with various tools such as a proxy, scanner,
and intruder. It can test for vulnerabilities, including cross-site scripting (XSS), SQL
injection, and session fixation attacks. Burp Suite allows testers to analyze web application
traffic, identify vulnerabilities, and manipulate parameters to test how the application
responds. It also has a feature for automating tasks to speed up testing. Overall, Burp Suite is
a versatile and powerful tool that is widely used in the field of penetration testing.

OWASP ZAP

OWASP ZAP (Zed Attack Proxy) is a widely used open-source security testing tool to find
security vulnerabilities in web applications. It can detect vulnerabilities like SQL injection,
cross-site scripting (XSS), and buffer overflows. OWASP ZAP offers a user-friendly
interface that makes it easy to use, even for those with limited experience in penetration
testing. The tool can automate testing and generate reports, making it a valuable asset for
developers and security professionals. OWASP ZAP is highly customizable, and users can
extend its functionality with add-ons and scripts. Overall, OWASP ZAP is a powerful tool
regularly updated to keep up with the latest security threats and vulnerabilities.

SQLmap

SQLmap is a powerful tool designed for automated SQL injection and database takeover. It is
open source and can be used to detect and exploit SQL injection vulnerabilities in web
applications. SQL injection is a technique used to exploit a vulnerability in a web
application's input validation, which allows an attacker to execute arbitrary SQL code and
gain access to the database. SQLmap automates detecting SQL injection vulnerabilities,
dumping the database contents, and taking control of the database server. It supports many
database management systems, such as MySQL, Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, and
PostgreSQL. Penetration testers and security researchers frequently use SQLmap to identify
and exploit SQL injection vulnerabilities and verify web application security.

Wireshark

Wireshark is a widely used network protocol analyzer tool for penetration testing to analyze
network traffic. It allows testers to capture and view the data packets transmitted over the
network and provides detailed information about the source and destination of the packets, as
well as the packets' contents. This information can be used to identify network vulnerabilities
and determine whether there is any unauthorized access to sensitive data. Wireshark can also
analyze traffic patterns and monitor network performance, making it a valuable tool for
network administrators and security professionals.

Steps to Perform Penetration Testing

Penetration testing is critical in identifying a system's vulnerabilities and weaknesses. The
entire process requires a thorough understanding of the system and its potential
vulnerabilities and the use of appropriate tools and techniques to ensure the accuracy and
effectiveness of the testing process.
Preparation phase

The preparation phase is the first step in the penetration testing process. It involves defining
the scope of the test, obtaining authorization and legal agreements, and gathering information
about the system. The test scope should be clearly defined to ensure the penetration testers
understand the systems in-scope and out-of-scope. Obtaining authorization and legal
agreements ensures that penetration testing activities do not violate laws or regulations.
Gathering information about the system is essential to help identify potential vulnerabilities
and determine the best approach to testing. This information can be obtained through publicly
available sources, such as company websites or social engineering tactics. The preparation
phase lays the foundation for a successful penetration test and ensures that the testing
activities are controlled and ethical.

Define the scope of the best

In the preparation phase of a penetration testing engagement, one of the critical steps is to
define the scope of the test. This involves identifying the systems, applications, and network
segments that will be tested and determining the specific objectives of the test. The scope
should be clearly defined to ensure that the test is focused and that all relevant areas are
covered. It is essential to consider legal or regulatory requirements when defining the scope
and any potential impact on the organization's operations. This helps to ensure that the test is
practical and conducted safely and in a controlled manner.

Obtain authorization and legal agreements

Obtaining authorization and legal agreements is a crucial step in the preparation phase of
penetration testing. The penetration tester must obtain written permission from the client or
organization that owns the system to be tested. This permission should include clear
guidelines on what the tester can do and what is out of scope. It is essential to ensure that the
test does not disrupt or cause any damage to the system or network and that any potential
legal or regulatory issues are addressed before starting the testing process. The legal
agreements should outline the responsibilities and liabilities of both the tester and the client,
ensuring that the testing is carried out within a legally and ethically acceptable framework.

Gather information about the system

The first step in the penetration testing preparation phase is gathering information about the
tested system. This includes identifying the IP addresses, domain names, and network
architecture. It also determines the operating systems, software applications, and services
running on the target system. This information is critical in helping the penetration tester
identify potential vulnerabilities that could be exploited during testing. Information gathering
can be done through various techniques such as passive reconnaissance, active
reconnaissance, and social engineering. Once this information has been gathered, the
penetration tester can move on to the next step of the preparation phase, which is obtaining
authorization and legal agreements.

Active testing phase

During the Active Testing phase of penetration testing, the team will use various tools and
techniques to assess the target system's security actively. Each of these steps will provide
valuable insights into the system's security posture and help identify areas for improvement.
It is important to note that these tests should only be performed with proper authorization and
carefully planned and executed to minimize any potential impact on the target system.

Vulnerability scanning

Vulnerability scanning is a critical component of the active testing phase in penetration

testing. This process involves using automated tools to identify a system's potential security
flaws and weaknesses. These tools can scan the target system's network, applications, and
services to identify known vulnerabilities and security misconfigurations. Vulnerability
scanning is essential to identify potential attack vectors and prioritize the risks before the
exploitation phase. It can also help identify any unauthorized devices or services that may be
present on the network. It is crucial to select the right tool and configure it correctly to ensure
that all potential vulnerabilities are detected.

Exploitation

In the active penetration testing phase, exploitation refers to the attempt to gain unauthorized
access to a system by taking advantage of a vulnerability or weakness. This process involves
using different tools and techniques to exploit known vulnerabilities and misconfigurations in
the system or application being tested. The goal is to gain access to sensitive information or
elevate privileges to gain more control over the system. Exploitation requires much skill and
knowledge to execute correctly, which can cause significant damage if done incorrectly.
Therefore, penetration testers must be trained and experienced in the latest exploitation
techniques to ensure that they can identify and exploit vulnerabilities effectively and safely.

Post-exploitation

In the active penetration testing phase, post-exploitation is when the tester tries to maintain
access to the system after successfully penetrating it. The goal is to gain more privileged
access and escalate privileges to perform more attacks or extract sensitive information from
the target system. Post-exploitation techniques can include installing backdoors, modifying
system configurations, establishing remote access tunnels, creating new user accounts, or
installing keyloggers. The tester may use various tools and techniques to hide their tracks and
avoid detection by security systems. This phase is essential to determine the extent of the
damage an attacker can cause and how to prevent similar attacks from occurring in the future.

Password cracking

Password cracking is when penetration testers attempt to obtain valid user account credentials
by guessing or cracking passwords. This can be done through various methods, such as brute
force attacks, dictionary attacks, and rainbow table attacks. Password cracking aims to
determine weak or easily guessable passwords that attackers could exploit to gain
unauthorized access to the system. Penetration testers use tools like John the Ripper, Hashcat,
and Hydra to crack passwords. It is important to note that password cracking should only be
performed with proper authorization and only be used to access systems with proper consent.

Social engineering
Social engineering is a method of exploiting human psychology to gain access to sensitive
information or systems. This technique involves manipulating people into divulging
confidential information, such as usernames and passwords, or granting unauthorized access
to computer systems. Social engineering can take many forms, including phishing emails,
pretexting, baiting, and tailgating. As part of the active testing phase of penetration testing,
social engineering techniques are used to test the effectiveness of an organization's security
policies and to identify areas where employee training and awareness can be improved. By
simulating a social engineering attack, penetration testers can evaluate the ability of
employees to recognize and respond appropriately to potential threats and make
recommendations for strengthening the organization's security posture.

Reporting and follow-up phase

The reporting and follow-up phase is a crucial step in penetration testing. This phase involves
documenting the findings, presenting the report to management, and following up on the
remediation of vulnerabilities. The report should include details on the scope of the test,
methodologies used, vulnerabilities discovered, and recommended remediation strategies.
The report should also include a risk rating for each vulnerability based on its impact and
likelihood of exploitation. Once the report is presented to management, it is crucial to follow
up on the remediation of vulnerabilities and retest to ensure that the identified vulnerabilities
have been adequately addressed. This phase helps ensure that the identified vulnerabilities are
appropriately remediated, reducing the risk of future attacks on the system.

Document findings

After conducting the active testing phase, it is essential that you document the findings
clearly and thoroughly. This includes details on vulnerabilities discovered, the methods used
to exploit them, and any sensitive data accessed. It is also essential to document any
mitigations or workarounds identified during the testing. This document records the
penetration testing process and its results, providing helpful information for future
remediation efforts. It should also include recommendations for improving the system's
security posture, prioritizing the most critical issues based on the risk they pose to the
organization.

Present the report to management

Presenting the report to management is a crucial step in penetration testing. The report should
be clear and concise, highlighting all the vulnerabilities found during the testing phase. The
report should provide a detailed explanation of the impact and risk level of each vulnerability,
along with recommendations for remediation. It should also include technical details enabling
the IT team to reproduce and fix the vulnerabilities. A good report will enable management to
make informed decisions on improving the organization's security posture. It is essential to
ensure that the report is presented in a way that is easy to understand for all stakeholders,
including non-technical management team members.

Remediation and retesting

Remediation and retesting are critical steps in penetration testing as they ensure that the
identified vulnerabilities have been addressed and the system is secure. Once the penetration
testing report has been presented to the management, the organization should immediately
remediate the vulnerabilities. This could involve applying security patches, configuring
firewalls, or implementing other security measures to mitigate the identified risks. After the
remediation process, it is essential to conduct retesting to ensure that the vulnerabilities have
been successfully addressed and the security measures have been effective. This step helps to
identify any residual risks that were not remediated or any new vulnerabilities that may have
been introduced during the remediation process. The remediation and retesting phase is vital
to improve the organization's security posture and protect the system against future attacks.

Challenges in Penetration Testing

Penetration testing can be challenging for many organizations, and several common obstacles
can arise during the testing process. One major challenge is ethical and legal issues. It is
crucial to ensure that testing is performed within the confines of the law and does not violate
any ethical boundaries. Another challenge is the lack of skilled personnel, as penetration
testing requires high technical expertise and knowledge. The limited scope can also be
challenging, as it may be difficult to fully assess the security of all systems and assets within
an organization. Additionally, false positives and negatives can occur during testing, making
it challenging to identify vulnerabilities accurately. Finally, time and resource constraints can
be a significant challenge, as organizations may need more resources for testing and
remediation efforts.

Ethical and legal issues

Ethical and legal issues are some of the significant challenges that organizations face in
penetration testing. Penetration testing involves testing the vulnerabilities of a system by
simulating an attack, which could result in accessing sensitive data or causing damage to the
system. Therefore, obtaining proper authorization and legal agreements is essential to ensure
the testing does not violate any laws or regulations. Additionally, ethical issues can arise
when testing ethical hackers need to be made aware of the boundaries between ethical and
unethical behavior. As a result, it is crucial to establish clear ethical guidelines and codes of
conduct for penetration testing to ensure that the testing is conducted ethically and legally.

Lack of skilled personnel

One of the main challenges of penetration testing is the lack of skilled personnel. Penetration
testing requires a specific skill set, including knowledge of operating systems, programming
languages, and networking protocols. Finding qualified professionals with experience in this
field can be difficult, and the demand for such individuals continues to rise. As technology
evolves, the skills required for effective penetration testing must also keep pace, leading to a
skills gap that further exacerbates the problem. As a result, organizations may need to invest
in training or outsourcing to ensure that their systems are adequately tested for vulnerabilities.

Limited Scope

One of the significant challenges in penetration testing is the limited scope. The scope of a
penetration test determines the assets and systems that will be tested, which may not cover all
possible vulnerabilities. In many cases, the scope of the test is determined by budget, time
constraints, or other limitations. This means that some vulnerabilities may be missed, leading
to security breaches. To overcome this challenge, it is crucial to thoroughly understand the
systems and assets that need to be tested and to conduct the test to maximize the coverage of
vulnerabilities. It may also be necessary to conduct multiple tests over time to identify and
address all possible vulnerabilities.

False positives and false negatives

False positives and false negatives are common issues in penetration testing. False positives
occur when a vulnerability is identified that does not exist, while false negatives occur when
a vulnerability exists but is not detected by the testing process. These issues can be caused by
various factors, including the complexity of the tested system, the testing tools' limitations,
and the testing personnel's skill level. False positives can waste time and resources, while
false negatives can leave security gaps that attackers may exploit. Testers must be aware of
and minimize these issues, such as using multiple testing tools and approaches and
thoroughly validating any identified vulnerabilities.

Time and resources constraints

One of the significant challenges in penetration testing is the limited time and resources
available for conducting a thorough assessment. Penetration testing can be time-consuming
and requires specialized skills, tools, and equipment. Companies often need more budgets
and timeframes for conducting these assessments, which can result in incomplete testing or
rushed evaluations. Additionally, false positives and negatives can be significant issues in
penetration testing. False positives can lead to unnecessary remediation efforts, while false
negatives can leave vulnerabilities unaddressed. To overcome these challenges, it's essential
for companies to allocate sufficient time and resources for penetration testing and to work
with experienced and skilled professionals in the field.

Choosing the Right Penetration Testing Provider

Choosing the right penetration testing provider is crucial to the success of a penetration
testing project. Factors to consider when selecting a provider include their experience and
expertise, the types of testing services they offer, their certifications and accreditations, and
their reputation in the industry. It is also important to ask potential providers about their
methodology, reporting process, and experience with similar projects. Red flags to watch out
for include providers who promise unrealistic results or must provide a clear and detailed
scope of work. Ultimately, choosing a provider who can provide the necessary expertise,
resources, and communication to effectively and efficiently conduct a penetration testing
project is essential.

Factors to consider when choosing a penetration testing provider

When choosing a penetration testing provider, several essential factors must be considered.
Firstly, you should ensure that the provider has a good reputation and a track record of
delivering high-quality services. It's also important to consider the provider's expertise and
experience in your specific industry and the technologies you use. Additionally, looking for a
provider that uses up-to-date testing methodologies and tools and has a clear understanding of
compliance and regulatory requirements would be best. Finally, you should consider the
provider's communication and reporting capabilities, as clear and concise reporting is crucial
for ensuring that any identified vulnerabilities are appropriately addressed.

Questions to ask potential providers

When choosing a penetration testing provider, you must ask various questions to ensure they
meet your needs. Questions might include the provider's experience, methodology,
certifications, and approach to remediation and follow-up. Additionally, ask about the
specific skills of the testing individuals and whether they have experience with your
particular industry or technology. It is also essential to ask about the provider's reporting
process, including the level of detail and clarity you can expect. By asking these questions,
you can better evaluate potential providers and make an informed decision.

Red flags to watch out for

When choosing a penetration testing provider, one must be aware of red flags indicating a
less-than-reputable or competent provider. One red flag to watch out for is a provider that
offers a one-size-fits-all approach to penetration testing rather than tailoring their approach to
the specific needs and risks of the organization. Another red flag is a provider that guarantees
a 100% success rate or offers unrealistic promises, as the nature of penetration testing means
that there is always a possibility that some vulnerabilities will be missed. Additionally,
providers that do not provide clear and transparent communication throughout the process or
cannot provide references or case studies may also raise concerns. It is essential to thoroughly
vet potential providers and ensure they have the experience, expertise, and reputation for
providing high-quality and effective penetration testing services.

Conclusion
In conclusion, penetration testing is vital in ensuring the security and integrity of companies'
and organizations' digital assets. It helps identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses in the
system, which attackers can exploit. Regular penetration testing is necessary to maintain a
strong security posture and prevent cyber attacks. As technology advances, the importance of
cybersecurity in today's digital landscape cannot be overstated. Companies and organizations
must remain vigilant in protecting their digital assets by implementing robust cybersecurity
measures and conducting regular penetration testing. Only then can they safeguard their
reputation, customers, and sensitive data.

Recap of the importance of penetration testing for companies/organizations

Penetration testing is critical for companies and organizations to identify vulnerabilities in

their systems and networks before cybercriminals exploit them. Penetration testing
comprehensively evaluates an organization's security posture, network infrastructure,
software, and people. The process helps organizations determine whether their security
measures are sufficient to protect against attacks, assess the effectiveness of their security
policies and procedures, and identify any weaknesses in their security posture. Penetration
testing is essential for organizations that handle sensitive data, such as financial institutions
and healthcare providers. It is also a valuable tool for any organization that wants to improve
cybersecurity.

Emphasize the need for regular penetration testing

penetration testing is crucial for companies and organizations to ensure the security and
safety of their networks, systems, and data. It helps them identify vulnerabilities, weaknesses,
and potential threats before attackers can exploit them. Regular penetration testing is
necessary to maintain a strong security posture as new vulnerabilities, and threats emerge. It
is important to remember that security is ongoing, and a one-time penetration test is
insufficient to protect against constantly evolving cyber threats. Therefore, companies and
organizations should prioritize regular and comprehensive penetration testing as a vital part
of their cybersecurity strategy.

Final thoughts on the significance of cybersecurity in today's digital landscape

In today's digital landscape, cybersecurity has become increasingly crucial for companies and
organizations of all sizes. The threat landscape constantly evolves, and cybercriminals are
becoming more sophisticated in their attacks. Businesses must adopt proactive measures,
such as regular penetration testing, to identify and address vulnerabilities before attackers can
exploit them. The consequences of a successful cyber attack can be severe, including
financial losses, reputation damage, and legal liabilities. Therefore, investing in cybersecurity
is necessary and a wise business decision. Companies that prioritize cybersecurity will have a
competitive advantage and gain the trust of their customers. Overall, the significance of
cybersecurity cannot be overstated, and it should be a top priority for all organizations in
today's digital age.

You can take the first step in protecting your business from cyber threats. Our cybersecurity
assessment and on-demand penetration testing platform can give you peace of mind knowing
your systems are secure. You can visit our website today to protect your company's future.
Don't wait for a cyber attack; be proactive and prioritize your cybersecurity now!

10 Cybersecurity Best Practices Every

Organization Should Implement

Peris.ai - Cybersecurity

Peris.ai - Cybersecurity
We are no longer securing computers: we are securing society. You build, we guard.
Published Jul 3, 2023

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Organizations across all sectors and sizes find themselves confronted with an escalating array
of cybersecurity threats. While technological advancements have revolutionized business
operations, they have also introduced new vulnerabilities and risks that can compromise
sensitive data and disrupt critical systems. Therefore, it is imperative for organizations to
proactively adopt robust cybersecurity practices to safeguard their assets, maintain
operational integrity, and protect their reputation. This article will explore ten indispensable
cybersecurity best practices that organizations should implement to fortify their defenses and
mitigate potential risks.

The pervasive nature of cyber threats demands a proactive approach to cybersecurity, as

reactive measures often need to be revised to counter the ever-evolving tactics employed by
malicious actors. Organizations must recognize that cybersecurity is not solely an IT
department's responsibility but a collective effort encompassing the entire workforce. By
prioritizing the implementation of these ten cybersecurity best practices, organizations can
establish a strong foundation for protecting their data, systems, and overall business
operations from an increasingly complex threat landscape.

This article will delve into key strategies organizations can employ to enhance their
cybersecurity posture. From developing robust security policies and educating employees
about potential risks to implementing multi-factor authentication and regularly updating
systems, each practice plays a crucial role in mitigating vulnerabilities and strengthening
resilience against cyber threats. By adopting these practices, organizations can bolster their
overall cybersecurity resilience, reduce the likelihood of successful attacks, and ensure the
integrity and confidentiality of their sensitive information.

1. Develop a Strong Security Policy

The foundation of any robust cybersecurity strategy begins with a comprehensive security
policy. This policy should outline guidelines and procedures for protecting sensitive data,
defining roles and responsibilities, and establishing clear protocols for incident response. It is
crucial to regularly review and update the policy to address emerging threats and changing
business needs.

2. Educate and Train Employees

One of the weakest links in an organization's cybersecurity defenses is often its employees.
Human error or lack of awareness can inadvertently expose the company to cyber threats.
Regular training and education sessions should be conducted to educate employees about the
latest cybersecurity threats, best practices, and how to recognize and report suspicious
activities.

3. Implement Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Passwords alone are no longer sufficient to protect sensitive information. Implementing

multi-factor authentication (MFA) adds an extra layer of security by requiring users to
provide additional credentials, such as a fingerprint, facial recognition, or a temporary code
sent to their mobile device. MFA significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized access, even
if a password is compromised.
4. Regularly Update and Patch Systems

Cybercriminals actively exploit vulnerabilities in software and operating systems.

Organizations must establish a robust patch management process to stay ahead of these
threats. Regularly updating and patching systems and software helps to address known
security vulnerabilities and protect against potential breaches.

5. Perform Regular Data Backups

Data loss can occur due to various reasons, including ransomware attacks, hardware failures,
or human error. Performing regular backups of critical data is crucial to ensure business
continuity. These backups should be securely stored on-site and off-site to prevent data loss
in case of an incident.

6. Employ Network Segmentation

Network segmentation involves dividing a network into smaller subnetworks, making it

harder for cybercriminals to move laterally within the network if they gain unauthorized
access. By implementing firewalls and access controls between different segments,
organizations can limit the impact of a potential breach and prevent unauthorized access to
sensitive systems and data.

7. Use Advanced Threat Detection and Monitoring

Traditional antivirus software is no longer enough to protect against sophisticated cyber

threats. Implementing advanced threat detection and monitoring solutions, such as Intrusion
Detection Systems (IDS) and Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems,
can help organizations identify and respond to potential threats in real time, enabling
proactive defense measures.

8. Conduct Regular Vulnerability Assessments

Regularly assessing the organization's infrastructure, systems, and applications for

vulnerabilities is essential to identify potential weaknesses before cybercriminals exploit
them. By conducting comprehensive vulnerability assessments, organizations can prioritize
remediation efforts and implement security controls to protect their digital assets effectively.

9. Enforce the Least Privilege Principle

Implementing the principle of least privilege ensures that users are only granted the necessary
permissions to perform their job functions. This minimizes the potential damage caused by
compromised user accounts or insider threats. By restricting access to critical systems and
data, organizations can limit the impact of a security breach and prevent unauthorized
activities.

10. Establish an Incident Response Plan

Despite the best preventive measures, security incidents can still occur. A well-defined
incident response plan helps organizations respond effectively, minimize damage, and restore
normal operations quickly. The plan should include clear procedures for reporting incidents,
isolating affected systems, investigating the cause, and communicating with relevant
stakeholders.

Conclusion

In an ever-evolving digital landscape, the importance of cybersecurity cannot be overstated.

Organizations must remain proactive and diligent in implementing cybersecurity best
practices to protect their valuable digital assets. By adopting the ten essential practices
outlined in this article, organizations can bolster their security posture and minimize the risk
of succumbing to cyber attacks.

It is crucial to emphasize that cybersecurity is not a one-time task but a continuous and
evolving process. Organizations should maintain constant vigilance, regularly update their
security measures, and stay informed about emerging threats and technologies. By fostering a
cybersecurity awareness culture and promoting ongoing employee training, organizations can
empower their workforce to be the first line of defense against potential threats.

To boost your organization's cybersecurity readiness, we invite you to visit our website for a
comprehensive solution tailored to your needs. Our experts can provide advanced
cybersecurity solutions, guidance on implementing best practices, and the latest insights into
emerging threats. Please remember that you can protect your data, systems, and reputation,
and our team is here to help you every step of the way.

Let's fortify digital defenses and build a resilient cybersecurity framework that safeguards
organizations from ever-present and evolving cyber threats. You can visit today and take the
necessary steps to protect your organization's valuable assets from malicious actors seeking
to exploit vulnerabilities in the digital realm.