Technical advances have fundamentally changed the way companies operate and interact with consumers. With the proliferation of mobile technology, social media, and the digitization of business processes, cybersecurity now underpins the health of every enterprise and has become a top priority for business leaders. 

 Digital security breaches come at a huge cost to organizations, both financially and in terms of brand reputation and trust. As such, there is increasing awareness among executives about the importance of mitigating cyber threats, and investment against such threats now receives a significant budget share. 

 With the growing threat of cyber-attacks and increasing regulatory requirements concerning these risks, it’s essential that enterprises demonstrate their commitment to preventing and responding to threats.

 A streamlined network penetration approach helps to identify and combat vulnerabilities in IT systems, securing them against breaches and improving brand credibility. Read on to learn more about what penetration testing is, the relevant types, and how to conduct it.

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What Is Network Penetration Testing? 

Network penetration testing or ‘pen testing’ is the process of simulating cyber-attacks on an IT system, web application, or network in order to uncover vulnerabilities that could be exploited and lead to system breaches. 

 Penetration testers carry out ethical or white-hat hacking to test the resilience of systems and deliver results to organizations. 

 With the growing risk of data breaches and hacks, and the evolving nature of them, it’s important to test regularly. In fact, pen testing should be an essential part of the checklist for all IT security teams. 

 Frequent testing will generate significant quantities of actionable data for companies to leverage in order to improve cybersecurity and generate reports that can be shown to clients to prove the effectiveness of security strategies and enhance brand credibility.

How Does Network Penetration Testing Work? 

Network penetration testing works to test against common digital security threats from inside and outside a company’s IT infrastructure.

Threats that can be tested

Network penetration testing is effective for testing against malware, phishing, distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, advanced persistent attacks (APTs), domain name system attacks (DNS), drive-by downloads, and SQL injection.

 A web analytics penetration test can also be conducted separately to identify weak points in the design and coding of websites that make them vulnerable to cybercrime. Effective web analytics can be used to track patterns in traffic that may identify attacks.

Internal infrastructure tests

These are internal tests that imitate attacks or breaches that occur when access is gained from the inside. According to IBM, some 60% of attacks are carried out by insiders, and this can vary greatly depending on the industry. These tests prevent the likelihood of these by examining system weaknesses that can be exploited by employees—i.e. by abusing security privileges or stealing data.  

External infrastructure tests

External tests simulate outside attacks on an organization. These can be things like ransomware and SQL injection attacks that work to gain access to systems. Typically, penetration testers will focus on the security of internet connections and eliminate exposure risks.

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Types of Network Penetration Testing 

The network penetration testing process typically involves three types, each based on the amount of system information that is given to the penetration testers. These can be conducted independently or together for more robust testing. 

Black box

A black box pen test or closed box test is conducted when an ethical hacker is given little to no information about the network systems of a target company. Here, tests simulate the average hacking scenario, where little more is known about an organization than its name. These are external infrastructure tests, aiming to uncover outside vulnerabilities. 

Gray box

Gray box tests examine internal systems. They are best conducted as covert tests, where no employee within the company is aware that the test is happening. Testers will portray hackers that have access to company systems and privacy privileges. They will use their access to examine where vulnerabilities could be exploited maliciously. 

White box

White box testing is an open-box test. Penetration hackers are given the level of information that an internal IT security specialist might have, with access to system data and source code. This is the most invasive of the three tests and is usually conducted last. The aim is to expose and eliminate all weaknesses in IT infrastructures such that they are impenetrable. 

Benefits of Networking Penetration Testing

Network penetration has many advantages, including validating an organization’s security system and helping to re-design systems for improved efficacy. These benefits are outlined below.

Identify vulnerabilities

Network penetration testing exposes loopholes and flaws in network systems and recommends ways to strengthen infrastructures. In revealing vulnerabilities, these tests help organizations stay aware of risks and take steps to prevent attacks.

 When conducted regularly, overall company security is improved and data is better protected. Improvements in technology mean threats are ever-changing and new vulnerabilities are emerging continuously. They therefore need to be routinely identified to protect information adequately.

 Network penetration testing can be conducted on various systems and software from web applications to intranets, and even contact center software. It therefore stands to benefit every organization that uses computer systems.

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Test security measures

The best testing will also reveal the strength of your cyber defense systems and the adequacy of its response to threats. Systems should detect breaches instantaneously, find them, and remove or block them. Ethical hackers will test company security measures and ensure they are providing adequate company-wide protections.

 Feedback from tests will also further improve system defenses by providing specific advice in relation to weak areas. Testers will rank vulnerabilities according to their risk factors and suggest solutions to incorporate into company incident response workflows.  

Comply with regulations

Beyond exposing and repairing system vulnerabilities, network penetration testing is often necessary to comply with local governmental regulations for businesses. Often, the report generated as a result of pen testing, and the rescan conducted when weaknesses have been fixed, are mandated in order to achieve compliance. 

 Industries dealing with sensitive data require pen testing and vulnerability testing as a rule. For example, HIPAA requires them for healthcare providers and RBI guidelines prescribe them for all financial institutions.  

Improve company reputation

A significant benefit of network penetration testing is that it improves brand reputation and builds consumer trust. Data breaches are huge areas of concern for organizations when 71% of consumers say they’d avoid purchasing from a company that loses their trust. 

 Pen testing reassures both customers and stakeholders that a company is taking the necessary steps to tighten its security, prevent cyber-attacks, and protect client data. 

Invest in business continuity 

Finally, performing regular network penetration tests means companies are investing in their own business continuity. Identifying vulnerabilities and taking steps to fix weaknesses ensures that business systems avoid outages and are available 24/7. This means that businesses can function smoothly with access to resources and uninterrupted communication. 

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Four Steps to Streamline Your Network Penetration Testing Approach

These steps make up a network penetration test. Be sure to include each for a streamlined approach and to ensure you’re conducting reliable testing.

1.   Information gathering

The first step in network penetration testing is gathering information and creating a plan. Testers will meet with an organization to set goals for testing and discuss what, if any, vulnerabilities have already been discovered in the network system. The initial meeting can be undertaken in person, or companies can meet with ethical hackers through a virtual contact center.

 Typically, before testing begins, a vulnerability test will be done to expose threats. Next, testers will need to liaise with stakeholders and decide which network penetration test will be undertaken and how the success of each test will be measured.

2.   Conduct reconnaissance and scanning

Next is the reconnaissance stage. Testers scan systems to catch and exploit their vulnerabilities. The aim is to gather as much intel on a system as possible, e.g. IP addresses, user information, and operating system data, and use this information to plan an attack.

 Testers will develop strategies to extract information in the same way a real hacker might, for example, via social engineering methods. Reconnaissance can either be active—engaging directly with internal IT systems, or passive—gathering information from that which is shared publicly. 

 Scanning and monitoring are conducted to identify technical vulnerabilities and weak links in networks such as exposed devices, weak network ports, and insecure software.  

3.   Network penetration test 

The network penetration test marks the exploitation stage. Here, hired hackers will use all the information they have gathered in the previous steps to exploit weaknesses and attempt to attack a company’s system. They’ll demonstrate how a cyber attacker might steal private information, breach systems, and evade the detection of cybersecurity mechanisms. 

 The goal is to show how much potential damage could be caused and how long a hacker might be able to stay in a system without being discovered.

 Formidable tests will seek to expose a range of vulnerabilities and take a broad approach, examining every security risk while at the same time ensuring that a company can continue to function while the tests are taking place. 

4.   Assessment and reporting

Finally, testers will produce reports and analyses. They will present their findings in enough detail that an organization knows the precise remedies to put in place to strengthen systems and avoid breaches. 

 Reports will show where vulnerabilities were found and exploited, how data was accessed, and how testers managed to avoid detection. Recommendations will be made to bolster security. For example, penetration testers could suggest investing in specific security tools or sending employees for specialized training. 

 The aim is for companies to learn from results and amend security orchestration automation and responses.

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Strengthen and Protect Your Network Today 

Network penetration testing is essential for all businesses with a digital presence. Not only does it validate the security of your system, but it prevents future attacks and reassures clients and stakeholders that you are storing their data in the most secure way possible. 

 To ensure a streamlined testing approach, follow each of the required test steps, listen and respond to tester feedback, and conduct testing regularly to stay up to date with cybersecurity developments.

The post How to Streamline Your Network Penetration Testing Approach appeared first on TuxCare.

*** This is a Security Bloggers Network syndicated blog from TuxCare authored by TuxCare Team. Read the original post at: https://tuxcare.com/blog/how-to-streamline-your-network-penetration-testing-approach/