Junior network security engineers master these penetration methods and steadily improve their technology to become leaders!

What is penetration testing ？

Penetration test , Usually called “ Pen test ”, It is a technology that simulates the attack on your information technology system in real life to find the weaknesses that hackers may take advantage of . Whether it's compliance ISO 27001 And other safety regulations , Gain the trust of customers and third parties , Or achieve your own peace of mind , Penetration testing is an effective method used by modern organizations to strengthen their network security situation and prevent data leakage .

There are several types of penetration tests , You can learn more about

Network penetration testing

seeing the name of a thing one thinks of its function , Network penetration testing is designed to identify weaknesses in your network infrastructure , Whether inside or in the cloud . This is one of the most common and critical tests performed to ensure the security of business critical data .

Network penetration testing covers a wide range of inspections , Including unsafe configurations 、 Encryption vulnerabilities and missing security patches , To determine the steps that hackers may take to attack the organization . Security professionals usually divide the test into two different perspectives : Outside and inside .

External infiltration Testing includes searching for vulnerabilities that any attacker with access to the Internet could exploit . under these circumstances , Penetration testers try to access your key business systems and data , To determine how an attacker without any prior access or knowledge can target your organization . You can think of this test as starting from “ outsiders ” From the angle of .

by comparison , Internal penetration Testing is about testing your internal corporate environment . This type of testing considers scenarios where an attacker tries to gain an initial foothold in your company's Network , For example, by exploiting vulnerabilities in one of your Internet Oriented Systems , Or by using social engineering . under these circumstances , The test is from “ insiders ” From the angle of , The purpose is to find ways to steal sensitive information or disrupt the operation of the organization .

Generally speaking , External weaknesses are considered to pose a more serious threat than internal weaknesses . First , Hackers must overcome external security barriers , Then you can access your internal network and switch to other systems . If you have not conducted any type of penetration test before , External or “ peripheral ” Testing is usually the best place to start , Because the periphery is the easiest place for attackers to reach . If you have trivial vulnerabilities in your Internet Oriented Infrastructure , That's the beginning of hacking . Therefore, if you want to consolidate enterprise information, you need to build an external network . And when penetration testers help enterprises do security vulnerability scanning, they also need to enter from the Internet first , Then enter the intranet to infiltrate .

Web Application penetration testing

Web Application penetration testing attempts to discover cross site and cross site issues web Application vulnerabilities , For example, e-commerce platform 、 Content management system and customer relationship management software . This type of testing involves reviewing the entire web Application security , Including its underlying logic and customization functions , To prevent data leakage .

stay web Some common vulnerabilities detected in application penetration testing include database Injection 、 Cross-site scripting (XSS) And authentication failed . If you are interested in learning more about different types of web application vulnerabilities 、 Their severity and how to prevent them . When learning about these common vulnerabilities , You can go more src Exploit vulnerabilities through the platform , The best way to improve your skills quickly .

Automated penetration testing

It is understandable that , Due to the high cost and infrequent penetration testing ( Only run once or twice a year ), Many people naturally doubt whether automated penetration testing is feasible .

Although it is impossible to fully automate penetration testing ( Because there will always be some manual work done by skilled professionals ), But it is impossible for a penetration engineer to manually check every vulnerability that exists , Because there are too many loopholes . This is where vulnerability scanning can be used , With these tools, you can : Schedule a scan ; Quickly test thousands of weaknesses ; And be informed of your results through various channels and forms . Not surprisingly , Vulnerability scanners form a key part of the penetration testing toolkit . Therefore, learn to use vulnerability scanning tools , It's also a good skill . The vulnerability scanning tool can complete the setting and protection in a very short time . Intruders include emerging threat scanning , Once a newly discovered vulnerability is found , It will actively check your system .

Although this may not be a fully automated penetration test , But it's definitely like having an automated penetration tester monitor your system . Then combine your penetration test skills , It's not difficult to scan for some vulnerabilities .

Social engineering

Compared with the previously described type of penetration testing focused on discovering technical weaknesses , Social engineering attempts to endanger the safety of organizations by using human psychology . It can take many forms , It can be executed remotely , For example, get sensitive information from users through phishing email or phone , It can also be carried out on site , under these circumstances , Penetration testers will attempt to access physical facilities . In all cases , The purpose of this penetration test is to manipulate individuals , Usually employees of the company , Divulge valuable information .

One of the most common attack media in social engineering is phishing , Usually sent by e-mail . When performing a phishing attack , When an unwitting employee clicks on a malicious link , Penetration engineers don't necessarily stop , It will go further , Trying to steal user credentials and access employees' laptops . This attack was very successful , Especially when performed by experienced penetration Engineers .

Social engineering penetration testing is not as good as the Internet or web Application testing is widely used . however , If you can, social engineering can greatly increase your ability to identify and fix security problems in your operations . Want to learn more about penetration testing techniques , These skills should not be missed .