Current digital challenges
With cyber risk on the rise, increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks are jeopardising data security and business continuity.
It is therefore becoming normal practice to carry out a pentest (penetration test) to assess the resistance of IT systems.
The aim of this article is to show the importance of penetration tests in corporate IT security, while emphasising that effective protection requires a global approach that incorporates other security measures in addition to pentesting.
What is a penetration test?
A penetration test, or pentest, is a controlled simulation of a cyber attack carried out by IT security professionals to assess the security of a computer system, network or web application. The main objective is to discover and exploit vulnerabilities in order to assess how far an attacker could go if he managed to penetrate the organisation’s defences.
Objectives of an Intrusion Test
Identifying vulnerabilities: A pentest detects security flaws that could be exploited by cybercriminals. These vulnerabilities may be present in software, hardware or network configurations.
Testing the resistance of systems: By simulating real attacks, pentests assess the ability of the company’s systems to resist intrusion attempts and other types of cyber attack. This includes assessing incident detection and response mechanisms.
Providing security recommendations: After identifying and testing vulnerabilities, the testers provide a detailed report containing specific recommendations for remedying the vulnerabilities discovered and improving the organisation’s overall security posture.
Penetration tests are generally carried out by cybersecurity professionals known as pentesters. These tests are often carried out by a team of external consultants specialising in penetration testing.
They use a combination of automated tools and manual techniques to carry out their tests, pinpointing potential vulnerabilities. Their expertise enables them not only to detect vulnerabilities, but also to provide practical advice on how to correct them and strengthen the security of the IT infrastructure.
Why carry out an Intrusion Test?
Penetration testing helps you keep pace with emerging standards, identify your weaknesses and build solid trust with your customers and employees.
Identifying vulnerabilities
By carrying out a penetration test, businesses can detect and correct security flaws before they are exploited by cybercriminals. This proactive approach strengthens the resilience of IT systems and reduces the risk of costly security incidents.
By conducting a penetration test, you take the initiative to strengthen your company’s IT security. It allows you to identify and correct security vulnerabilities before they are exploited by cybercriminals. Not only does this increase the resilience of your IT systems, it also significantly reduces the risk of costly security incidents, preserving your reputation and financial stability.
Regulatory Compliance
Many industries are subject to strict data protection and IT security regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS), and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Penetration testing helps companies comply with these standards by identifying potential vulnerabilities and implementing appropriate corrective measures.
Prevention of Security Incidents
Cyber attacks can have disastrous consequences for businesses, ranging from the loss of sensitive data to the disruption of commercial operations. By identifying and correcting vulnerabilities before they are exploited, penetration testing helps to reduce the risk of security incidents and the costs associated with managing and resolving them.
Awareness-raising and training
Penetration tests provide a valuable opportunity to raise awareness and train company staff in IT security threats and security best practice. By understanding the potential risks and learning how to prevent them, employees become active players in protecting the organisation’s systems and data.
Customer and partner confidence
By demonstrating a commitment to security and data protection, companies strengthen the confidence of their customers and partners in their systems and business practices. Penetration testing is an effective way of demonstrating this commitment and reassuring stakeholders that the company’s systems are secure. However, you will see later that this is a good start but not enough.
Different types of Pentests
When it comes to penetration testing, there are three main approaches:
White Box
Here, the tester has complete knowledge of the system under test, including source code, network architecture and configurations. This enables an in-depth analysis of all layers of the infrastructure and the detection of vulnerabilities that could be exploited by internal or external attackers.
Grey Box
In this scenario, the pentestor has some information about the system under test, but not complete knowledge as in the case of White Box pentesting. This approach often represents a compromise between the reality of an external attack and the limited internal knowledge that an attacker might have, providing a more nuanced assessment of the security of the infrastructure.
Black Box
In this type of pentest, the tester has no prior knowledge of the system to be tested. This simulates a realistic external attack, where the attacker has to discover vulnerabilities from scratch, without any prior information about the target infrastructure.
How a Pentest works
Preparation and planning
Before starting the test, it is essential to clearly define the objectives, scope and constraints of the pentest. This also involves obtaining the necessary authorisations to carry out the tests without disrupting business operations.
Information gathering (Recognition)
This stage involves gathering information about the target system, such as IP addresses, domain names, users and exposed services. Testers use both passive methods (e.g. observation of publicly available data) and active methods (e.g. port scans) to gain an overview of the infrastructure.
System mapping
The mapping phase aims to map all the functionalities of the target system. This stage gives the pentesters a detailed view of the most critical and exposed elements of the infrastructure. It is all the more useful when it comes to tests covering a large perimeter.
Vulnerability Analysis
Once the information has been gathered, the testers move on to vulnerability analysis. They use automated tools and manual analysis techniques to identify potential security flaws in the system, such as software vulnerabilities, configuration errors and weaknesses in security policies.
Operating
At this stage, testers attempt to exploit identified vulnerabilities to gain access to the target system or compromise its security. They simulate real attacks to assess the system’s resistance and determine its level of vulnerability to cyber attacks.
Post-Exploitation
Once a vulnerability has been successfully exploited, the testers assess the potential impact and attempt to maintain access to the system. This enables them to determine the consequences of a successful attack and to propose recommendations for strengthening system security.
Pentest Report
At the end of a penetration test, a detailed report is drawn up for the client company, covering the main findings and recommendations for improving security. This report is generally available in two distinct versions:
Technical Report
The technical report, aimed at IT teams and security managers, provides a full description of the vulnerabilities identified, the successful exploits and the potential impact on the company’s security, accompanied by concrete evidence such as screenshots and logs. It includes specific recommendations for correcting the vulnerabilities detected, tailored to the company’s needs and technical constraints. In addition, the report provides a follow-up plan detailing the corrective actions to be taken and validation tests to ensure that the corrective measures are correctly implemented, guaranteeing continuous improvement in security.
Executive Report
The executive report, intended for management and non-technical stakeholders, provides a general overview of the results of the pentest. It summarises the main vulnerabilities and potential impacts without going into technical detail. The report provides strategic recommendations for strengthening the company’s overall security posture and proposes long-term initiatives. In addition, it assesses the risks and impacts of vulnerabilities on business operations, regulatory compliance and reputation, helping decision-makers to justify the investment needed to correct these vulnerabilities.
Disadvantages of Intrusion Tests
Although penetration tests offer many advantages, they also have certain disadvantages:
High cost
Penetration testing can be expensive, especially when carried out by external professionals. Companies often have to invest significant resources to benefit from these specialist security services.
Resource consumption
Carrying out a penetration test and implementing the recommendations requires considerable time and resources. This can lead to an additional workload for IT teams and an allocation of financial resources.
Potential risks of service interruption
Penetration testing can disrupt the normal operations of the systems and applications under test. There is a potential risk of services being interrupted for the duration of the test, which may have an impact on business activities.
Limits of Penetration Tests
Limited range
Penetration tests can only test the systems and applications specified in the scope of the test. They cannot guarantee the security of the company’s entire IT infrastructure.
Dependence on Tester Skills
The quality of penetration testing depends heavily on the skills and experience of the testers. Poor test execution can lead to incomplete or inaccurate results, compromising the effectiveness of the testing process.
Time-limited results
Penetration test results only represent a snapshot of security at a given time. Vulnerabilities can evolve rapidly and new threats can emerge after the test has been carried out, rendering the results obsolete in the long term.
Beyond Pentests: Towards Complete IT Security
Penetration tests offer many advantages, but they must be carried out with a clear understanding of their limitations and potential risks.
However, they only serve to identify vulnerabilities within your company, but it is up to you to put in place the necessary measures to protect yourself effectively.
They should form part of an overall security strategy that includes technical security measures, organisational security policies and ongoing staff training.