Penetration testing, commonly called as pen-testing is a on a roll in
the testing circle these days. The reason is not hard to guess – with
the change in the way computer systems are used and built, security
takes the center stage. Even though companies realize they can’t make
every system 100% secure, they are extremely interested to know exactly
what kind of security issues they are dealing with. That’s where
Pen-testing comes handy with its use of ethical hacking techniques.What exactly Penetration Testing is?
It’s the method of testing where the areas of weakness in software
systems in terms of security are put to test to determine, if
‘weak-point’ is indeed one, that can be broken into or not.
Performed for: Websites/Servers/Networks
How is it performed?
Step #1. It starts with a list of Vulnerabilities/potential problem areas that would cause a security breach for the systems.
Step #2. If possible, this list of items has to be ranked in the order of priority/critical
Step #3. Devise penetration tests that would work (attack your system) from both within the network and outside (externally) to determine if you can access data/network/server/website unauthorized.
Step #4. If the unauthorized access is possible, the system has to be corrected and the series of steps need to be re-run until the problem area is fixed.
Step #2. If possible, this list of items has to be ranked in the order of priority/critical
Step #3. Devise penetration tests that would work (attack your system) from both within the network and outside (externally) to determine if you can access data/network/server/website unauthorized.
Step #4. If the unauthorized access is possible, the system has to be corrected and the series of steps need to be re-run until the problem area is fixed.
Who performs Pen-testing?
Testers/ Network specialists/ Security Consultants
Note: it is important to note that pen-testing is not the same
as vulnerability testing. The intention of vulnerability testing is
just to identify potential problems, whereas pen-testing is to attach
those problems.
Good news is, you do not have to start the process by yourself – you
have a number of tools already in the market. Why tools, you ask?
- Even though you design the test on what to attack and how, you can leverage a lot of tools that are available in the market to hit the problem areas and collect data quickly that enables effective security analysis of the system.
Before we look into the details of the tools, what they do, where can
you get them, etc. , I would like to point out that the tools you use
for pen-testing can be classified into two kinds – In simple words they
are: scanners and attackers. This is because; by definition pen-testing
is exploiting the weak spots. So there are some software/tools that will
show you the weak spots, some that show and attack. Literally speaking,
the ‘show-ers’ are not pen-testing tools but they are inevitable for
its success.
Top 5 Penetration Testing Tools
1) Metasploit
This is the most advanced and popular Framework that can be used to
for pen-testing. It is based on the concept of ‘exploit’ which is a code
that can surpass the security measures and enter a certain system. If
entered, it runs a ‘payload’, a code that performs operations on a
target machine, thus creating the perfect framework for penetration
testing.
It can be used on web applications, networks, servers etc. It has a
command-line and a GUI clickable interface, works on Linux, Apple Mac OS
X and Microsoft Windows. This is a commercial product, although there
might be free limited trials available.
2) Wireshark
This is basically a network protocol analyzer –popular for providing
the minutest details about your network protocols, packet information,
decryption etc. It can be used on Windows, Linux, OS X, Solaris,
FreeBSD, NetBSD, and many other systems. The information that is
retrieved via this tool can be viewed through a GUI, or the TTY-mode
TShark utility. You can get your own free version of the tool from
here.
3) w3af
W3afis a Web Application Attack and Audit Framework.
Some of the features are: fast HTTP requests, integration of web and
proxy servers into the code, injecting payloads into various kinds of
HTTP requests etc.
It has a command-line interface, works on Linux, Apple Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows.
All versions are free of charge to download.
All versions are free of charge to download.
4) CORE Impact
CORE Impact Pro can be used to test mobile device penetration,
network/network devise penetration, password identification and
cracking, etc. It has a command-line and a GUI clickable interface,
works Microsoft Windows. This is one of the expensive tools in this line
and all the information can be found at below page.
5) Back Track
Back Track works only on Linux Machines. The new version is called
Kali Linux. This is one of the best tools available for Packet sniffing
and injecting. An expertise in TCP/IP protocol and networking are key to
succeed using this tool. For information and to download a free copy,
visit below page.
We hope this piques your interest in the pen-testing field and
provides you with the necessary information to get started. A word of
caution: remember to wear your ‘White-hat’ because with great power
comes great responsibility- and we don’t want to be the ones to misuse
it. :-)