How to Protect Web Application from Unethical Penetration

Penetration testing, also known as pen testing, is a type of ethical hacking in which highly qualified security experts attack a network of web applications or computer systems in order to identify vulnerabilities.

Penetration testing, on the other hand, focuses more on the potential exploits for each of these vulnerabilities while vulnerability assessments only identify and list the weaknesses that already exist on your website.

Consider a scenario where a criminal is attempting to rob you and you wish to take security precautions to prevent the robber from entering your home. Making ensuring all of your home’s windows and doors are closed is analogous to vulnerability assessment in this case. A penetration testing service is similar to inspecting your windows and doors for any vulnerabilities or strengths. You can sleep soundly knowing that even if a thief tries to break in, they won’t be able to find any entryways.

How to conduct penetration testing-

Pen testing generates a set of results using the customizable six-step process below that can assist organisations in proactively updating their security protocols:

1. Preparation. This stage might be a straightforward or complex process, depending on the requirements of the organisation. Searching the system for potential entry points should take up a significant amount of time and resources if the business has not yet selected which vulnerabilities it wishes to analyse. These in-depth procedures are typically only required for companies that have not yet undertaken a thorough audit of their systems. But once a vulnerability analysis has been done, this phase gets a lot simpler.
2. Construct an attack plan. An IT department creates a cyberattack, or collection of cyberattacks, that its team should use to conduct the pen test before engaging ethical attackers. It’s crucial to specify the level of system access the pen tester has during this step.
3. Select a team. The calibre of the testers determines how well a pen test works. This process is frequently used to select the ethical hackers who are most qualified to do the test. These kinds of decisions might be made in light of employee specialisations. A cloud expert may be the ideal individual to thoroughly assess a company’s cybersecurity if it wishes to test its cloud security. Companies frequently employ qualified cybersecurity professionals and skilled consultants to conduct pen tests.
4. Determine the stolen data type. What are the ethical hacker’s group stealing? The tools, strategies, and techniques used to acquire the data can be significantly influenced by the type of data selected in this step.
5. Perform the test. Given the variety of automated software tools and testing techniques available to testers, such as Kali Linux, Nmap, and others, this is one of the trickiest and most intricate parts of the testing process.
6. Integrate the report results. The process’s most crucial step is reporting. The findings must be thoroughly described so that the organisation can use them.

Popular Penetration Testing Tools

There are many different penetration testing tools available, and each has its strengths and weaknesses. Some of the most popular include:

• Nmap. Nmap is a powerful network scanning tool that can scan for open ports and services. It also includes features for identifying vulnerable applications.
• Metasploit. Metasploit is a vulnerability exploitation tool. It includes a library of exploits for a variety of programs and operating systems, as well as a wizard that can assist penetration testers in capitalizing on known vulnerabilities.
• Wireshark. Wireshark is a network analysis tool that can capture packet data from a network and decode it into readable form. This can be useful for identifying malicious traffic or sensitive information being transmitted over a network.
• Burp Suite. Burp Suite is an all-in-one web application security testing tool. It can scan websites for vulnerabilities, manipulate requests and responses, and intercept traffic between the client and server.

The major benefits of Penetration Testing.

Exposing Vulnerabilities-One of the best ways to identify potential weaknesses in your system is through a penetration test.

You run the danger of intrusion if you haven’t examined your system design for potential weak spots. Therefore, the first key advantage of a pentest is that it makes your system more safe against hackers.

Acknowledges Your System Strengths-A penetration test is made to mimic the steps that a real hacker may take to access your system. As a result, it becomes an exam that is quite realistic in its construction. Penetration tests provide this important advantage because it’s a true way to gauge how secure your system actually is.

Provides a Cyber Chain Map- When doing a penetration test, you can draw out a complete path through the security of your system. This can help to demonstrate which barriers are effective and which are not.

It also means that you have a complete map of the connections that are formed between the system’s layers. This is a fantastic strategy to use for any future optimization.

Allocate Your Security Budget- you will be able to tell which sections need more money to be fixed and which ones would need less. A successful penetration test has effects beyond your security budget.

Keeps Your Data Protected- A penetration test can verify that no one of your data is accessible to a skilled hacker.

A pentest will reveal any vulnerabilities if it isn’t protected. Based on the test results’ feedback, you can then swiftly make any necessary adjustments to your system.

Thank you.