A Beginner’s Guide to Understand the Basics of Pen Testing

If you think ethical hacking is a small umbrella, you will be shocked to know that it is exactly the opposite. There are multiple security exercises that fall under ethical hacking, along with the procedures to eliminate this threat.

Among these, one of the biggest parts of cyber security is penetration testing (also known as pen testing). The primary aim of this testing is to identify any threat within the database of a business before it comes to the attention of a bad party.

But that is just the tip of the iceberg. In this guide today, we will take you through the basics of what you should expect from a pen testing certification.

Understanding pen testing

Penetration testing attempts to breach the security of a system for the purpose of vulnerability identification. In the majority of cases, both the automated programs research and humans probe and attack a network utilizing different channels and methods. Once inside the network, the penetration testers will see exactly how deep they can get into the network with the ultimate goal of obtaining full administrative access or root.

While this can sound frightening, it is a growing trend for some of the biggest organizations worldwide to be at the top of any kind of malicious intent from bad actors. By purposely attacking their own network, they discover the vulnerabilities and potential breaches before anyone.

Who carries out pen tests?

It is best to have a pen test performed by someone with little to no prior knowledge of how the system is secured since they might be able to expose the blind spots missed by the developers who built the system.

For this reason, outside contractors are generally brought in to perform these tests. The contractors are often referred to as ‘ethical hackers’ since they are hired to hack into the system with permission and for the purpose of increasing security.

There are a lot of ethical hackers who are experienced developers with advanced degrees and certifications in pen testing. On the contrary, some of the best ethical hackers are self-taught.

What is the black box test?

In this, the pen testers have no data about the target system. They have to rely on their own research and develop an attack plan, as a real hacker would.

What is a white box test?

Here, the pen-testers have total transparency into the target system. The company shares details like the network diagrams, source codes, and more.

What is the gray box test?

Here, the pen testers get the same information but not much. For instance, the company might share IP ranges for network devices, but the pen testers have to probe those IP ranges for vulnerabilities on their own.

Wrapping Up

The penetration testers use a lot of different tools to recon and identify vulnerabilities. Therefore, you should consider checking the ethical hacking course fees and choose the right course program that will help you learn the must-have skills to excel in your piston.