You need to know that intruders don’t usually spend months trying to force a well-locked door. However, they will go to several areas to look for vulnerabilities in your information system. They will look for ways where information is not much of a priority. You may think that the seemingly minor weak points may not matter, but they can lead to loss of customers’ data and trust when your entire IT infrastructure became compromised.
One of the ways that you can reduce the risk significantly is to get penetration testing. Some companies provide penetration testing services for your company, and they are also called ethical hacking. These IT white hat guys will look for possible vulnerabilities in real-time in your system, and they will ensure that any exposure is patched up before the hackers discover them.
When Do You Need a Pen Test?
You may want to fulfill and do a pen test if you are currently in the following situations:
- Want to have regular assessments and scheduled analysis on what’s going on in your infrastructure
- Wanted to give updated reports to regulatory mandates in your area
- Newer applications and infrastructure were added to the system
- Crucial modifications and upgrades to your apps were made
- Established a new office in another location
- Modifications of end-user policies
- There was a change to your corporate in-house IT Team
What Does an Ethical Hacking Do?
You may want to get in touch with a service provider that can provide ethical hacking to your system. Read more about ethical hacking on this page here. They are the guys who will prevent any potential intrusion before it happens and identify various vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit.
They will perform tests to know the extent of your current security measures, and they will provide detailed solutions and a roadmap on the next steps that you need to do if they discover potential threats.
Get in touch with a company that can provide you with industry-specific test scenarios and the latest tools that are up-to-date with the latest methods of hackers in the market. The updated systems are better and faster when it comes to pinpointing any potential vulnerabilities. They will identify application flaws, configuration loopholes, and dangers present in your operating systems and services. They will also remove any destructive policies that are non-compliant with the international standards that you should follow.
With the right provider, you can get penetration testing that’s already wrapped in a full package. Some of the areas that you should test are your networks, web applications, client-side interface, remote access, social engineering methods, and physical security.Methods that a Company often Applies
Black Box
This is ethical hacking without prior knowledge of the security measures you have in place and your network protection, software, overall structure, and policies. Learn more about black box testing here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-box_testing.
Gray Box
The IT guys will examine some of the info on your system or networks. They will check architecture diagrams, log-in details, and overview your entire network before trying ethical hacking.
White Box
They will have access to the database encryption principles, server configuration files, admin rights, architecture documentation, and source codes. This way, they can better identify and do remediation to the system’s vulnerabilities that they may potentially discover.
Steps to Know
Planning or Pre-Attacking Phase
- This is where the intruder model is well-defined
- Defining the source data, goals, targets, and overall scope of work
- Develop a test methodology that works
- Defining the communication and interaction procedures of a company
Testing or Attack Phase
- Service identification and fieldwork are often involved
- Intrusion tools and custom scanning are there when needed
- Detection of vulnerabilities
- Exploit these weak spots and ultimately gaining unauthorized entry
- Using the compromised systems to strengthen vulnerabilities to prevent future intruders
Reporting/Post-Attack Phase
- The results and reports are generated, and there are recommendations on how to avoid further risks
- Visual demonstrations are going to be introduced, and the owners will have an idea of the extent of the damage that the attacker can inflict to the overall system.
Another reason why businesses get in touch with the best and trusted IT guys is that they know how to fix the vulnerabilities and eliminate them for good. When newer methods developed by hackers are being circulated, they will learn how to prevent these, and you’ll be safer as a result.
