The digitization of businesses, in addition to streamlining processes and workflows, has created a need to keep their systems secure to prevent potential cyberattacks that could result in service interruptions or financial losses or the breach of confidential data. According to data from Incibe, Last year alone, over 183,000 vulnerable systems were detected in Spain. This makes cybersecurity an essential asset for companies of all sizes and sectors.
One of the best tools for checking system security is pentesting, or penetration testing. This involves simulated cyberattacks carried out by ethical hackers (also called white hat hackers), IT experts capable of discovering flaws in systems that could allow a malicious user to access them and perform any type of action. The goal of these simulations is to find potential vulnerabilities in the systems so that the company can fix them, thus increasing its security.
6 keys to good pentesting quality
Testing system security is one of the best practices companies can implement to verify their defenses. However, penetration testing cannot be done arbitrarily; it must follow certain steps to ensure it is carried out correctly. These are the six key elements that every penetration test must meet:
1. Planning and preparation
The first step is to agree with the client on which assets will be evaluated. It's essential to define precisely which devices, systems, networks, or applications will be tested and to obtain all necessary permissions to avoid potential problems. Therefore, it's crucial that the penetration tester limits themselves to attacking the agreed-upon assets. Furthermore, the type of test to be performed must be defined based on the prior information available to the ethical hacker. In this case, three types of penetration testing can be defined:
- Black box: The attacker has no prior information or permissions to simulate a real external attack.
- Grey box: The pentester has some information about the systems, but must pull on the thread to gain full access.
- White box: The company provides complete information and full access to the evaluated systems. This is the most comprehensive test available.
2. Recognition
Once the client has agreed on which assets will be evaluated and what type of penetration testing will be carried out, the professional begins by gathering and classifying all the information needed to perform the test. This phase is especially important in the case of black-box tests, as the pentester starts blind and needs to create a mental map of the assets to be targeted and any potential blind spots. One of the most widely used techniques in this phase is the collection of information available from open sources, known as OSINT.
3. Scanning and enumeration
At this point, the penetration tester begins scanning the systems by sending requests to identify weaknesses in the assets under test. This involves scanning ports and vulnerabilities, as well as searching for directories and resources, using specialized tools such as Nmap, Burp Suite, Nessus, or SQLMap. The use of automated tools is crucial at this stage, as performing this scan manually could be very time-consuming for the attacker. Once all these potential entry points have been identified and listed, the penetration tester is ready to move on to the next phase.
4.Exploitation
This is the most critical phase of penetration testing, as the ethical hacker will examine the detected vulnerabilities to try and exploit them. The goal is to determine the extent of their access to the system and what actions they can perform once inside. This may include executing malicious code, obtaining credentials, or the possibility of stealing or modifying confidential company data. Most importantly, the pentester must be able to determine the potential impact of these vulnerabilities on the company and what kind of actions a cybercriminal could take if they were to infiltrate its systems.
5. Post-exploitation
Once the exploited vulnerabilities have been implemented, the attacker proceeds to define the level of access obtained and analyze, this time from within, what other avenues could grant access to the remaining parts of the analyzed system. Furthermore, they can explore the possibilities of lateral movement or the creation of backdoors or covert channels to facilitate future access. The objective of this phase is to understand the potential impact of all the discovered vulnerabilities.
6. Reports and recommendations
After evaluating the system, the penetration tester must create a detailed report, categorizing by level of importance the vulnerabilities found, the entry vectors, the types of exploitation methods used to access and compromise the assets, and the potential reach of a real attacker in the event of an intrusion. The report should also include recommendations for mitigating these vulnerabilities. It is crucial that this report be clear and comprehensive so that the client fully understands the state of their assets and can develop an action plan to address all the identified vulnerabilities.
Simulate an attack to improve your defenses
As we've seen, penetration testing is a comprehensive security analysis service for companies' computer systems. By using techniques similar to what could be considered a real-world scenario, company IT teams can accurately assess the security level of their assets and identify and address potential vulnerabilities that could allow malicious users or cybercriminals access, potentially causing service disruptions or obtaining sensitive data, which could pose a significant problem for the company.
Cybersecurity is no longer optional, That's why it's important to perform these types of tests periodically or whenever a new asset is going to be deployed, so we can strengthen its protection. Furthermore, vulnerability analysis has become a very important part of new compliance regulations, such as NIS2, DORA, ENS… Excelia We offer a service of pentesting This analysis is conducted by top-tier professionals who will be able to thoroughly test your systems, providing a rigorous assessment of your defenses and solutions for any vulnerabilities found. Is your company willing to risk having its assets compromised?
