Penetration testing, often abbreviated as pen testing, is a simulated cyber attack conducted on a system or network to identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses that could be exploited by malicious actors. It's essentially a proactive measure to assess the security posture of an organisation by mimicking the Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) of real-world attackers.
The primary goal of penetration testing is to identify and prioritise vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. This way, organisations can implement effective countermeasures to protect their assets when they have a better and deeper understanding of how attackers might compromise their systems.
A typical penetration test involves the following phases:
- Planning and Scoping: Defining the test objectives, identifying the target systems, and outlining the testing methodology.
- Information Gathering: Collecting information about the target organisation, its network infrastructure, and applications.
- Vulnerability Assessment: Identifying potential weaknesses in systems, applications, and networks through various scanning and testing tools.
- Exploitation: Attempting to exploit identified vulnerabilities to gain unauthorised access to systems or data.
- Reporting: Documenting the findings, including details of vulnerabilities, potential impacts, and recommendations for remediation.
Penetration testing can be conducted at different levels of knowledge, including:
- Black-box testing: The tester has no prior knowledge of the target system.
- Gray-box testing: The tester has limited information about the target system.
- White-box testing: The tester has complete knowledge of the target system.
The type of test chosen depends on the specific goals of the penetration test.
Organisations that conduct regular penetration tests are basically taking proactive measures to improve their overall security posture, which will ultimately reduce the risk of data breaches and protect their reputation.
Nevertheless, it's important to note that penetration testing should be conducted in accordance with ethical hacking principles and with the explicit permission of the organisation being tested.
