Penetration testing is a security exercise done by ethical hackers, who are also called pen testers. During this procedure, the pen tester replicates an attack on a network to assist in the identification of vulnerabilities and weaknesses that are there in the network. There are two types of pen tests: internal and external. An internal pen test replicates an attack from the view of an internal bad actor, like a dissatisfied employee or a network that is anonymously compromised. An external pen test takes place from outside the network from the hacker’s perspective, who aims to attain access to the ecosystem.

Introduction

Do you know? 73% of the successful breaches in the corporate sector were inflicted by penetrating web apps via their vulnerabilities. The annual growth rate for the pen test market size is anticipated to grow by 13.7 from 2022 to 2027. This demonstrates the significance of the preparation of a pen test.

Therefore, we are presenting to you some 7 steps regarding pen testing preparation.

Collecting Information

Information gathering is one of the seven phases of pen testing. The company being assessed will offer the pen tester with latest data regarding in-scope targets. Open-source intelligence (OSINT) is also incorporated in this phase of the pen test, as it refers to the in-scope ecosystem.

Reconnaissance

Diginatives incorporates the data collected to gather extra details from publicly accessible sources. This is the crucial phase of comprehensive security testing because pen testers can detect extra data that perhaps can be ignored, unknown, or not offered. This step is particularly helpful in external and internal pen testing. Nevertheless, this reconnaissance in API pen testing, mobile app, and web app.

Detection and Scanning

It is one of the best techniques to assess perimeter vulnerabilities. The data collected is incorporated to perform discovery activities to determine things like services and ports that were available for web apps, subdomains, and targeted hosts. From there, pen testers at Diginatives analyze the scan results and create plans for exploitation. The majority of the companies pause their pen testers with the detection of scan results. However, the entire scope of your attack surface won’t be realized without manual exploitation and analysis.

Vulnerability Assessment

A vulnerability assessment is done to attain preliminary knowledge and detect any possible security weaknesses that could permit an outside attacker to gain access to the technology or ecosystem being assessed. A vulnerability assessment is not a replacement for pen tests.

Exploitation

This is the point where actual action takes place. After the explanation of the outcomes from the vulnerability evaluation, their expert pen testers will utilize human intuition, manual techniques, and their backgrounds to authenticate, exploit, and attack those vulnerabilities. A specialized pen tester can exploit vulnerabilities that automation can miss.

Final Review and Analysis

When you function with Diginatives on security testing, we deliver our results in a report format. This strategic report entails a narrative of where we began the assessment, how we identified vulnerabilities, and how we mitigated them. It also entails the security testing scope, testing techniques, recommendations, and findings for rectification.

It will also write down the pen tester’s point where applicable. It will enable you to see if the pen testers follow the applicable model needs.

Use The Testing Outcomes

Last but not least, pen testing is very important. The company being assessed must utilize the results from the security assessment to risk rank vulnerabilities, evaluate the possible effect of vulnerabilities detected, create remediation plans, and inform decision-making.

Conclusion

Penetration testing can prove to be an extremely intimidating process. You must trust someone to select your network to guarantee you don’t have any vulnerabilities that could cause a breach or damage your company. For this reason, it is significant to work with specialists who have knowledge of what they are doing.

Meta Description

Here is everything you’ll need to prepare before a penetration test—ensure smooth, effective, and secure testing.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is meant by penetration tests?

Penetration testing is a security exercise done by ethical hackers, who are also called pen testers. During this procedure, the pen tester replicates an attack on a network to assist in the identification of vulnerabilities and weaknesses that are there in the network. There are two types of pen tests: internal and external. An internal pen test replicates an attack from the view of an internal bad actor, like a dissatisfied employee or a network that is anonymously compromised. An external pen test takes place from outside the network from the hacker’s perspective, who aims to attain access to the ecosystem.

How to prepare for the pen tests?

• Collecting Information
• Reconnaissance
• Detection and Scanning
• Vulnerability Assessment
• Exploitation
• Final Review and Analysis
• Use The Testing Outcomes

If you want to eliminate the results of compromised technology while working with an expert ethical hacker, connect with our experts today.