No one is free from the prying eyes of hackers; because of software flaws or system vulnerabilities, there have been several instances of people or organizations becoming the target of hackers. In the first half of 2022, there were 236.1 million ransomware attacks worldwide, according to the AAG statistics report. Hackers are actively targeting devices and business websites to find vulnerabilities in an effort to uncover software flaws and carry out their malevolent intent, which may be motivated by fame or financial gain. For instance, a common method by which hackers gain access to computers is via malware, wherein the victim's computer is infected with malicious links or attachments. When these links or attachments are accessed, they can lead you to malicious sites or lock up important files.
There are many ways to prevent oneself from falling into the hands of attackers, and methods such as MFA (multi-factor authentication), strong passwords, etc. can help secure our devices from numerous types of cyberattacks. However, cyberattacks are not going to stop anytime soon, and the more companies develop software to prevent them, e.g., anti-malware, firewalls, encryption tools, etc., the more hackers find ways to breach the systems. Because hackers are always coming up with creative ways and methods to gain unauthorized access to vulnerable systems and data, businesses or corporations must enforce security measures, one of which is called penetration testing. Penetration testing, or “ethical hacking,” as it is commonly referred to, involves authorized attempts to exploit vulnerabilities in computer systems, networks, or applications to secure the computer or network system.
In this article, we’ll explore penetration testing, addressing its concepts, stages, tools, and importance for digital data.
What is Penetration Testing?
Though it is a type of ethical hacking, penetration testing, also known as pen testing, is frequently confused with ethical hacking. Ethical hacking involves locating vulnerabilities in computers and information systems using the objectives and actions of malicious attackers (e.g., red hat hackers). This type of hacking is performed with the knowledge of the parties involved. Ethical hackers create scripts to test the vulnerability of a system and the complexity of the vulnerability, which are reported to the client so that vulnerabilities can be patched. Other tasks performed by ethical hackers include;
Perform a risk assessment to find out the consequences of a breached system.
Configuring security and developing tools to tighten security.
Set up security policies e.g. administrative policies like password standards to prevent hackers from accessing devices/data.
Train employees on network security
Typically, a vulnerability assessment is carried out before penetration testing; this is where a scanning tool is used to identify probable vulnerabilities in an organization. After the vulnerability test has identified vulnerabilities in a system, a penetration test is then carried out. Penetration testing is simply defined as ethical hacking that involves penetrating information systems. To do this, a number of techniques are utilized, such as phishing, password cracking, DOS (Denial of Service) attacks, network scanning attacks, wireless network assaults, privilege escalation, etc.
Through contractual agreements, ethical hackers are used to test the security of a system; this practice is used since it increases the effectiveness of the security system to hire someone who is not familiar with it. Ethical hackers, in contrast to people who are already familiar with the security infrastructure, approach the system from a new angle and are not restricted by familiarity. However, this may not always be the case, as there are different types of penetration testing, some of which may involve sharing certain information with the pentester in order for a test to be carried out.
Areas of Penetration Testing
Various areas are often examined as part of a penetration test to gauge a system's security. These areas include:
Network Services: The hacker seeks to find vulnerabilities in the security of the network infrastructure or devices on a particular network. Network mapping and scanning are carried out to evaluate the security of devices, servers, routers, outdated software, weak passwords, network services, etc.
Web application: Web-based applications are assessed to identify performance and security weaknesses. Some vulnerabilities may include; cross-site scripting, compliance testing, broken authentication, etc.
APIs (application programming interfaces): The hacker seeks to perform attacks against APIs because they expose data to a third-party user. There are several tests required to carry out API tests e.g. authentication bypassing, cross-user data requests, security misconfiguration, etc.
Wireless Networks: Wireless networks are prevalent in most organizations, and they create room for vulnerabilities. Examples of tests that can be performed against wireless networks include; weak encryption cracking, key cracking, packet injection, etc.
Social engineering: Employees within an organization also present a risk; therefore, phishing attack, a type of social engineering attack, is used to deceive employees into disclosing sensitive information. Employees receive emails with malicious links or attachments that are disguised as legitimate documents. The recipients of these emails are directed to a credential-harvesting website that harvests credentials in order to obtain private information.
