Everything You Need to Know About Penetration Testing Services

Penetration testing is defined as the process of detecting security vulnerabilities in a network or system. Penetration testing is essential to find and patch breaches in security. Companies opt for penetration testing services to identify security flaws and fix them.

Learn everything about the duties of a penetration tester, penetration testing phases, benefits of hiring a penetration tester, and major penetration testing errors.

Who is a penetration tester?

A penetration tester is someone who finds security vulnerabilities. This is a serious task that requires in-depth knowledge and advanced skills. The person must be familiar with various hacking techniques.

Penetration Testing and its 5 phases

Penetration testers complete the testing in five phases which are:

1. Reconnaissance: In the first phase, known as reconnaissance, the tester collects information about the operating systems, network typology, user accounts, and operating applications. This offers the tester a complete picture of the possible vulnerabilities.
2. Scanning: After assembling all the essential data, the tester uses specific tools to narrow down open ports as they serve as entry points for potential attackers.
3. Vulnerability assessment: During the third stage, the tester analyses the risks of the vulnerabilities discovered while scanning.
4. Exploitation: After identification of all vulnerabilities, the penetration tester exploits the vulnerabilities. This phase is delicate as it demands bypassing the system’s security restrictions.
5. Reporting: The final phase is preparing a report document based on the findings of the penetration test. The report is crucial to tighten the security posture of the organization.

Why do companies perform penetration testing?

Performing penetration testing is vital for companies for the following reasons:

• Preventing cyberattacks- A penetration tester finds the vulnerabilities that exist in a system before the hacker. So, addressing the problems helps the company fix the problems before hackers can take advantage.
• Maintaining compliance- It is mandatory for many companies to conduct occasional penetration tests in compliance with regulations and laws.
• Avoiding expensive security incidents- Companies can save themselves from serious attacks by undergoing penetration tests. This helps them save money by improving the overall security.

Penetration testing mistakes to avoid

Inexperienced penetration testers commit these common errors while testing:

• Improper planning- Prior planning is necessary for a penetration test to become successful.
• Not using the right tools- A penetration tester must know which tools would be best and how to use them. Using wrong tools will lead to false positives.
• Skipping the reconnaissance phase- The tester needs to take time to understand the vulnerabilities of the target environment before beginning the exploitation phase.

Search Online

Penetration testing is an important task in information security. If you want to hire a penetration tester or pay for freelancer digital marketing services, you will find trained professionals online.