Penetration Testing Methodologies

I created a Pentest Guide with a Complete Breakdown. Whether you're an aspiring Pentester or an organization looking for one, this will give you an understanding of what the service is and how it differs. Penetration Testing comes in all flavors, here is a breakdown: 🖥 White box | Gray box | Black box White box = your pentester has the keys, diagrams, and all kind of other information. This is great for an extremely thorough assessment. Gray box - your pentester has some information but not everything. They have the correct IPs and URLs to test, but they aren't totally informed. This would simulate an attacker that had "some" information about the org. Black box - you give them nothing. The tester starts at the perimeter and treats your org like a stranger. Slow, noisy, and excellent at revealing blind spots in detection and monitoring. 👮♂️ External vs Internal External - this tests the edge of your organization, such as internet-facing apps, VPNs, and other exposed services. Think "what can someone access from the outside". Internal - this assumes someone is already inside such as a phished employee or even a rogue contractor. It finds lateral-movement gaps, trusts, and privilege escalation paths. 🟣 🔴 Pentest | Red Team | Purple Team Pentest - this is a focused and scoped security assessment that is going to provide a list of findings and remediation. It's great for compliance and checklists. Red team - this is an adversary simulation. Longer, stealthy, multi-vector. Goal is to accomplish mission objectives such as exfiltrating data and persisting in the network) Purple team - this is when offensive teams and defensive teams are working together and learning in real time. Defense is watching for alerts while offense is moving within the network. 👁🗨 Other Scope Examples: Web app pentest — OWASP-style, auth, injection, business logic. Network pentest — host misconfigurations, open ports, weak services. Cloud pentest — IAM misconfigurations, improper S3 buckets, etc. API pentest — broken auth, object-level authorization flaws. Mobile pentest — reverse engineering, insecure storage, weak cert pinning. IoT/Embedded — firmware, radio protocols, physical interfaces. Social engineering / Phishing — usually an easy path in Physical — tailgating, badge cloning, on-site access. ✔ Before any pentest, you should be prepared to fix the findings. A penetration test does no good if your team is not ready to remediate. Please ♻ to help others learn about the practice of pentesting. ❓ Questions? My DMs are always open. #cybersecurity #informationsecurity #infosec #pentesting

VAPT programs are key for security, and having the right process in place can make a huge difference. Here’s a high-level overview: 1/ Define Objectives and Scope. Before starting VAPT, organizations should clearly define their objectives, including the systems and applications to be tested. A well-defined scope ensures that all critical components are thoroughly evaluated, minimizing any blind spots. 2/ Establish a Testing Framework Developing a comprehensive framework ensures consistency and repeatability in VAPT activities. 3/ Automate Vulnerability Scanning These tools play a vital role in continuously monitoring IT environments. They can identify known vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and weaknesses in software versions, providing organizations with an initial assessment of their security posture. 4/ Manual Penetration Testing While automated tools provide valuable insights, manual penetration testing is crucial to simulate real-world attacks and identify complex vulnerabilities that may go undetected by automated scans. Skilled penetration testers employ their expertise to explore different attack vectors and test the effectiveness of security controls. 5/ Prioritize and Remediate Vulnerabilities After performing VAPT, organizations must prioritize vulnerabilities based on their likelihood of exploitation and potential impact. This allows for the efficient allocation of resources for remediation efforts. Promptly addressing vulnerabilities and tracking the remediation progress is vital to maintaining a strong security posture. 6/ Regular Retesting: As environments evolve, it is essential to conduct regular retesting to validate the effectiveness of remediation efforts and identify new vulnerabilities that may arise due to system changes. This iterative process helps organizations stay ahead of potential threats and maintain continuous improvements in their security posture. What are your VAPT best practices? #vapt #pentesting #cybersecurity

Day 23 of 30 Days of Cybersecurity: Penetration Testing – Testing Your Defenses Before Hackers Do 🛡️🔍 In cybersecurity, prevention is always better than cure, and Penetration Testing is a prime example of this mindset. Pen testing simulates real-world cyberattacks to uncover vulnerabilities before malicious actors can exploit them. It's not just a test of technology but a test of your organization's resilience. 🚨 What is Penetration Testing? Penetration testing (pen testing) is the process of simulating controlled attacks on systems, networks, or applications to identify security weaknesses. Think of it as hiring ethical hackers to find your blind spots before someone with bad intentions does. Why is Penetration Testing Important? ✅ Find Weaknesses Early: Identify and address vulnerabilities before attackers exploit them. ✅ Test Security Controls: Evaluate whether your current defenses can withstand an attack. ✅ Compliance: Meet regulatory standards like PCI DSS, ISO 27001, or HIPAA. ✅ Risk Reduction: Reduce the likelihood of breaches by strengthening weak points. Pen testing doesn't just expose flaws; it allows organizations to refine their security posture and stay proactive against evolving threats. Key Types of Penetration Testing: 1️⃣ External Testing 🌐 Simulates attacks on publicly accessible systems like websites, firewalls, and servers. Example: Testing a company’s web server for vulnerabilities like open ports or weak authentication. 2️⃣ Internal Testing 🏢 Simulates an attack from an insider threat or a compromised internal account. Example: A test that evaluates what happens if an employee’s credentials are stolen. 3️⃣ Web Application Testing 💻 Focuses on vulnerabilities in web apps, such as SQL injection or cross-site scripting (XSS). Example: Identifying a flaw that allows attackers to steal customer data through the app. 4️⃣ Wireless Testing 📶 Assesses the security of Wi-Fi networks and connected devices. Example: Testing for weak Wi-Fi encryption or unauthorized devices connected to the network. 5️⃣ Social Engineering Testing 🎭 Tests the human element by simulating phishing emails, phone scams, or physical intrusion attempts. Example: Sending a fake “IT support” email to test if employees share their credentials. Real-World Example During a penetration test, ethical hackers discovered a company’s web server was vulnerable to SQL injection. By simulating this attack, they demonstrated how an attacker could extract sensitive customer data. The company quickly patched the issue, preventing a real-world breach. How Often Should You Test? Penetration testing is not a one-time event—it’s a continuous process. Regular tests, combined with vulnerability scanning and red team exercises, ensure your defenses evolve with emerging threats. #30DaysOfCybersecurity #PenetrationTesting #EthicalHacking #CyberResilience #VulnerabilityManagement #CyberSecurityTesting