Cybersecurity is now a major problem for companies of all kinds. Penetration testing is one of the best methods for guaranteeing the security of a organisation’s digital assets. Pen testing also known as penetration testing simulates cyberattacks on a system to find security holes that hostile performers could use. Developing a strong security plan requires understanding the many forms of penetration testing.
In this blog, we’ll discuss the Types of Penetration Testing and their significance for protecting digital infrastructure. Incorporating Automation Testing alongside these methods can further streamline the process and enhance security measures.
Types of Penetration Testing
Below are some of the types of penetration testing.
Network Penetration Testing
Organisational penetration testing can also be referred to as network penetration testing this is one of the most frequent types of pen testing. The penetration process involves learning of weaknesses in an organisation network infrastructure which encompasses servers, routers, switches and other devices attached to a network. The objective is to identify the areas that might be vulnerable to attacks from other people or programs.
Key Aspects:
- Internal vs. External Testing: Internal testing simulates an attack from within the organisations network, and external testing imitates an assault outside the network boundary.
- Vulnerability Scanning: Autonomous instruments search the network for identified weaknesses, which are subsequently confirmed and tested by hand to evaluate their consequences.
- Configuration Review: To ensure that network devices are configured according to the best security standards, their configurations are reviewed.
Network penetration testing ensures the integrity and security of the network by assisting organisations in locating and fixing vulnerabilities that hackers might exploit.
Web Application Penetration Testing
The importance of online application penetration testing has increased with the growth of web based applications. The main goal of this kind of testing is to find vulnerabilities in web applications including websites, web services and APIs.
Key Aspects:
- OWASP Top Ten: Pen testers frequently consult this list of often-occurring online application vulnerabilities, which includes security misconfigurations, SQL injection, and cross site scripting [XSS].
- Authentication and Authorisation: To stop unwanted access, testing user authentication and authorisation systems for vulnerabilities is essential.
- Input Validation: Ensuring that web applications appropriately validate user input to prevent exploits such as injection attacks.
Web application penetration testing aids businesses in securing their online operations, safeguarding private user information, and upholding client confidence.
Social Engineering Penetration Testing
Penetration testing using social engineering simulates attacks that take advantage of psychological weaknesses in people rather than technological flaws. These exams evaluate employees ability to recognise and react to social engineering techniques.
Key Aspects:
- Phishing: It is the practice of sending bogus emails to employees with the intention of tricking them into revealing personal information or clicking on unsafe links.
- Pretexting: It is the art of fabricating situations to force employees into disclosing private information.
- Baiting: It is the practice of concealing malicious physical media such as USB drives, in public areas in the hope that employees will use them to access organisations networks.
By assisting companies in educating their employees on how to identify and handle social engineering assaults, penetration testing lowers the likelihood that an exploit will be successfully carried out.
Physical Penetration Testing
It assesses the physical security of an organisation’s facilities. It entails entering server rooms, buildings, and other sensitive locations without authorisation.
Key Aspects:
- Access Control Systems: Examining the performance of biometric scanners, locks, security badges, and other access control devices.
- Surveillance Systems: Evaluating CCTV and other monitoring systems’ coverage and efficacy.
- Security Policies: Assessing how well employees follow the organisation’s physical security standards.
Physical penetration testing verifies that strong physical security measures are in place to keep people from entering critical locations without authorisation.
Mobile Application Penetration Testing
As people around the world keep using their portable devices, it is very important to secure the mobile applications. Mobile application penetration testing emphasises on the discovery of weakness in the applications that are developed for mobile operating systems such as the iPhone and the Google Android.
Key Aspects:
- Data Storage: Making sure that private information is safely kept on the system and out of the reach of hackers.
- Communication Security: Testing data transfer security between the mobile application and backend servers is known as communication security.
- Platform-Specific Vulnerabilities: Platform-specific vulnerability identification involves finding vulnerabilities unique to the mobile platform, such as incorrect usage of platform APIs.
Organisations may use mobile application penetration testing to safeguard their mobile apps and preserve their integrity.
Cloud Penetration Testing
Conducting cloud penetration testing has become more necessary as more businesses shift their infrastructure online. This kind of testing evaluates the security of cloud-based settings and services.
Key Aspects:
- Configuration and Access Control: Ensuring effective implementation of access restrictions and accurate configuration of cloud services.
- Data Protection: Evaluating cloud data storage, encryption, and security measures.
- Compliance: Making sure cloud implementations adhere to industry and legal requirements.
Cloud penetration testing can help enterprises discover and reduce cloud computing threats to ensure the security of their cloud-based assets.
Database Penetration Testing
Databases are popular targets for attackers because they frequently hold sensitive data. The goal of database penetration testing is to find holes in database systems.
Key Aspects:
- SQL Injection: Examining SQL Injection vulnerabilities that might let hackers run any kind of SQL command is known as SQL Injection Testing.
- Access Controls: Ensuring proper implementation and enforcement of database access controls.
- Configuration and Patching: Verify that security patches are current and databases are set up correctly.
Database penetration testing aids businesses in safeguarding their data repositories by averting data leaks and illegal access.
Red Team Penetration Testing
A squad of ethical hackers known as the “red team” simulates sophisticated, persistent threats as part of red team penetration testing. To get past the organisation’s defences, they employ various strategies, methods, and approaches.
Key Aspects:
- Advanced Threat Simulation: Simulating complex attack methods employed by enemies in the actual world.
- Persistence: Efforts to continue using the network covertly for an extended period.
- Collaboration with Blue Team: Enhancing overall security posture by cooperating with the defence team of the organisation also referred to as the blue team.
Red team penetration testing thoroughly evaluates a organisations security measure, pointing out weakness that an experienced attacker could attack.
Conclusion
Comprehending the various forms of penetration testing is essential to formulating a thorough cybersecurity plan. Penetration testing which targets different types of vulnerabilities, helps organisations efficiently detect and reduce risks. By regularly completing these tests and resolving any concerns, businesses may improve their security posture, safeguard sensitive data, and uphold customer trust in an increasingly digital world, especially when leveraging resources from The Knowledge Academy.