Almost at the same time with the “birth” of information security systems, people started analyzing the safety of companies and individual components of their infrastructure. One of the tools for such analysis is a penetration test or pentest. Pentesting sounds weird to you? We will help you to figure out what this is.
What is Pentesting?
The penetration test or just pentest basically is testing for detection and security, in other words, analysis of the system for vulnerability. It is a method for evaluating the security of a crime detection prevention system. This term often means security analysis, which allows you to binary evaluate the level of security, whether you can pass through or penetrate the perimeter or not. Unlike other types of security analysis, by pentesting we mean some simulation of the attacker’s actions.
What is so Special about Pentesting?
As it has been said previously, pentests help us to determine the likelihood of attack success and identify security “holes”, vulnerable areas of a system. So what is the difference between pentesting and other security testing methods? Pentests can also identify other vulnerable areas that automated networking software or special programs cannot detect, and can also be used to assess whether security managers are able to successfully detect attacks and respond effectively to them.
Elements of Pentesting
Pentesting is carried out using a wide range of specialized programs and applications (password guessing, searching for vulnerable areas in IP network ports, detecting malware) and covers numerous points. The most common of them:
- Information collecting (searching for data about the customer in open sources, collection of data on employee tolerances)
- Searching for a technical base (identifying and collecting data on existing resources, operating systems, software, and applications)
- Analyzing of vulnerable areas and threats (detection of endangered spots of security systems, applications, and software using specialized programs and utilities)
- Operation and data processing (at this stage, a real attack by intruders is simulated to obtain information about existing unsafe areas for further analysis, as well as collecting data on the possible timing of hacking the system and calculating economic risks)
- Generating a report (the stage of processing the information received, drawing up recommendations and instructions for eliminating existing vulnerabilities)
The Top 3 Security Tools for Modern Pentesting
Many factors influence the value of a pentest. The pentester’s experience and knowledge is one of them. If the pentester is unable to accurately mimic an assault, the value of the exercise decreases.
Another important factor that determines the value of a pentest is the instruments utilized by the tester. A pentester may overlook or be unable to exploit susceptible spots or gaps in the target system if they do not have the proper tools. As a result, the pentest’s final report might be partial or inaccurate, providing the customer with a false sense of security. This is why it’s critical to conduct thorough research while looking for security testing services. As a result, we’ve identified three of the top pentesting tools for you:
3. Shodan
Shodan, in comparison to other search engines, is built the way it is based on the opinions of security experts. It essentially outputs data on the assets that are linked to the network. Data from laptops, traffic lights, computers, and other IoT devices may be used. This Open Source program primarily assists in doing security analytics and identifying the target, as well as testing it for different vulnerabilities, password security, services, ports, and other issues.
2. Google Dorks
Google Dorks offers users effective and high-performing results. This query-based pentesting tool is primarily created and constructed to assist users in accurately and effectively navigating indexes or search results. Google Dorks gives you a lot of flexibility when it comes to searching for information with particular operators, which is also known as Google Hacking. These operators make it simple to locate and retrieve data.
1. DataArt
DataArt is another example of a wonderful penetration testing company. This is why it takes first place on our list. One of the numerous advantages this company has is its large amount of services. Not only do they provide their clients with a wonderful pentesting, but they also have the next security services:
- Cloud security auditing
- Compliance management
- Social engineering testing
- Secure code review
- Security consulting
Being an experienced pentesting company, DataArt is capable of doing all essential security assessment tasks:
Security Code Reviews: Manual and Automated
- Review security code on a regular and ad hoc basis.
- Assist the team in resolving issues that have been discovered.
- Automated code analysis tools should be integrated into the development and CI/CD processes.
Pentesting
- Use an industry-recognized approach to conduct independent IT pentesting.
- Prepare a formal penetration report and provide it.
- Inform key stakeholders about the concerns that have been found.
Security and Hardening of the Hosting Environment
- Create a list of security configurations that are suggested.
- Ascertain that both software and users adhere to the notion of the least privilege.
- Use the security baselines for the network and the host.
- Monitoring and alerting for security