Penetration testing, also known as ethical hacking, involves systematically probing a system or network for vulnerabilities to identify potential security risks. The process typically consists of several distinct phases:
- Pre-engagement: This phase involves defining the scope and objectives of the penetration test. It includes establishing the rules of engagement, determining the target systems or networks, and obtaining necessary permissions from the relevant stakeholders.
- Reconnaissance: In this phase, information about the target is gathered passively and actively. Passive reconnaissance involves collecting publicly available data such as company websites, social media profiles, and domain registration records. Active reconnaissance involves techniques like network scanning to discover live hosts, open ports, and services running on target systems.
- Enumeration: Once potential targets are identified, enumeration begins. This phase involves actively probing the target systems to gather specific information such as user accounts, network shares, system configurations, and software versions. Techniques like banner grabbing, SNMP enumeration, and DNS enumeration are commonly used in this phase.
- Vulnerability Analysis: In this phase, vulnerabilities discovered during reconnaissance and enumeration are analyzed to determine their potential impact on the target system’s security. This may involve manual inspection, automated scanning tools, or a combination of both. Common tools used in vulnerability analysis include Nessus, OpenVAS, and Nikto.
- Exploitation: After identifying vulnerabilities, ethical hackers attempt to exploit them to gain unauthorized access to the target system or network. This phase involves using various techniques, such as running exploits, brute-force attacks, or social engineering tactics, to compromise systems and escalate privileges.
- Post-exploitation: Once access is gained to a system, the penetration tester explores the extent of the compromise and assesses the potential impact on the organization. This may involve further reconnaissance, lateral movement within the network, and data exfiltration to demonstrate the severity of the security risk.
- Reporting: The findings of the penetration test are documented in a detailed report, which typically includes an executive summary, methodology, identified vulnerabilities, exploitation outcomes, and recommendations for mitigating the identified risks. The report is presented to the stakeholders, along with any supporting evidence and recommendations for remediation.
- Cleanup and Remediation: After the penetration test is completed, any changes made to the target systems or network during the testing process are reverted, and necessary security patches or configurations are implemented to address the identified vulnerabilities. Ongoing monitoring and maintenance are also recommended to ensure continued security.