Uncover the Vulnerabilities in Network Security with Penetration Tests
Penetration test is an assessment of the network’s security to uncover potential vulnerabilities and to exploit them immediately. Businesses and individuals perform penetration tests in order to find out and correct potential ways a hacker could gain access to the network. Penetration tests are similar to ethical hacking and an individual is given permission to attack a network using exactly the same methods as used by an outside hacker.
Penetration tests are done with proper planning. Before the test begins, certain goals, time tables, and parameters are decided in advance. You need to decide which aspects of your network you want tested and how long and when the testing will be conducted.
The next step is to gather information about the network. The tester works as an illegal hacker. Then the tester will manually test all of the information gathered for possible vulnerabilities. He employs all the hacker tricks and sees where and in what ways the system is vulnerable.
The tester starts by selecting a target. For example, the tester could focus in on the network’s main server. From the research done during this step, the tester has certain tools and potential ways into the network. Now it’s a matter of using that information to hack into the targeted server.
Once the testing is complete, the tester provides the company with a report detailing the vulnerabilities and explaining how to correct them. The overarching goal of penetration testing is to uncover holes in your network security. There are, however, several different perspectives from which to approach the testing.
There is another type of testing known as “zero knowledge penetration testing”. With the zero knowledge approach, the testing team has been given no knowledge or information about the system and network from the company. Many consider the zero knowledge approach to be the most realistic, given that the potential attacker would be starting from scratch with regards to the hacking.
Iviz Security is a leading IT services company specializing in conducting penetration tests for testing software’s security and potential vulnerabilities.
Jeff Minton is an expert writer who writes articles for iViZ Security, the industry’s first on-demand, comprehensive, cost-effective network penetration testing for web application security, vulnerability assessment and management solution that secures your critical applications and networks.