Penetration testing or a pen testing, alternatively, is a legitimate simulated cyber attack on a real system, carried out to assess the level of security of that system; this isn’t to be mistaken with an vulnerability scan. The purpose of this type of test is to find out whether or not a software program is malicious, or if it is vulnerable to attacks. There are a lot of reasons why companies carry out pen testing; one of which is the prevention of security threats. There are many malicious programs that can easily infect a computer, and it is crucial for a business to know whether or not their system has been compromised. Not knowing whether or not their system has been breached puts the company at risk of losing confidential information. Additionally, this test can also be used to determine if a particular software program is functioning properly, and if it has been altered or modified in some way.
In pen testing, testers use several types of techniques in order to compromise a server. This includes exposing web applications and servers to attacks from multiple angles, using numerous user identities, and writing to several common formats. The goal of these techniques is to try and discover whether or not the server can withstand a sustained onslaught of hackers, and at the same time, the amount of damage that they can inflict on the system. The objectives of this type of testing are often the same as the objectives of a vulnerability scan, however; these testers attempt to expose the real-time behaviors of application servers, and see how they react in response to specific inputs. As these real-time measurements are being recorded, the testers can examine the results of their efforts and improvise the methods that they are using in order to gain more access to the targeted system.
While it may seem complicated, vulnerability and security testing can be quite straightforward. For the most part, pen tests involve two testers who are trying to discover if a server or program is vulnerable to a variety of attacks. Often, the testers will write malicious code to try and exploit a server, or execute a series of attacks to the server in order to try and exploit the program. Once the vulnerability is known, the testers will then determine if their methods were successful. In pen testing, these two testers do not collaborate or communicate with each other during the test – there is no room for interpretation or miscommunication between them!
Common vulnerabilities include buffer overflows and stack buffer vulnerabilities, but every application is unique. In order to make the process of pen testing easier, different types of testing tools are available. A handful of these tools include Binary Chests, Code Analyzers, and Visual Network Intelligence (VNI) tools.
Binary guards are one of the most common forms of pen testing. Binary guards are simply programs that are designed to detect any attacks against servers by hackers. For instance, if a hacker wants to try and locate a particular web page, they might search for strings of characters within the website’s HTML code. If they are successful in this method, the software will return with a list of matching characters, and allow the hackers to know exactly which web page they have just found.
Another method of pen testing involves the use of vulnerability assessment software. This program is designed to determine the vulnerabilities of a given website based on information extracted from the website’s database. Vulnerability assessment programs can be used to detect if a business’ customers are having an increase in security issues, or if the web applications are being abused.
Pen Testing techniques can also be used to find weak areas in a company’s website or application. In order to do so, pen testers must determine the amount of sensitive data that is available to a hacker. As well, they need to determine the location of the weakest point – this can be determined using webcams, infrared technology, map visualization tools, or any other technique that helps them identify weak areas. Once all the weak areas have been identified, a suitable solution must be developed that will close them.
The techniques used in pen testing can differ depending on the type of website or program that needs to undergo a penetration test. For example, there are different types of vulnerabilities for websites ranging from financial institutions to government organizations. A good pen tester will make sure to find all types of holes or vulnerabilities and document them in an accurate and organized manner. The documentation should be made available to the various stakeholders involved in the website or program. It is important for companies to understand the importance of pen testing as they can easily prevent a breach of their confidential data by implementing strong security procedures and practices.
