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What is a pentest?
A penetration test, or pentest, is an essential tool for building effective cyber defences and checking the current level of security of your IT infrastructure. This article will be useful for executives, directors, business owners, and anyone involved in developing a new business model or launching a start-up.
In this article, we will take a closer look at the penetration test, and its goals and benefits for business. It takes only 10 minutes to read, but based on this information, you will be able to avoid many mistakes and protect your business from reputational and financial harm. This article is intended to persuade those who are still hesitant about conducting regular pentesting.
If one day a miracle happens and hacker attacks disappear, then pentesting will be useless. But until that day arrives, pentesting remains the most important tool for achieving reliable and truly verifiable cyber defences.
What is a pentest?
Penetration testing is a method of assessing the security of computer systems or networks by modelling and simulating attacks by an intruder.
Penetration testing has another designation, which is used much more often by cybersecurity specialists – the pentest or pentesting.
Penetration testing includes a set of measures aimed at simulating a real attack on a network, application or part of the IT infrastructure. The main purpose of the pentester is to check whether a potential attacker can hack the system.
During security testing, experts look for and analyse vulnerabilities that can affect the functioning of the system or give attackers access to confidential information. In addition, they act like a real attacker, using various methods to simulate attacks on systems.
The process includes a thorough analysis of the system to identify existing and potential problems that could lead to a successful attack. The analysis is carried out from the perspective of a potential attacker (hacker) and may include the active exploitation of any system vulnerabilities.
The result of the pentest is a report containing all the identified security issues, and, as a rule, the client is provided with practical recommendations for their elimination.
The purpose of pentesting is to assess the ability of information systems to withstand attacks and predict possible economic and reputational losses in the event they are successful. This makes pentesting an important tool for owners or managers of a project or business.
There are many different information systems in the world. Every year, thousands of new vulnerabilities and security issues are found in them. Only a penetration test gives you an understanding of how secure an information system is, which can be very important for your business.
Who carries out penetration testing?
Penetration testing is performed by specialists commonly referred to as pentesters, penetration testers, ethical hackers, white hackers, or white hats. In order to effectively simulate a powerful attack on information systems, it is necessary to have the appropriate skills, so pentesters must have the same knowledge as hackers.
Professional pentesters have international certificates, and it can take years to gain the necessary experience. However, the main feature of pentesters is their ability to think quickly and outside the box.
Who carries out penetration testing?
Penetration testing is performed by specialists commonly referred to as pentesters, penetration testers, ethical hackers, white hackers, or white hats. In order to effectively simulate a powerful attack on information systems, it is necessary to have the appropriate skills, so pentesters must have the same knowledge as hackers.
Professional pentesters have international certificates, and it can take years to gain the necessary experience. However, the main feature of pentesters is their ability to think quickly and outside the box.
What is the purpose of a pentest?
The foundation of cyber security in projects of any complexity and scale is knowledge. It is necessary to clearly define what is valuable and needs to be protected from intruders. Without an understanding of how to properly organise protection and where it needs to be strengthened, it is impossible to achieve the desired level of security.
Having built a modern security system, the next issue is to assess its effectiveness. This can only be answered in the wake of a real or simulated hacker attack. The best solution for projects of different scale and level of development is to conduct a penetration test.
A pentest is a carefully thought-out and comprehensive attack on a system, not by criminals, but by ethical hackers (pentesters). The main goal of the pentest is to identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses in the information infrastructure without financial or reputational risks. After such an attack, we have a clear idea of the necessary changes to the security system, their timing and budget.
The goals of a pentest include:
Identification of weaknesses and vulnerabilities in systems and networks.
Testing the speed of staff response during a cyberattack.
Understanding potential paths and methods of attack.
Providing recommendations to address identified issues and improve the overall level of cybersecurity.
Understanding how attackers can disrupt and compromise the system.
Understanding the strategic development of cyber defence.
Identification of outdated hardware and software.
Defining the necessary budget for effective cyber defence.
Identifying problems with the business logic of work.
Verifying IT infrastructure compliance with the requirements of external regulators.
Determining the effectiveness of protection against various hacker attacks.
Passing certifications in international audits.
The goals of a pentest include:
Which business areas need to conduct a pentest?
There is a perception that penetration testing is something that only large companies with a developed IT infrastructure need. But consider this common situation: there is a small online store that sells goods exclusively through its website. If hackers destroy this website, what losses will the business suffer? How long will it take to restore the website? How will management’s attitude to cybersecurity change after such a cyberattack?
These situations lead us to the obvious conclusion that regular pentesting is important for both large corporations and small businesses. The sooner this realisation becomes universal, the fewer opportunities hackers will have to achieve their criminal goals.
Business sectors that require penetration testing include:
banks and financial institutions
critical infrastructure enterprises
telecommunications companies
logistic centres
commercial and industrial companies
e-commerce
marketplaces
internet providers
start-ups
IGaming
Which business areas need to conduct a pentest?
There is a perception that penetration testing is something that only large companies with a developed IT infrastructure need. But consider this common situation: there is a small online store that sells goods exclusively through its website. If hackers destroy this website, what losses will the business suffer? How long will it take to restore the website? How will management’s attitude to cybersecurity change after such a cyberattack?
These situations lead us to the obvious conclusion that regular pentesting is important for both large corporations and small businesses. The sooner this realisation becomes universal, the fewer opportunities hackers will have to achieve their criminal goals.
Business sectors that require penetration testing include:
Types of pentests that you should also know about
There are different types of pentesters depending on the nature of the testing process itself. Let’s take a look at the main types of the classification.
Penetration tests are performed using three methods: Black Box, Grey Box, and White Box.
Black Box – Penetration testers have no prior knowledge of the IT infrastructure. They simply emulate a hacker attack.
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
Black Box – Penetration testers have no prior knowledge of the IT infrastructure. They simply emulate a hacker attack.
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
White Box – Specialists receive all relevant information about the IT infrastructure from the client.
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
White Box – Specialists receive all relevant information about the IT infrastructure from the client.
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
Experienced pentesters recommend both types of testing to obtain the most comprehensive information about system vulnerabilities. Our company’s outstanding specialists agree.
The best approach is to start with Black Box testing, followed by White Box testing. In order to find vulnerabilities, pentesters need to understand the IT infrastructure of the tested company as well as, and sometimes even better than, its owners.
Grey Box, as a rule, is used in software testing and combines the White Box and Black Box approaches. This method is sometimes called the translucent box method, because pentesters can see some, but not all, details.
Experienced pentesters recommend both types of testing to obtain the most comprehensive information about system vulnerabilities. Our company’s outstanding specialists agree.
The best approach is to start with Black Box testing, followed by White Box testing. In order to find vulnerabilities, pentesters need to understand the IT infrastructure of the tested company as well as, and sometimes even better than, its owners.
Grey Box, as a rule, is used in software testing and combines the White Box and Black Box approaches. This method is sometimes called the translucent box method, because pentesters can see some, but not all, details.
A pentest takes place in stages that vary depending on the goals specified by the client.
These stages can include:
Information collection: publicly available information about the target system, its services and infrastructure is studied.
Establishment of attack vectors to determine which methods can be used for an attack, taking into account system knowledge and the means available to the attackers, as well as create a model of the offender and relevant threats.
Attack implementation: attempts are made to exploit system vulnerabilities, including attempts to gain access, gain a foothold in the system, elevate privileges, etc.
Evidence collection and recording: all actions and vulnerabilities are registered concerning the success of an attack.
Results assessment: system resistance to the attacks is analysed.
Report preparation: a document outlining the identified vulnerabilities and recommendations for their elimination is prepared.
A decision to conduct further pentests is made after the deficiencies and vulnerabilities have been eliminated.
How often is penetration testing needed?
The frequency of pentesting depends on many factors, such as the type of entity, information system characteristics, changes in threats, and significant infrastructure changes. However, there are general guidelines to help determine the optimal frequency of testing for your project.
Perform testing whenever significant changes are made to the information system, such as when new technologies are introduced, software is updated, or business processes are changed.
As the threat landscape is constantly changing, make sure your system is secure after the conducted tests.
Comply with regulatory requirements and industry standards that set specific penetration testing periods.
Conduct pentesting after security incidents or vulnerabilities are discovered to ensure that issues are fixed and to prevent similar situations from happening again.
How often is penetration testing needed?
The frequency of pentesting depends on many factors, such as the type of entity, information system characteristics, changes in threats, and significant infrastructure changes. However, there are general guidelines to help determine the optimal frequency of testing for your project.
Perform testing whenever significant changes are made to the information system, such as when new technologies are introduced, software is updated, or business processes are changed.
As the threat landscape is constantly changing, make sure your system is secure after the conducted tests.
Comply with regulatory requirements and industry standards that set specific penetration testing periods.
Conduct pentesting after security incidents or vulnerabilities are discovered to ensure that issues are fixed and to prevent similar situations from happening again.
Penetration testing is an essential tool for assessing your level of information security. It helps identify vulnerabilities and risks in an entity’s infrastructure.
Please note that the sooner you decide to purchase penetration testing services, the better. We don’t know when a cyberattack on your business may occur; it may be happening right now. Don’t wait – commission penetration testing today.