Security is more important now than ever in today’s corporate world. Cyberattacks happen each day, and hackers are looking to steal critical information and data from organizations and their customers. Hackers target all industries, but companies can stay ahead of these attacks by conducting penetration testing, also known as pen testing. A penetration test can help identify vulnerabilities in a system before the hacker finds them.

What Is Penetration Testing And Why Is It Important to Be Performed?

A penetration test helps find any security weaknesses in a company’s IT infrastructure. The test safely exploits the company to find flaws in software codes, improper configurations, and backdoors to the operating system.

A pen test should go deep into the infrastructure to find all vulnerabilities. Businesses must perform these tests to understand where they need to make improvements. They will then better understand how a hacker can attack them, and how they can create a better defensive plan.

Three Types of Penetration Testing

Various types of penetration testing exist, but here are three types of testing that can be engaged to address specific needs.

  • Web Application Pen Testing: This type of pen testing targets web-based applications. It dives deep to find weaknesses in web servers and operating systems. This type of testing is complex and thoroughly works to find any mistakes.

  • API Penetration Testing: This type of testing identifies vulnerabilities within an API (Application Programming Interface). They mitigate potential risks by searching for weak authentication, sending requests to the API, and analyzing the responses.

  • Cloud Penetration Testing: The cloud has become a vital piece of data for many companies. During this test, experts search the cloud setup for any weaknesses to help protect data and operations.

What Are the Three Approaches to Pen Testing?

Penetration testing is classified into three different categories: Black Box Testing, White Box Testing, and Gray Box Testing.

  • Black Box Testing. In this type of pen test, the tester has not been given any information about the system they are going to hack. This tester will launch a strong attack on the IT infrastructure in hopes of finding any vulnerabilities. This type of test most accurately simulates a real cyber attack.

  • White Box Testing. The tester has access to all of the system’s information during a White Box Pen Test. Since the tester knows the software and source code, they can perform this type of test much quicker than a Black Box Test. It also allows the tester to thoroughly cover all aspects of a system.

  • Gray Box Testing. In a Gray Box Pen Test, the tester has little information about the web application’s internal working, which is where the name comes from. This situation for the tester is a bit of a gray area, but it allows the tester to focus on certain areas that they have the most knowledge about.

What Characterizes a Known-Environment Penetration Test?

In a known-environment penetration test, also known as a White Box Test, the tester has a large amount of knowledge about an organization’s system. The tester uses this knowledge to search through the infrastructure to find any weaknesses and vulnerabilities.

What kind of security weaknesses do application-based penetration tests evaluate?

Some of the security weaknesses that can be evaluated include misconfigurations, logic flaws, firewall security, and data integrity. An application-based penetration test will help identify these and other security weaknesses to help fight off potential cyber threats.

What Is the Difference Between White Box and Black Box Pen Testing?

  • Black Box Pen Testing uses a trial-and-error approach where the tester enters without any prior knowledge of the internal workings. In a White Box Pen Test, also known as Clear Box Testing, the tester has full knowledge of the web application.

  • A Black Box Test mainly focuses on the functionality of the software, while the White Box Test ensures the internal code of the software is correct.

  • The tester has a considerable amount of information during a White Box Test, making it the least time-consuming. The timing of a Black Box Test is more prolonged because the tester is going in blind without any knowledge of the applications.

Penetration tests are vital for organizations to help prevent future cyberattacks from happening. A network’s infrastructure becomes more vulnerable anytime when it is being added to, and a business needs to perform pen tests at these times to find any vulnerabilities.

At Trava, we provide top-quality penetration testing services to identify vulnerabilities and address them promptly to protect your digital assets from future threats. If you are ready to secure your systems, schedule a consultation with us today.