Penetration testing is an offensive technique that exploits and identifies system vulnerabilities before a hacker can. So, penetration testing is a must for any organisation that takes its cyber security seriously.
Businesses typically engage third parties to conduct penetration tests as ethical hackers will have little knowledge of an organisation’s internal infrastructure. So, they won't be biased when trying to access or exploit the system (much like you’d find with a regular cyber criminal!).
But did you know that there are several different types of penetration testing that you should be aware of? From black-box to white-box and grey-box testing, pentesting is a cyber kaleidoscope that any aspiring red teamer should take note of.
Now, let’s take a closer look!
What are the benefits of penetration testing?
Before discussing the main types of pentesting, let's quickly cover its benefits (and why businesses are always looking to hire skilled, ethical hackers!).
There are many benefits to carrying out a simulated cyber attack, but the main ones are:
· Mitigating risk by identifying vulnerabilities
· Improving overall security posture by offering an unbiased look at weaknesses in infrastructure
· Saving the cost and reputational damage of a potential data breach
· Minimising the company-wide disruption that comes with a hacking incident
· Helping businesses reassure their clients, proving they take cyber security and data protection seriously
Types of penetration testing you should know about
Now that we’ve given you some context on penetration testing, let’s take a look at the different types of penetration testing that you may uncover during your cyber security career.
Black-box
Black-box penetration testing gives the hacker virtually no context about a target’s internal system. So, testers won’t get internal system architecture information, source code, data, or access that wouldn’t be available to anyone else from the public. In short, they’re placed in the shoes of a traditional hacker and will need to work their way through the network to gain and maintain access.
This type of penetration testing lets organisations see precisely how vulnerable their system is from outside the internal network. Pentesters will also need to do hardcore reconnaissance to obtain the login details required to hack the system in the first place.
Black-box pentesting is often the most helpful option for organisations, as it offers a super-realistic cyber attack simulation. However, it’s time-consuming, and a pentester risks missing vulnerabilities hiding deep within a company’s source code. This is mainly because they don't have the time to allocate to gaining access and exploiting the systems fully.
As penetration testers are usually hired for a set engagement, they can only do a set amount of meaningful analysis before they’re forced to conclude their hack. For this reason, black-box testing can be seen as unpredictable and is usually reserved for exploiting specific or pre-conceived vulnerabilities.
Tactics used during black-box penetration testing might include:
· Full port scanning
· Password attacks
· Syntax testing
· Finding anomalies with exploratory testing
· Checking application resistance to evasion techniques
· Test Scaffolding to track program behaviour
· Exposing weaknesses in input validation with fuzzing
· Using social engineering to find faults in employee awareness
· Detecting vulnerabilities in external assets, including web applications and SaaS apps
White-box
White-box penetration testing involves giving an ethical hacker plenty of information about your IT security systems and internal infrastructure (AKA: it’s the polar opposite to black-box pentesting!). Organisations can choose how much data they hand over, but it usually includes endpoints, security controls, access permissions, and details about network architecture.
While giving this much information away may seem odd, it allows an incredibly detailed test to take place. With more access to the system, pentesters can exploit vulnerabilities head-on and spend more time uncovering problems that need patching.
However, it's not all sunshine and daisies. Because hackers have surplus information, their findings won’t be wholly representative of how an actual cyber criminal would exploit the organisation’s infrastructure. So, what’s pulled up as high-risk might ignore peripheral problems that could seriously damage the system down the line.
Tactics used during white-box penetration testing might include:
· The use of Burp Suite and Fiddler to exploit source code
· Identifying bugs in the system that may allow a hacker entry into sensitive systems
· Exploring internal and external vulnerabilities with debuggers
Grey-box
Grey-box penetration testing is sometimes seen as the best of both worlds, as it balances depth of testing and efficiency. It gives ethical hackers internal access via network infrastructure maps and basic credentials but not much more. So, pentesters can take the guise of an attacker who may have limited access to the network but would still need to break through barriers to reach sensitive information.
Having a degree of access helps pentesters skip a lot of the lengthy reconnaissance phase and move to the exploitation phase. This means that they can allocate time efficiently and analyse security gaps more deeply to reach a solid conclusion about vulnerabilities in their report. With greater access than a black-box test, hackers can also find information hidden in the source code without digging as deep.
With knowledge of the network's design, grey-box pentesters can focus on high-risk infrastructure sections. And if organisations are on a tight timescale, this can make the investment way more valuable.
Tactics used during grey-box penetration testing might include:
· Looking at critical pathways in the system to detect vulnerabilities
· Matrix testing to identify critical paths and influence the behaviour of software
· Regression testing to detect side effects with code modifications that may damage infrastructure
· Orthogonal Array Testing (OAT) to maximise coverage across the system
· Attempting Privilege Escalation to expand access into the system
Which types of penetration testing are best?
When it comes to what businesses need, there isn’t necessarily a “correct” answer to this question. Black-box testing is typically the most affordable, but the time taken to access systems can distract valuable attention from exploiting them.
On the other hand, specialist white-box testing is costly, as it requires testers with in-depth technical expertise. For these reasons, grey-box testing can be the sweet spot, as it’s less expensive than white-box testing but still offers an excellent overview of current vulnerabilities.
If we take cost out of the equation, though, there's a lot of value to black-box testing. It offers the most realistic cyber attack simulation and may catch peripheral problems you wouldn't see if a hacker was granted access from the get-go. So, it all depends on what a business is looking to achieve!
Launch TryHackMe for pentesting!
If you want to become a penetration tester, you'll first need to dial up your cyber security skills! If you’re new to the game, Pentesting Fundamentals will set you on an early path to success.
For more experienced ethical hackers, why not spend time upskilling with our Offensive Pentesting Training modules? With 28 hands-on labs set at an intermediate difficulty level, you’ll get all the practical assistance you need to become a successful penetration tester.
Our innovative, gamified training lets you explore high-level offensive content at your own pace. So, there’s no reason to wait around. Let’s get started!
Ben Spring
