In an age where digital security is vital, businesses are turning to penetration testing. It’s a way to strengthen their defenses.
Traditional security measures only aim to stop unauthorized access. Penetration testing, or “pen testing,” simulates real-world attacks to find security issues. It finds them before they can be exploited.
However, pen testing isn’t a one-size-fits-all practice. Just as there are many cyber threats. There are also various types of penetration testing. Each serves different purposes and finds different vulnerabilities.
This post will delve into various types of penetration testing, explaining each and when to use them. Read on and learn more.
Table of Contents
External Testing
External penetration testing involves examining externally visible assets. These include web servers, domain name systems, and email servers. The goal is to find areas open to attack.
It’s like how an outsider might infiltrate your systems. It’s valuable for businesses with a big online presence.
The Process
During an external penetration test, the tester mimics the techniques of an outside intruder. They are trying to get around the perimeter’s defenses.
This involves scanning for vulnerabilities in the target network. The scanner has no prior knowledge of the business’s internal network.
When to Use
You should choose external testing to see how well your system can resist attacks from unauthorized sources. It will help you assess the likelihood and possible entry points for a direct attack from outside the company network.
Internal Testing
Internal testing, as the name suggests, emulates an insider attack. This might include personnel with standard, low, or privileged access accounts. They exploit their access to gain high levels of system access and sensitive corporate data.
The Process
An internal pen test starts with testing inside the network. It looks for vulnerabilities that could be used to raise a user’s privileges. They would allow access to systems and data that any unauthorized insider could access.
When to Use
When you aim to evaluate the potential damage a disgruntled employee might cause, verify current regulatory compliance related to internal threats, or assess the inside defense-in-depth strategy, internal testing is the way to go.
Blind Testing
In a blind test, the pen tester is given the name of the target or its specifics, posing as what a legitimate outside individual might become aware of. These tests give security pros an attacker’s view. It helps them grasp the extent of potential damage.
The Process
The testing team has no prior knowledge or access to the target environment in a blind test, just as a real attacker would not. They are only provided with the name of the target or maybe an email address to start from, and they have to determine the rest on their own.
When to Use
Use blind testing when you need to copy an attacker’s approach. Do this when you want to test the security team’s real-time responses to a real-world attack.
Double-Blind Testing
A notch above blind testing, this option has few people aware of the test. The goal is to reduce personnel bias. They must accurately assess defense responses and fix weaknesses.
The Process
In a double-blind test, the security and IT teams have even less knowledge of the test than in a blind test. This creates situations where the security team has to respond to the attack without much warning. They also do not know if the external tests will be real threats or just tests.
When to Use
Choose double-blind testing when you need to test your security team’s response. It helps you see how well your incident detection and response mechanism works.
Targeted Testing
Here, the testers and security team work together to identify specific high-value targets or systems. The objective is to find and eliminate surprises or learn just how well the team can defend the most critical assets.
The Process
A targeted test begins like any white box test but focuses specifically on certain high-value targets. The team shares what they plan to check with the security team to understand the overall impact on their most precious assets.
When to Use
This type is useful when there is a need to find and fix issues in a critical part of the system. This part is often the most valuable and sensitive.
Automated Testing
Automated pen testing uses specialized software tools to perform tests, rather than individuals. It’s a cheaper way to do regular penetration testing. But, it has limits. In particular, it struggles to copy a real attacker’s observations and adaptability.
The Process
Programs and scripts are run by automated tools to detect vulnerabilities, exploit them, and provide reports on the findings.
When to Use
Incorporate automated testing as a routine part of your cybersecurity measures or SOC2 penetration testing requirements, providing quick assessments of system defenses, especially for known vulnerabilities, and the regular checking of systems against penetration vectors raising alerts of potential weaknesses.
Manual Testing
The more traditional method, manual testing relies on the skill and knowledge of pen testers who actively explore and exploit vulnerabilities. It’s often used after automated tools have done their initial sweeps and can often uncover vulnerabilities that would slip past automated systems.
The Process
Highly skilled professionals use their expertise and the most advanced manual understanding of the systems to find potential vulnerabilities that automated tools tend to miss.
When to Use
Manual testing is ideal for when a more precise and in-depth penetration test is required, or a system’s complexity demands a tester’s complete understanding to seek out intricate and nuanced security vulnerabilities.
Understand the Different Types of Penetration Testing
As you can see, there are many types of penetration testing each with its unique processes and purposes. It’s crucial to understand the differences between these methods. They serve different roles in boosting your security.
Use many types of penetration testing in your cybersecurity strategy. They will help you protect your organization from cyber-attacks and reduce data breach risk.
So, whether you’re doing external, internal, or targeted testing, remember to use a simple tone in your communication. Focus on clarity and directness for the most impact.
Explore more insights on our blog. Delve into a range of topics to enhance your knowledge and stay ahead in your field.
