Penetration testing is an attempt to evaluate the security of an infrastructure by trying to exploit vulnerabilities safely. These vulnerabilities can be found in operating systems, services and applications, misconfigurations, or risky end user behavior. Such assessments are also useful in verifying the effectiveness of defense mechanisms and in adhering to the security policies of the end user.

Penetration testing is usually performed systematically using manual or automated technologies for servers, endpoints, web applications, wireless networks, network devices, mobile devices and other potential points.

Information about vulnerabilities successfully exploited through penetration testing is collected. And this is offered to IT and network system administrators to help professionals draw strategic conclusions and prioritize relevant improvement efforts. The main purpose of penetration testing is to measure the feasibility of systems or end-user reconciliation and to evaluate any relevant consequences that such events may have on the relevant resources or processes.

• • Black Box Penetration Testing

  The penetration team has no information about the target system in a black box test. The hackers must find their own way into the system and plan on how to orchestrate a breach.Typically, the testers only have the name of the company at the start of a black box test. The penetration team must start with detailed reconnaissance, so this form of testing requires considerable time.

  • Grey Box Penetration Testing

  The testing team has the knowledge of a user with elevated privileges. The hacker knows about:

  • The design and architecture of documentation.
  • Internal structures.

  A grey box pen test allows the team to focus on the targets with the greatest risk and value from the start. This type of testing is ideal for mimicking an attacker who has long-term access to the network.

  • White Box Penetration Testing

  Pen testers have information about the target system before they start to work. This information can include:

  • IP addresses.
  • Network infrastructure schematics.
  • User protocols.
  • System artifacts (source code, binaries, containers).

  Depending on the setup, testers can even have access to the servers running the system. While not as authentic as black box testing, white box is quick and cheap to organize.