A penetration test is a technical assessment of a system’s security. It’s not good enough to have firewalls and intrusion detection systems – you need to know if the actual defenses are working. A successful penetration test can identify vulnerabilities before an attack, allowing you to fix them. Penetration testing should be part of your regular IT Security strategy and is an essential tool for risk management. A good penetration test will try to breach your defenses using the same tools and techniques that an attacker would use. The purpose is not to break into the system but to determine your security plan’s limitations.
While testing can be expensive and time-consuming, it is more reliable to assess security than vulnerability scanners, firewalls, or other protective measures because real hackers use absolute attack methods. Penetration tests are best done by ethical hackers – people who understand hacking and use their knowledge for legitimate purposes. If you employ testing regularly, you will know exactly how secure your business network is at any given moment.
A qualified ethical hacker will do several things to examine your network’s security. They will “attack” the network from multiple entry points and try to break in using different techniques. They will target all your company’s systems, including your web application, database, e-mail, firewalls, and everything else. Since the ethical hacker will be using absolute attack methods, it’s essential to understand that this isn’t a game. They might succeed in breaking into your system, even if they are not always successful. You need to remain clear-headed during the entire process, as some attacks can adversely affect systems or data, so you need an experienced, ethical hacker who knows what they are doing.
The first step in a penetration test is to research the company’s business goals, ask basic questions of IT staff, and formulate a complete security assessment plan. You must understand how the business works, what new services will be added, and how they will impact security. If there are any known weaknesses in the IT infrastructure, you need to ensure that they are adequately addressed before any new services are added. It’s also essential to understand current network security issues such as patching vulnerabilities, system hardening, and general information on what the company is doing to keep users safe from attack.
The actual penetration test can take several days. The first challenge is to gain access to the network. There are two basic methods of doing this: you can either hack your way in or try to get an employee to give you access. Hacking in requires using a host of hacking tools – everything from username/password guessing programs to viruses and port scanners. Because real hackers use these tricks, it’s best not to leave them out of your penetration testing exercise.
An ethical hacker will try to get access by using social engineering techniques such as impersonation and pretexting. Strictly what procedures should be used depends on company size, regulations, and the nature of your business.