Penetration Testing

Penetration tests are popularly described as simulating an attack against a specified IT area.

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Ensuring Resilience: The Essential Role of Penetration Testing in Security


Penetration tests are popularly described as simulating an attack against a specified IT area. The subject of a penetration test is always a certain isolated part of a company’s IT ecosystem, such as a web application, mobile application, desktop application, or network infrastructure.
The biggest weakness of penetration tests lies precisely in isolation. As a result of periodic execution of these tests, information can be that all security risks have been reduced to an acceptable level and the tested system  is resistant to attacks. 

So, the main reason why penetration tests are essential to an organisation's security is because they help personnel learn how to handle any type of hacker attack. Penetration tests allow you to determine whether your network environment is truly resilient. Through testing, we look for weaknesses in the system and potential targets of a hacker attack. This helps our clients protect their networks from external threats. 




 

Penetration testing phases

  • 1. PHASE  PRE-ENGAGEMENT

In the pre-penetration testing phase, the tester and the client define the scope of the penetration test, such as what systems will be tested, what methods the tester will be using, and what the other objectives and legal implications are. 

  • 2. PHASE  RECONNAISSANCE

The survey requires the tester to gather as much information as possible about the test subject, including information about personnel, technology and systems. 

  • 3. PHASE  THREATH MODELING

After gathering sufficient information about the client's system, the testers begin to model the real threats that the client will might face and then scan for relevant system vulnerabilities that would typically be targeted by these attacks.  

  • 4. PHASE  EXPLOITATION

In this phase, all identified vulnerabilities are exploited in accordance with the scope specified in the pre-engagement phas

Penetration testing phases

  • 5. PHASE  POST-EXPLOITATION

After the testing period or after all relevant systems have been exploited, all testing methods and vulnerabilities - including associated devices, ports or personnel - are logged.  

  • 6. PHASE  REPORTING

The tester creates a penetration testing report for the client that describes the methods used, vulnerabilities exploited, remediation measures, and other important information.  

  • 7. PHASE  RE-TESTING

After the client has had time to resolve the vulnerabilities listed in the initial report, the tester can go back and perform the same penetration tests on the client's system to verify that the vulnerabilities have been resolved. This phase is not as common, but may be requested by the client.   

Our approach and solutions

The goal is to verify whether an organisation's information system can be penetrated. The tester uses the means and methods most quickly leading to the goal.

  • Identifying the environment from the outer perimeter;
  • Designing risk mitigation measures;
  • Implementing environment tests; 
  • Designing the tests performed.

The output of the test is a final report that includes:

  • a test execution record containing details of the penetration methods and procedures tested;
  • a summary of the results obtained, including access data, information, etc.;
  • a list of vulnerabilities exploited to perform the penetration.


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Stategic approaches to penetration testing 

There are three main strategic approaches to penetration testing, each involving different steps and tools. The main differences in these approaches relate to the extent of the attacker's theoretical knowledge of the target system or network.

In a grey-box penetration test, the tester has a basic understanding of the target system, such as initial access credentials, a network infrastructure map or a logical application schema. Penetration tests of this type create a realistic attack scenario because malicious hackers usually do not attack without first gathering information about their target

In contrast, in a black-box penetration test, the tester has no prior knowledge of the target network or system. Because the tester does not have access to information such as internal code, software, credentials or sensitive data, black-box penetration tests force testers to think like a potential hacker when searching for vulnerabilities. However, unlike a true malicious hacker, a penetration tester in a closed environment has only a limited amount of time in which to access and test the system.

White-box penetration tests are less like a cyberattack and more like a complete scan of the system at the source code level. In an open-box penetration test, the tester has the highest possible level of access to the target system. The goal is to allow the tester to break through the system's security measures to find logic errors, misconfigurations, poorly written code and inadequate security measures. Although open-shell penetration tests are comprehensive, they can fail to identify vulnerabilities that an attacker would exploit.

Main contacts

Ivan Spiteri Director Technology BDO Malta

Ivan Spiteri

Director of Technology Advisory & Assurance
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