Penetration Testing: The Frontline Defense Against Modern Cyberattacks
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Cybercriminals continually test and exploit system vulnerabilities. Once found, a flaw in software, firmware, or hardware can allow an attacker to carry out a system breach, leading to malware infection, data breaches, and computer damage. High-risk vulnerabilities were found to exist on the networks of 84% of companies. By identifying system vulnerabilities, an organization can better prepare for a cyberattack. A Pen Test is used to locate system vulnerabilities to help prevent or mitigate cyberattacks.
What is Pen Testing?
A Pen Test or a Penetration Test uses systematic and controlled methods to test the security of a system, service, or application. The tests simulate various techniques and tactics used by real-world attackers to check the system's resilience. The Pen Test results can then be used to modify security measures and policies to help reduce the risk of a cyberattack.
Why is Pen Testing Important?
Organizations are dealing with increasing volumes of highly sophisticated threats. Some threats use AI to generate believable phishing emails to target executives and other privileged network users. The total amount of malware increases year-on-year. The latest recorded number of CVEs (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) is 40,000 - a 38% increase on the previous year. The expansion of company networks into public and private clouds, with the addition of mobile and internet-connected devices, has created a massive threat surface. Ensuring that corporate computing systems are secure is a challenging task.
The result is that cyberattacks are skyrocketing. Attacks focusing on system vulnerabilities have surged by 124%. Cybersecurity Ventures estimates the cost to organizations worldwide to be USD 10.5 trillion.
Pen testing provides intelligence on the security posture of an organization by testing the robustness of its IT stack. Penetration Testing identifies and prioritizes security vulnerabilities and generates a report that the organization can use as a baseline to create security policies and deploy appropriate security measures. The insight into a company's security posture helps to close security gaps and prevent cyberattacks.
What Does a Typical Pen Test Involve?
Pen Tests are generally carried out by third-party companies specializing in Penetration testing. There is a general set of steps involved in performing the Pen Test:
Engagement
Pen Testing involves a contractual agreement on the terms of the testing, how far the tests will go, timescales, and report delivery. Defining critical resources and what must be protected is a core remit of this stage.
Scoping Exercise (Reconnaissance / OSINT)
In the early stages of the Pen Test, the team will carry out reconnaissance, which usually involves locating open-source intelligence (OSINT). This will provide the necessary insights into the operating environment and potential areas of weakness and exploitable vulnerabilities. The type of information needed to move to the next stage of the test will depend on various factors, including the type of Pen Test required.
Testing and Vulnerability Identification
The intelligence gathered in the previous step is then used to develop models and tests to evaluate the system's security. The Pen Test team will use automated vulnerability scanners and manual methods to find potential vulnerabilities that can be exploited.
Exploitation
The mapped vulnerabilities are then targeted to test potential exploitation routes.
Reporting
The exploitation outcomes are used to create a report on the organization's security posture. The report will identify potential security gaps and vulnerabilities and recommend remediations.
Response and Follow-Up
The organization will review the report and recommendations with the Pen Test team. When the Pen Test is completed, the team will sanitize the environment to remove any traces of attacks.
A Penetration Test is not a one-off exercise. Introducing new systems and applications, new and emergent threats, and changes in business processes all warrant a re-test.
Types of Pen Test
There are various categories of Pen Tests, and the following are some of the most common:
External Pen Test
External threats from attackers outside an organization are essential to test the vulnerabilities of systems, processes, and networks. Pen Testers will act as external attackers and look for ways to breach the network's security.
Internal Pen Test
Internal Pen Tests check for insider threats, such as those from misuse of privileges by employees.
Closed-Box Pen Test
Some Pen tests are carried out blind; the Pen Tester knows nothing except the company's name. They then work outwards from this to find vulnerabilities using OSINT.
Open-Box Pen Test
Open-Box Pen Tests are those in which the Pen Test team has intelligence on the company target ahead of the security tests.
Double-Blind (Covert) Pen Test
The double-blind test is carried out covertly—no one in the company, including the security or IT team, knows that a Penetration Test is being carried out. This form of test is a good way to identify any issues with security incident response. However, this type of test may be seen as underhanded as it is based on a lack of transparency.
Social Engineering and Penetration Testing
Human-centered cyberattacks are commonplace and often the preferred method of initiating a cyberattack. Studies like the Data Breach Investigation Report continually show that the human factor is a core factor in successful data breaches. Human-centered cyberattacks focus on manipulating human behavior to carry out an action that benefits an attacker. For example, phishing emails often have a social engineering component to trick individuals into clicking a malicious link. Pen Testing humans, not just systems, is essential to modern Penetration testing.
A Penetration Test focusing on social engineering explores how vulnerable employees are to social engineering and phishing attacks. The outcome of the social engineering test is to identify weak areas in business processes and security awareness among employees. The Pen Test report will recommend measures to reduce the risk of social engineering vulnerabilities, such as security awareness training.
Pen Test Reporting
The Pen Test report is a valuable resource. The report generated from testing a system's security contains essential information, including vulnerable areas and technical risks. The report offers remediation recommendations that help the tested organization build a more robust security posture. Many reports will advise on appropriate tools and measures, and security awareness training.
Pen Test reports are essential for maintaining regulatory compliance with regulations such as HIPAA, ISO/IEC 27001, and PCI DSS.
Pen Tests may be required as part of a tender process, and reports are required to demonstrate attention to security.
Some Penetration Testing Methodologies
Several reference documents and advisories offer information on what a Pen Test should comprise and how the process should be carried out. The following are some of the industry standard advisories:
- MITRE ATT&CK: The MITRE ATT&CK framework documents the Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) used by attackers. This framework is used to develop attack models for use in Pen Testing.
- OWASP Web Security Testing Guide: OWASP is an industry body that maintains intelligence on vulnerabilities. The OWASP Web Security Testing Guide can be used to identify threats and develop testing models based on these threats.
- Penetration Testing Execution Standard (PTES): This online body of knowledge provides everything needed to develop a Pen Test process.
- Open-Source Security Testing Methodology Manual (OSSTMM): This document acts as a guide to the "operational security of physical locations, human interactions, and all forms of communications such as wireless, wired, analog, and digital".
- NIST Technical Guide to Information Security Testing and Assessment: Assistance in planning and performing Penetration and similar tests.
FAQs
Does Pen Testing help with compliance?
A Pen Test can demonstrate that an organization complies with the security requirements of standards and regulations. Some regulations, like HIPAA and PCI-DSS, have specific requirements that can be met by carrying out a PEN Test.
HIPAA 45 CFR § 164.308 - Administrative safeguards specify that a covered organization must "Conduct an accurate and thorough assessment of the potential risks and vulnerabilities to the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of electronic protected health information..".
How long does it take to carry out a Pen Test?
How long a Pen Test takes depends on the size and complexity of the organization, the scope of the work, and other factors such as the type of Pen Test. However, you should expect the tests to take several weeks to complete.
Is Pen Testing the same as vulnerability scanning?
A vulnerability scan is an automated test to identify a system's potential vulnerabilities. Whereas, a Pen Test is a manual process, carried out by a human(s) acting as internal and/or external hackers to detect and exploit weaknesses in your system. However, a Pen Test may also use an automated vulnerability scanner, together with manual inspection, as part of the process to build a comprehensive view of a system's security posture.