Penetration Testing Services: How Does It Help A Computer System?

Penetration testing or pen test is an authorized or legally simulated attack performed on a unit or computer system for security evaluation. Penetration testers use the same techniques, processes, and tools as attackers to search and demonstrate the business impacts of a system’s weakness. Thus, penetration testing services Australia eliminates or prevents cyber attacks against a computer system to check for exploited vulnerabilities.

Benefits of penetration testing

Ideally, systems and software aimed and were designed to eliminate dangerous security flaws. Penetration testing provides insight into how well the aim was achieved. A pen test can help a company to do such work:

Find the system’s weakness

Determine the controls’ robustness

Support compliance with security regulations and data privacy

Offers quantitative and qualitative examples of the latest security posture and budget priorities for management

What pen testers can access?

It depends on the goals of pen testing, the testers can access varying degrees of info about the target system. Some pen testing team takes one approach at the beginning and sticks with it. The testing team will evolve the strategy as its awareness of the system is elevated during the pen testing. The three pen test levels access is:

1. Opaque box. The team has no idea about the target system’s internal structure. It will act as hackers searching for externally exploitable weaknesses.

2. Semi-opaque box. The team knows single or more sets of credentials, including the target’s parts, such as

Internal data structures

Code

Algorithms

The pen test might construct a test based on the detailed design such as the target system’s architectural diagrams.

1. Transparent box. The pen testers have access to the system artifacts and the system, including:

2. Source code

3. Binaries

4. Containers

Servers running the system

The approach provides the highest level of assurance in a short time.

Phases of penetration testing

Penetration testing services simulate attacks by motivated competitors. Penetration testing has plans and these come into phases, such as:

Reconnaissance. Collect information about the target as much as possible, from public to private sources, to inform the attack strategy. Sources may include:

Internet searches

Domain registration information retrieval

Social engineering

Nonintrusive network scanning

Dumpster diving

The information helps the penetration testing team map out the attack surface of the target and possible vulnerabilities. Reconnaissance varies with the objectives and scopes of the penetration test as it can be as simple as making a call to check on the functionality of the system.

Scanning. The penetration testing team uses tools to check the target system or website for weaknesses, including:

Open services

Application security issues

Open source vulnerabilities

Gaining access. The attacker’s motivations for the data include:

Stealing

Changing

Deleting

Moving funds

Damaging the company’s reputation

The penetration testing team will determine the best techniques and tools to gain access to the system.

Maintaining access. When the penetration testing team gains access to the target, the simulated attack stays connected to accomplish the goals of:

Exfiltrating data

Modifying

Abusing functionality

There are more services to get for pen testing that you can make use of.