Imagine this scenario: You are the owner of a successful online business that sells products or services to thousands of customers every day. You have invested a lot of time and resources into developing a robust and secure web application that handles all the transactions and interactions with your clients. You are confident that your system is well-protected against cyber threats and that your data is safe from hackers.
But one day, you wake up to find out that your website has been hacked. Your customer data has been stolen, your reputation has been damaged, and your revenue has been affected. You wonder how this could have happened, and what you could have done to prevent it.
This is not a hypothetical situation. This is a reality for many businesses that have fallen victim to cyber attacks, which are becoming more frequent and sophisticated every year. According to a 2022 report by IBM, the average cost of a data breach was $3.86 million, and the average time to identify and contain a breach was 280 days.
The good news is that there is a way to avoid this nightmare scenario: penetration testing.
Penetration testing, also known as pen testing, is a simulated cyber attack against your computer system to check for exploitable vulnerabilities. In the context of web application security, penetration testing is commonly used to augment a web application firewall (WAF), which is a software or hardware solution that monitors and filters incoming and outgoing web traffic.
Researching Vulnerabilities
Tools and Techniques to Identify Potential Security Risks
Pen testing can involve the attempted breaching of any number of application systems, such as APIs, frontend/backend servers, databases, mobile apps, networks and cloud – to uncover vulnerabilities, such as unsanitized inputs that are susceptible to code injection attacks, weak authentication and authorization mechanisms, misconfigured security settings, outdated software versions, and more.
The insights provided by the penetration test can be used to fine-tune your WAF security policies and fix/patch detected vulnerabilities, as well as to improve your overall security posture and awareness.
However, penetration testing is not a simple or straightforward process. It requires planning, preparation, execution, analysis, and reporting. It also involves ethical and legal considerations, as well as technical and business challenges.
For example, how do you define the scope and goals of a pen test? How do you choose the right tools and methods for the test? How do you ensure that the test does not damage or disrupt your system or network? How do you interpret and communicate the results of the test? How do you measure the effectiveness and value of the test?
These are some of the questions that you need to answer before conducting a pen test. If you don’t have a clear and comprehensive strategy for pen testing, you may end up wasting time and resources, exposing yourself to unnecessary risks, or missing important vulnerabilities that could compromise your security.
That’s why it’s crucial to follow some key steps when conducting a pen test. These steps will help you plan, perform, and evaluate your pen test in a systematic and effective way. They will also help you align your pen test with your business objectives and security requirements.
By following the key steps, you will be able to:
Identify and prioritize the most critical assets and systems in your environment
Determine the best type and level of pen testing for your needs
Select the most suitable tools and techniques for your pen test
Conduct the pen test in a safe and controlled manner
Analyze and document the findings and recommendations of the pen test
Implement remediation actions based on the pen test results
Monitor and measure the impact of the pen test on your security
Key Steps of Penetration Testing
Here is a brief overview of each step:
1. Planning and Reconnaissance
This step involves defining the scope and goals of the pen test, including the systems to be tested, the testing methods to be used, the expected outcomes, and the success criteria.
It also involves gathering intelligence about the target system or network, such as network and domain names, mail servers, IP addresses, open ports, services running, technology stack in use and more, to better understand how it works and its potential vulnerabilities.
2. Research This step involves using automated tools or manual techniques to research and scan the target system, application or network for vulnerabilities. There are two types of scanning:
Static analysis – involves inspecting the code or configuration of the system to estimate how it behaves while running
Dynamic analysis– involves testing the system in a running state to observe its real-time performance and behavior
3. Gaining Access
This step involves exploiting the vulnerabilities found in the previous step to gain access to the target system or network. This can be done using various web application attacks (you can read on OWASP about many kinds of these attacks), such as cross-site scripting (XSS), SQL injection, broken authentication, (IDOR) Indirect Object Reference and more, depending on the type of vulnerability.
The goal of this step is to understand the impact and severity of each vulnerability by escalating privileges, stealing data and intercepting traffic.
4. Analysis This step involves analyzing and documenting the results of the pen test in a clear and concise report. The report should include:
An executive summary that highlights the main findings, risks, recommendations, and conclusions of the pen test
A detailed description of each vulnerability that was exploited , including its name, location, severity, impact, proof-of-concept, screenshots, etc.
A list of remediation actions that should be taken to fix each vulnerability, including their priority, difficulty, estimated time, etc.
Methods, techniques, references, sources, etc., that were used during the pen test.
5. Remediation This step involves implementing the remediation actions suggested in the report based on their priority and difficulty. The goal of this step is to eliminate or reduce the vulnerabilities that were discovered and exploited during the pen test. This can be done by fixing the application code, updating software versions, changing passwords, applying patches, configuring security settings and more.
6. Retesting This step involves retesting the target system, application or network after applying the remediation actions. The goal of this step is to verify that the vulnerabilities have been fixed or mitigated, and that no new vulnerabilities have been introduced. This can be done by repeating some or all of the previous steps.
As you can see, penetration testing is not a one-time activity. It is an ongoing process that requires constant monitoring, evaluation, improvement, and adaptation. Penetration testing should be performed regularly, at least once a year, or whenever there are significant changes in your system or environment.
Penetration testing should also be integrated with other security practices, such as risk assessment, vulnerability management, incident response, security awareness training, etc., to create a comprehensive security program for your organization.
Penetration testing is one of the most effective ways to assess your web application security. It can help you identify and fix vulnerabilities before they are exploited by hackers . It can also help you improve your security posture and awareness.
However, penetration testing is not easy. It requires a lot of planning, preparation, execution, analysis, and reporting. It also involves ethical and legal considerations as well as technical challenges.
That’s why it’s important to follow some key steps when conducting a pen test. These steps will help you plan, perform and evaluate your pen test in a systematic effective way. They will also help align your pen test with business objectives and security requirements.
Check out our White Paper – The 7 Mistakes of External Penetration Testing (and How to Avoid Them).
If you need help with conducting a pen test for your web application contact us. At Komodo Consulting, we are a team of experienced ethical hackers who can provide professional reliable penetration testing services for any size business. We can help you secure your web applications, protect your data, your reputation and your revenue.
Don’t wait until it’s too late! Hack yourself before someone else does.
Ready to Secure Your Business? Request a Free Consultation and Safeguard Your Systems from Cyber Attacks.
Penetration Testing FAQs: Expert Answers to Common Questions for Secure Systems
1. What is penetration testing?
Penetration testing, also known as pen testing, is a simulated cyber attack conducted on a computer system to identify vulnerabilities and assess its security measures. It helps businesses proactively identify weaknesses and prevent potential cyber attacks.
2. How can I request a penetration testing service?
Requesting a penetration testing service can be done by reaching out to a reputable provider or consulting firm. They will guide you through the process and discuss your specific security needs.
3. Is penetration testing only applicable to web applications?
Penetration testing covers a wide range of systems and environments, including web applications, networks, mobile apps, APIs, databases, cloud services, and more. It can be tailored to your specific needs.
4. Can penetration testing guarantee absolute security?
While penetration testing significantly enhances your security posture, it cannot provide an absolute guarantee of invulnerability. However, engaging Komodo Consulting's expertise ensures proactive risk management, detection of vulnerabilities, and effective mitigation strategies.
More to read in Komodo Consulting Blog