Nothing is more frustrating than investing in a service that doesn’t meet your expectations. Penetration testing is an important step in ensuring the security of your systems, but it’s not always clear how to get the most out of your penetration testing services. To get the most out of your penetration testing services, it’s important to be aware of the different tips and tricks that can help you streamline the process and optimize your results. In this blog post, we’ll provide some tips and tricks to help you make the most of your penetration testing services. We’ll also discuss how to use penetration testing results to improve your security posture.
1. Know the Pen Test Agenda
The first and foremost thing is to know the agenda or plan for the pentest to get a clear view.
A typical pen test will involve four main phases:
Reconnaissance – In this phase, testers will attempt to gather as much information about your network and systems as possible. This includes things like conducting Google searches, looking through public records, and using social media to find information about your company.
Scanning and Enumeration – In this phase,the testee attempts to enumerate any user accounts, databases, and other sensitive information that they can find.
Gaining Access – In this phase, testers will try to gain access to your systems by exploiting any vulnerabilities that they have found. This may involve brute-forcing passwords, leveraging SQL injection flaws, or using social engineering techniques.
Post-Exploitation – In this phase, testers will attempt to maintain their access to your systems and expand their control over your network. They may also try to exfiltrate sensitive data or plant backdoors for future access.
As you can see, penetration testing services can be quite comprehensive. And depending on the scope of the engagement, firms that conduct penetration testing may use a variety of tools and techniques to test your defenses.
2. Negotiate the Terms of the Engagement
Once you understand what’s involved in a typical penetration test, you can start to negotiate the terms of the engagement. This includes things like deciding how long the engagement will last, what systems will be tested, and what types of attacks will be simulated.
Make sure you also discuss pricing upfront. Many firms that conduct online penetration testing will charge by the hour or by the day.
3. Establish good Expectations
After you’ve negotiated the terms of the engagement, it’s important to establish good expectations with the firm that will be conducting the penetration test. This includes things like deciding how often you will receive reports, what format those reports will be in, and what level of detail will be provided.
4. Get Involved in the Testing Process
Once you’ve negotiated the terms of the engagement and selected a firm to conduct the penetration test, you must get involved in the testing process.
This means providing the testers with any information they need to get started, such as network diagrams, IP addresses, and login credentials.
You should also make yourself available during the engagement so that you can answer any questions the testers may have. And once the engagement is complete, make sure you review the report and take action to fix any vulnerabilities that were discovered.
5. Follow Up After the Engagement
Finally, don’t forget to follow up after the engagement is complete. And if any vulnerabilities are discovered, make sure you take action to fix them as soon as possible. To get the most out of your engagement, you need to negotiate the terms of the engagement, establish good expectations, and get involved in the testing process.
6. Monitor Your Systems Closely
Of course, even the best defenses can be breached if you’re not monitoring your systems closely.
By doing these things, you can help ensure that any vulnerabilities that are discovered during a penetration test are quickly fixed before they can be exploited.
7. Conduct Regular Penetration Tests
To stay on top of your security, you should conduct regular penetration tests. This will help you identify any new vulnerabilities that may have been introduced since the last test and allow you to fix them before they can be exploited.
Conclusion
Penetration testing is an important part of online security, and it’s essential that you get the most out of your services. By following these tips and tricks, you can be sure that your penetration testing is as comprehensive and effective as possible.
So don’t take shortcuts and always stay vigilant!
