The global march of digitization continues unabated. As a
consequence, it has brought attributes like convenience, speedy delivery, a
slew of options to choose from, and cost-effectiveness like never before, for
the users. However, with technology and its myriad benefits comes the curse of
security breaches. If on one side, new technology are breaking new thresholds,
on the other, hackers are finding novel means of intrusion and siphoning off
data and information. Also, with workplaces becoming the hub for information
access through digital devices, people often show scant regard for security
protocols. This allows hackers the opportunity to penetrate the IT
infrastructure of a company and steal valuable data.
According to Gartner, the global spending on cybersecurity is
projected to touch a whopping $133.7 billion in 2022. Does this make the global
IT systems secure? The answer is both yes and no. Yes because the security
mechanisms complying with industry regulations have created a strong deterrence
for hackers. However, since users are often the weakest link in the whole value
chain, their lackadaisical attitude regarding security has often given hackers
the opportunity to strike gold. The annual official report of Cybersecurity
Ventures has pegged the damages due to cybercrime at 6 trillion by 2021. With
so much at stake, enterprises have no escape but to adopt penetration testing
and secure their systems.
What is Penetration Testing?
Also known as pen testing or ethical hacking, the testing
process looks into a computer system, web application, or network to search for
security related vulnerabilities. It can either be performed manually or by
using a test automation software. It goes beyond regular compliance audits or
security assessments. Let us see how software penetration testing is different.
·
The
testing process simulates a real attack to check how databases, financial
assets, or business systems would be impacted. It helps security experts to
identify the vulnerable areas in a system.
·
Application
penetration testing checks the ability of any IT system to detect security
breaches in real time.
·
Even
though a major part of the testing process involves automation, experienced
professionals aka ethical hackers majorly do pen test. These people analyze IT
systems in the same way a hacker would.
·
Hackers
always look for vulnerabilities or gaps between the use of security tools often
created due to their incompatibility. A pen test uncovers such vulnerabilities.
·
It
reveals vulnerabilities that might have been overlooked during routine testing.
·
Software
penetration testing helps an enterprise comply with existing regulations.
How to conduct penetration testing
Testers conducting pen testing begin with analyzing the
business, its IT infrastructure, and entry points. They try breaking into the
system and report on their experience. Also known as white-hat attacks, these
help a business to identify the potential weak points that can be exploited by
a real hacker. The various steps are as follows:
Testers providing penetration testing services often work in
tandem with the tech/information team of an enterprise. Together they simulate
targeted attacks and analyse the findings.
·
They
try hacking into resources such as domain name servers, email servers, and web
servers. Also known as external tests, these reveal how far a real hacker can
penetrate into the system.
·
Internal
testing is all about identifying the gaps behind a firewall. Here, testers use
the same level of authorization and access that employees possess. This way
they can find out the weak points in a system, which any hacker or disgruntled
employee can exploit.
·
Another
method employed by testers doing network penetration testing is blind testing.
Here, testers execute the task at hand with very little information about the
system. For example, they might be provided with only the website URL or name
of the company. If testers are able to ferret out more information about the
company, the greater would be the security risks.
In double-blind testing, only one or two testers know about
the process being conducted. This generates the most unbiased results as people
using the system continue to remain careless while going about their tasks. It
helps to evaluate security awareness and the response of protocols.
Conclusion
Cybercrime has assumed menacing proportions. It has the
ability to undermine user confidence in an organization by targeting its
systems, databases, and servers. In a digital ecosystem where everything is
getting increasingly connected, the quality of its security architecture should
be top-notch. Penetration testing helps to unearth any hidden vulnerabilities
in an IT system and provides valuable information about the ways to mitigate
them.
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