7 Phases Of Penetration Testing

Penetration testing identifies vulnerabilities in a target system or network and is essentially a simulated cyber attack with several stages. The process starts with defining the scope and goals and collecting information on the target. These steps form the foundation of the Phases Of Penetration Testing, ensuring a structured approach to identifying and mitigating security risks. This brings about the asset-mapping stage, which outlines discovering systems, networks, and applications in the target environment. Once the assets are mapped, vulnerability analysis discovers any potential weaknesses. These are subsequently exploited during and after exploitation to determine the probable impact. Lastly, during the reporting phase, the specialist summarizes the vulnerabilities discovered, gives the remediation steps, and recommends a rescan interval to verify the efficacy of the countermeasures taken. Let us discuss the 7 Phases Of Penetration Testing in this blog. 7 Steps and Phases of Penetration Testing Pre-Engagement Reconnaissance Discovery Vulnerability Analysis Exploitation and Post-Exploitation Reporting and Recommendations Remediation and Rescan Penetration Testing Phase I: Pre-Engagement Phase Here, the security expert examines the test’s logistics and rules of engagement. The VAPT providers and the target organization engage in dialogue about the exercise’s legal aspects. Penetration Testing Phase II: Reconnaissance The pentester requires access to information regarding the target to mimic a cyber attack on an application or a network, and they obtain this information during the reconnaissance phase. Regardless of whether a hacker wishes to attack a whole network or a single web application, they must be aware of as much as they can about it. The scoping that has been performed in the earlier phase assists the pentester in focusing the survey to make the test more efficient. Mapping is also a part of the recon operation during a web app simulated attack. This step enables the attacker to look at all the application components in a single location and comprehend how they work. Two types of reconnaissance exist: 1. Active Reconnaissance The pen testers interact with the target system directly to harvest information in active recon. This is a more direct method of reconnaissance, though one that is considerably more intrusive as the attacker interacts with the system. 2. Passive Reconnaissance In this technique, the intruder doesn’t interact with the target system and uses various passive approaches instead to obtain information. They attempt to spy on network traffic and track OS or internet footprinting. Penetration Testing Phase III: Discovery The discovery step consists of collecting data about the target network and determining vulnerabilities. It can be split into two parts: 1. Further Information Gathering Pentesters collect more details regarding the target network using methods such as DNS interrogation, InterNIC questions, and network sniffing in order to determine hostnames and IP data. During an in-house test, the tester finds data such as names and shares by using NetBIOS enumeration and banner grabbing. 2. Vulnerability Scanning Pentesters run the application or operating system against known vulnerabilities. They can execute automated scans, which check the system with a database of vulnerabilities, or manual scans, which excel at discovering new and concealed vulnerabilities. Penetration Testing Phase IV: Vulnerability Analysis On security scanning, multiple sources of threats are identified, which are then examined by pen testers to ascertain underlying vulnerabilities and rank them on the basis of the risk posed to the system. A routine process must be followed to inspect the vulnerabilities on the basis of severity and risk, which VAPT vendors accomplish. The exploitation stage is designed to create access to a system in a simulated attack via the discovered vulnerabilities. The pentester discovers an entry point and then searches for assets that are accessible. Penetration Testing Phase V: Exploitation and Post-Exploitation The exploitation step seeks to gain access to a system in the emulated attack using the discovered vulnerabilities. The pentester identifies an entry point and subsequently seeks assets that can be accessed. The pen testers need to be extremely cautious of the target’s functionality while performing this test and ensure that there is no damage to the workflow. The Post-Exploitation Phase Once the pentester has gained access to a vulnerability and located an entry point into the system, the next task is to ascertain the value of the entry point. The questions to ask are: The exploitation and post-exploitation stages assist the tester in acquiring access, finding sensitive information, determining communication channels, etc. They can also take advantage of the relationship between multiple systems within the network and enlarge the breach. Agreed rules of engagement in the pre-engagement phase dictate how much a pentester can exploit a particular vulnerability. Penetration Testing Phase VI: Reporting and Recommendations All the above penetration testing activities lead to this stage, where a VAPT is produced and presented to the client. The pen testers then give an in-depth description of the vulnerabilities, including: The quality of your VAPT report will decide how fast and effectively you will replicate and eliminate the vulnerabilities from your system. Penetration Testing Phase VII: Remediation and Rescan The VAPT report includes step-by-step guidance on how to remedy the vulnerabilities. Your developers can implement those guidelines to plug the loopholes in your app security. A perfect remediation phase includes the following steps: Timeline for the Phases of Penetration Testing The initial six phases of penetration testing, ranging from reconnaissance to the generation of a VAPT report, would take about ten days. The duration may differ slightly based on the test’s scope. The timeline for the remediation phase is contingent upon the speed at which your development team will be able to implement the fixes suggested by the pen testing team. Nevertheless, there is always a specified period to take advantage of the free rescan a VAPT company provides. Post-Pentest Rescans Once the vulnerabilities are discovered and remediated, the VAPT firm suggests periodic rescans of your application. In case no additional vulnerabilities are discovered in the rescans, the VAPT firm may also issue a certificate to utilize for regulatory compliances like ISO, SOC2, and HIPAA. Run periodic automated scans to maintain the security