Introduction to Penetration Testing

Penetration testing, often referred to as “pen testing” or “ethical hacking,” is a controlled and authorized cybersecurity assessment conducted to evaluate the security of an organization’s IT infrastructure, applications, and network. The primary objective of penetration testing is to identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses that could be exploited by malicious actors and provide recommendations to strengthen the overall security posture.

Key aspects of penetration testing include:

1. Authorized Testing: Penetration testing is always performed with explicit authorization from the organization being tested. This ensures that the testing is conducted within legal and ethical boundaries.
2. Real-World Simulation: Penetration testers simulate real-world attack scenarios to identify potential security flaws. They attempt to exploit vulnerabilities in a controlled manner, similar to how a malicious attacker might attempt to breach the system.
3. Types of Penetration Testing: There are different types of penetration testing, including:
   • Network Penetration Testing: Evaluates the security of network devices, firewalls, routers, and other network components.
   • Web Application Penetration Testing: Focuses on identifying vulnerabilities in web applications, such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and authentication bypass.
   • Wireless Penetration Testing: Assesses the security of wireless networks and devices.
   • Social Engineering: Tests the organization’s resilience against social engineering attacks, where attackers manipulate individuals to gain access to sensitive information.
4. Methodology: Penetration testers follow a systematic methodology, typically involving several phases, such as reconnaissance, scanning, enumeration, exploitation, and post-exploitation. This approach ensures a thorough and organized assessment.
5. Reporting: After completing the testing, the penetration testers compile a detailed report that includes the vulnerabilities discovered, their potential impact, and recommended remediation actions. This report serves as a roadmap for improving security.
6. Continuous Improvement: Penetration testing is not a one-time activity. As technology evolves and new threats emerge, regular penetration testing helps organizations stay proactive in maintaining robust security defenses.

Benefits of Penetration Testing:

1. Risk Identification: Penetration testing helps organizations identify and prioritize security risks based on their potential impact on business operations and data.
2. Vulnerability Mitigation: By identifying vulnerabilities before they are exploited by attackers, organizations can proactively implement appropriate security measures to address these weaknesses.
3. Compliance: Penetration testing is often required to meet industry regulations and compliance standards.
4. Confidence in Security Measures: Successful penetration testing provides reassurance to stakeholders that security measures are effective and that sensitive data is adequately protected.
5. Incident Response Preparedness: The insights gained from penetration testing can help organizations fine-tune their incident response plans and improve their ability to detect and respond to security incidents.

In summary, penetration testing is a valuable proactive measure to assess and improve an organization’s security posture, helping to safeguard against potential cyber threats and bolstering the overall resilience of the IT infrastructure.

Its a post info gathering phase in which we exploit the vulnerabilities discovered in the VA phase.
WEB PT
NETWORK PT
MOBILE PT – Mobile SF Framework .apk .ipa
Documentation : Digital Security Report

 

Ethics of Penetration Testing

1. Nothing out of the box in scope
2. You are a hacker not a hero
3. Documentation is for developers not for CEO so make sense.
4. Read the code of conduct and make sure you will not anything which beyond our scope.

 

Penetration Testing Methodlogie

1. Web Based Pen Testing : Scope + Info Gather + Exploit + Report of remedations +
Applying the patch through company team.
2. Network and Mobile
3. Process or Governence : Read the polcies,contracts,vendor agreements and so on + Find Loopholes in clauses + Report and Identify to high level management+ draft new polciy.

iso 27001 Complaince : Read

 

Scope Analysis

Step 1: Query for VAPT
Step 2: Scoping document WEB/NETWORK/MOBILE
Step 3: Response Meeting
Step 4: Proposal with Price and MAN per day cost
Step 5: Acceptance and Date to start the project.

Customer and Legal Agreements

-> Code of Conduct Signing
-> NDA – non Disclosure Agreement
-> MOU – Momerendum Of Understand

Pen Testing Planning and Scheduling
———————————–
Teams

VA : Web , Network , Mobile , Complaince

PT : Web , Network , Mobile , Complaince

Date Start : 21st Jan 2016 of Jan 26th Jan 2016

Total Number of Days : 6 Man Days
Green Zone : 2 3 Weeks 2 day : Sat Sunday
Night Shift : 8.00PM -> Monday 3AM Close 422 Servers

Sr. Resource : RM RM–> Single point of contact for the client.

Pre Pen Testing Checklist

1. License Requirements ????
2. List of tools to be used in the testing
3. Team Listing and Tracking

Types of Pen Testing

-> Internal : Network Pentesting and Internal Application Layer Pentesting inside which we try to audit and test all network assests of the organisation along with all in house web applications which runs on the network communication.

-> External : Web Application Testing + Pen testing through a company VPN.

-> White Box : Scope is clear, what os is running on each machines, open port details, service pack details , kernal details, critical or non critical details, version of services details and so on, application source code visibility etc etc.

-> Grey Box : List of IP addresses in terms of network PT and Host name details thats all. In web subdomain names and thats all.

-> Black Box : Webiste www.target.com IP List in scope.