Security for everyone

10 Important Things While Choosing The Penetration Testing Company

SecurityForEveryone

Security for Everyone

03/Nov/20

What is Penetration Testing?

Pentesting or penetration testing, in simple words, is an exercise carried out by a cyber-security expert that involves a series of tests to nail down any potential vulnerabilities within an IT structure. This is a type of on-purpose attack to check the validity of security and to find out about the weak spots (vulnerabilities). A hacker can exploit weaknesses to gain access to that system. Data and reputation loss, information security breaches, violation of confidentiality, disruption of integrity, access outages, and many more unwanted events may occur. Penetration testing is a process that many companies and businesses emphasize to find any inconsistencies within their IT infrastructure before bad things happen. Potential pentesting experts are hired to play "hacker" and try their best to find vulnerabilities and gain access to the secured system.

Types of penetration testing

There are different types of penetration tests that are conducted to find potential vulnerabilities within an IT infostructure, these might include testing of; web applications, wireless and other networking channels, social engineering attacks, credential assessment, cloud technology, and others. As though penetration testing is concerned it generally has 3 different types;

White-box Testing

In the white-box tests, experts are provided with the potential information, they require about the system. It involves information about the network, application, source code, credentials, down to the type of operating system that it uses. This is also known as clear or open box testing as this friendly attack is carried out internally. The basic feature of this type of testing may contain the following;

 

 

  1. All scope of test with other necessary information is given to experts.
  2. If requested, integration of all the logical decisions along with their true and false values is done.
  3. If requested, source code analysis is done.
  4. The infrastructure of the security system along with validating other system errors is done
  5. Social engineering attacks can be included

 

White-box tests are the best for detecting all vulnerabilities and weaknesses. Contact now if you need one.

Black Box Testing

In this type of pentesting, the tester is not provided with any potential information about the system they are going to crack. They will have to undertake a hands-on experience of the system and find any potential information that might help them progress with their simulated attack. Following are the key points of black-box testing;

 

  1. The best way to learn what a real attacker can do without inside information.
  2. The success rate of this type of penetration test really depends on the experts that making the test *.
  3. Many contradictions within the flow and specification of the application can be found
  4. Although these tests are a little difficult to design and conduct, (because scope can be limited with experts research) but offer a depth of knowledge *.
  5. Social engineering attacks can be included
  6. The success rate of this type of penetration test really depends on the experts that making the test *.

Also, this type of test is the most chosen among our customers.

* We have lots of methods to find every attack vectors that you have including scanning of websites such as Twitter, Facebook, Github, Reddit, StackOverflow, Pastebin, etc.

*Also our experts have experience of more than 10 years. They also have the best certifiacates in the sector. See penetration test page if you need more.

Grey Box testing

In this type of pentesting the experts are only being fed limited or partial information about various elements of the IT system. To give an example, this type of test can be used to get answers to what a hacker can do if gain access to my internal network? Following are the potential elements of this testing;

  1. Not being aware of the source code of the system, this testing is considered non-intrusive
  2. There is no need to provide additional information about the system as being partially aware the experts can put the pieces of the puzzle themselves
  3. Can be best to cover some specific problems about cybersecurity

Reach us if you need more information about the grey box penetration test.

Penetration Testing vs Vulnerability Assessment

There is a common difference between vulnerability assessment and penetration testing. Vulnerability assessment only focuses on revealing vulnerabilities. Usually, automated security scanning tools are used for detection vulnerabilities. In the vulnerability assessment test, false positives should be eliminated. Penetrating testing focuses primarily on the methods using which potential vulnerabilities can be exploited. Penetration testings give you a chance to see your real cybersecurity risk of IT infrastructure. Experts work like real hackers. While vulnerability assessment focusing only on finding vulnerabilities, penetration testing focuses on the exploitation and much more.

How to choose a Pentest company?

There is a lot of to-do list that goes around when choosing a particular pentest company. Following elements must be explored when choosing a pentest company:

Certification

Certification* is the prime thing to look for when contacting a pentest company. It validates their skillset of being a reputable and highly professional entity. Out of many certifications, SANS, E-learn Security, and Offensive Security are the most admissible to look for.

Our experts have the most valuable certificates. Check it out.

Reputation

The next thing is their reputation, how many jobs they have completed, what is their clientele, and how bent their previous clients are to recommend them to you. If you have probably heard of them or saw their advertisement on validating channels then they are reputable.

We work with the best.

Value

Take into account the value of the service they provide, do they perform simple pentesting and leave the essence of more complex testing due to extra costs that are incurred, or do they go all the way down to satisfy your needs?

We use all we got.

Get a Sample Report

Another classic way of choosing a pentest company is to ask for a sample report or their portfolio. Getting a quote in other terms about the services they can provide for the requirements they have, ask them if they have concluded one such job in the past, and retrieve further details from them.

Compliance

Does the pentesting company you are going to hire falls perfectly on compliance with multiple firms or accrediting councils?

References

How many chances are there that someone is going to refer to the pentest company in question to you? Do they have references and most importantly what kind of clientele they serve?

Methodologies and process clarification

Another thing that can help you to make sure about the pentest company is to retrieve information about the methodologies they use. A good methodology helps you to get a better report.

We use OSSTMM

How your data is being secured?

Ask the professionals or representatives of the company, how your data will be treated amid a pentesting procedure, and what measures are taken to make your data secured.

Revalidation of testing

Revalidation is required when certain changes are made or some substitute is put into place during the altering of certain security prefixes. Ask the pentesting company that you are going to hire that would they be comfortable with testing your security infrastructure if some changes were made.

This is how you can select the best pentesting company there is and get them to comfort with the requirements of your infrastructure or security-related prefixes.

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