Ethical Hacking/Penetration Testing is a kind of security testing that prompt an actual attack on the system, application, or network. It is to find the flaws in the security and the possible danger in the system. Penetration testing is done to determine how well the system can defend itself from spiteful characters like hackers, cybercriminals, and others.
By conducting frequent penetration testing, the flaws and weaknesses of the system can be picked out. This helps to secure the vulnerabilities before the real hackers get a hand on them. Early securing the errors can eliminate the chances of data breaches. It secures the sensitive data thus it ensures the customer’s trust.
Apart from securing the application it also helps the organization to adhere to various regulations and standards like HIPPA, PCI DSS, and ISO 27001.
Penetration testing has many advantages apart from securing the application and some of them are:
- Vulnerability Assessment: Penetration testing helps identify the vulnerabilities in the application or system. The vulnerabilities may have been missed by other security measures like vulnerability scans, security audits, etc.
- Rist Management: By finding out the vulnerabilities, and organizing them can help in preventing the system from malicious attackers. It can also help to prevent cybersecurity leaks, system outages, and other security issues.
- Meeting compliance requirements: As part of a complete security program, several regulatory frameworks and industry standards mandate frequent penetration testing. Organizations can assist assure compliance with these regulations by undertaking frequent penetration testing.
- Maintaining customer trust: By identifying and solving the security risk beforehand can help to increase the customer’s and stakeholder’s trust in the company. Thus it can save a significant amount which is related to data breaches, and other security issues that may arise.
- Improving security awareness: Pen testing helps to develop an awareness about the importance of application/system security and the potential risks associated with it.
Features that are tested during penetration testing:
- Network security: The tester will attempt to access the system by exploiting the vulnerabilities in the network devices, like routers, switches, and firewalls.
- Web application security: Tester will try to gain unauthorized access and steal data by exploiting the vulnerabilities of the web application. Common web application vulnerabilities are cross-site scripting (XSS) and SQL injection.
- Mobile application security: The tester may seek to detect vulnerabilities in mobile apps. Apps such as unsecured data storage, inadequate authentication systems, and insecure communications.
- Wireless security: By manipulating the vulnerabilities, pen testers will try to gain unauthorized access to the system through wireless networks like Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth.
- Physical security: Pen testers will try to steal valuable information by unauthorized accessing the system through physical locations, such as data centers, or server rooms.
Overall, penetration testing is an important factor for proactively securing the system/application from malicious attackers. The attackers might breach very sensitive information that may lead to major issues.
