Penetration testing methodologies and standards

The net house continues to develop quickly, opening extra alternatives for cyberattacks to happen inside a pc system, community, or internet utility. To mitigate and put together for such dangers, penetration testing is a obligatory step to find safety vulnerabilities that an attacker would possibly use.

What’s penetration testing?

A penetration test, or “pen check,” is a safety check that’s run to mock a cyberattack in motion. A cyberattack could embody a phishing try or a breach of a community safety system. There are several types of penetration testing obtainable to a company relying on the safety controls wanted. The check may be run manually or with automated instruments by the lens of a selected plan of action, or pen testing methodology.

Why penetration testing and who’s concerned?

The phrases “ethical hacking” and “penetration testing” are generally used interchangeably, however there’s a distinction. Moral hacking is a broader cybersecurity discipline that features any use of hacking expertise to enhance community safety. Penetration assessments are simply one of many strategies moral hackers use. Moral hackers may present malware evaluation, threat evaluation, and different hacking instruments and strategies to uncover and repair safety weaknesses somewhat than trigger hurt.

IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report 2023 discovered the worldwide common value of an information breach in 2023 to be USD 4.45 million, a 15% improve over 3 years. One technique to mitigate these breaches is by performing correct and pointed penetration testing.

Corporations rent pen testers to launch simulated assaults in opposition to their apps, networks, and different property. By staging faux assaults, penetration testers assist security teams uncover essential safety vulnerabilities and enhance general safety posture. These assaults are sometimes carried out by crimson groups, or offensive safety groups. The red team simulates an actual attackers’ techniques, strategies and procedures (TTPs) in opposition to the group’s personal system as a technique to assess safety threat.

There are a number of penetration testing methodologies to think about as you get into the pen testing course of. The group’s alternative will depend upon the class of the goal group, the aim of the pen check and the scope of the safety check. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all method. It requires a company to grasp its safety points and safety coverage for there to be a good vulnerability evaluation previous to the pen testing course of.

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5 prime penetration testing methodologies

One of many first steps within the pen testing course of is deciding on which methodology to comply with.

Beneath, we’ll dive into 5 of the preferred penetration testing frameworks and pen testing methodologies to assist information stakeholders and organizations to one of the best methodology for his or her particular wants and guarantee it covers all required areas.

1. Open-Supply Safety Testing Methodology Handbook

Open-Supply Safety Testing Methodology Handbook (OSSTMM) is without doubt one of the hottest requirements of penetration testing. This system is peer-reviewed for safety testing and was created by the Institute for Safety and Open Methodologies (ISECOM).

The tactic relies on a scientific method to pen testing with accessible and adaptable guides for testers. The OSSTMM contains key options, equivalent to an operational focus, channel testing, metrics and belief evaluation in its methodology.

OSSTMM gives a framework for community penetration testing and vulnerability evaluation for pen testing professionals. It’s meant to be a framework for suppliers to search out and resolve vulnerabilities, equivalent to delicate knowledge and points surrounding authentication.

2. Open Internet Utility Safety Venture

OWASP, brief for Open Internet Utility Safety Venture, is an open-source group devoted to internet utility safety.

The non-profit group’s aim is to make all its materials free and simply accessible for anybody who desires to enhance their very own internet utility safety. OWASP has its personal Top 10 (hyperlink resides exterior of ibm.com), which is a well-maintained report outlining the most important safety issues and dangers to internet functions, equivalent to cross-site scripting, damaged authentication and getting behind a firewall. OWASP makes use of the highest 10 checklist as a foundation for its OWASP Testing Information. 

The information is split into three components: OWASP testing framework for internet utility improvement, internet utility testing methodology and reporting. The online utility methodology can be utilized individually or as part of the online testing framework for internet utility penetration testing, cellular utility penetration testing, API penetration testing, and IoT penetration testing.

3. Penetration Testing Execution Customary

PTES, or Penetration Testing Execution Customary, is a complete penetration testing methodology.

PTES was designed by a group of knowledge safety professionals and is made up of seven important sections masking all points of pen testing. The aim of PTES is to have technical pointers to stipulate what organizations ought to count on from a penetration check and information them all through the method, beginning on the pre-engagement stage.

The PTES goals to be the baseline for penetration assessments and supply a standardized methodology for safety professionals and organizations. The information gives a spread of sources, equivalent to greatest practices in every stage of the penetration testing course of, from begin to end. Some key options of PTES are exploitation and publish exploitation. Exploitation refers back to the strategy of having access to a system by penetration strategies equivalent to social engineering and password cracking. Submit exploitation is when knowledge is extracted from a compromised system and entry is maintained.

4.  Info System Safety Evaluation Framework

Info System Safety Evaluation Framework (ISSAF) is a pen testing framework supported by the Info Techniques Safety Group (OISSG).

This system is not maintained and is probably going not one of the best supply for probably the most up-to-date info. Nevertheless, considered one of its important strengths is that it hyperlinks particular person pen testing steps with particular pen testing instruments. One of these format could be a good basis for creating an individualized methodology.

5. Nationwide Institute of Requirements and Know-how  

NIST, brief for the Nationwide Institute of Requirements and Know-how, is a cybersecurity framework that gives a set of pen testing requirements for the federal authorities and outdoors organizations to comply with. NIST is an company inside the U.S. Division of Commerce and must be thought-about the minimal commonplace to comply with.

NIST penetration testing aligns with the steering despatched by NIST. To adjust to such steering, organizations should carry out penetration assessments following the pre-determined set of pointers.

Pen testing levels

Set a scope

Earlier than a pen check begins, the testing group and the corporate set a scope for the check. The scope outlines which techniques might be examined, when the testing will occur, and the strategies pen testers can use. The scope additionally determines how a lot info the pen testers could have forward of time.

Begin the check

The following step could be to check the scoping plan and assess vulnerabilities and performance. On this step, community and vulnerability scanning may be achieved to get a greater understanding of the group’s infrastructure. Inner testing and exterior testing may be achieved relying on the group’s wants. There are a number of assessments the pen testers can do, together with a black-box check, white-box check, and gray-box check. Every gives various levels of details about the goal system.

As soon as an outline of the community is established, testers can begin analyzing the system and functions inside the scope given. On this step, pen testers are gathering as a lot info as potential to grasp any misconfigurations.

Report on findings

The ultimate step is to report and debrief. On this step, you will need to develop a penetration testing report with all of the findings from the pen check outlining the vulnerabilities recognized. The report ought to embody a plan for mitigation and the potential dangers if remediation doesn’t happen.

Pen testing and IBM

If you happen to attempt to check all the pieces, you’ll waste your time, funds and sources. By utilizing a communication and collaboration platform with historic knowledge, you may centralize, handle, and prioritize high-risk networks, functions, units, and different property to optimize your safety testing program. The X-Pressure® Pink Portal permits everybody concerned in remediation to view check findings instantly after vulnerabilities are uncovered and schedule safety assessments at their comfort.

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