The overall goal of a Network Penetration Test is to identify vulnerabilities, document them, validate them through exploitation, apply risk ratings and formally document the results in a report combined with appropriate recommendations for remediation.
Our comprehensive methodology ensures that our clients’ vulnerabilities are represented by their true real-world likelihood and potential impact to their business. The methodology is founded upon industry-standard frameworks, such as: OSSTMM, ISSAF, OWASP, WASC and NIST Special Publication 800 Series guidelines.
What is Network Penetration Testing?
Network penetration testing, network-based threats designed to identify and solve the overall penetration testing procedures, is an important subset - possibly an external attack by simulating real world expert as though by hackers.
Network Penetration Tests are typically run both to mitigate the risk of real-world network intrusion, and to help your organisation comply with the strict infosec requirements of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS).
In contrast to physical penetration testing (preventing intrusion to premises), social penetration testing (preventing intrusion via personnel), or application penetration testing (preventing intrusion via custom or third-party computer programs), network pen tests examine a much less visible – but no less dangerous – layer in your organisation’s information security.
Network penetration testing is perhaps the classic form of penetration testing because traditionally it has been one of the most common and successful methods of attacking an organisation and obtaining or otherwise compromising the integrity of sensitive and commercially valuable data.
Examples of what might be tested at the network-level include, but are not limited to:
- Operating systems (eg windows, linux, ubuntu)
- Databases (eg Oracle, MS SQL, SAP, MySQL)
- Internal and external networks including Wi-Fi, routers, switches, firewalls
- Services deployed in the cloud
- Virtual private networks (VPN) and remote access services (RAS)
- Telephone systems, including Voice-over-IP (VoIP)
Unsecured networks present many opportunities to a determined and skilful malicious hacker – some common vulnerabilities at the network level include:
- Insecure encryption ciphers and protocols
- Weak passwords (or default usernames and passwords)
- Unpatched web server software
- Unencrypted network services
- ‘Mman in the middle’ attacks
- Penetration of WEP, WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK encrypted networks
There are a number of pieces of software that can be employed to identify vulnerabilities at the network level, allowing security consultants to emulate the methods employed by real-world attackers. These include but are not limited to:
- Nmap, Port Scanner
- Nessus, Vulnerability Scanner
- Metasploit, Exploit Framework
- Hydra, Password Cracking Tool
- Cain & Abel, MITM Tool
Software tools such testing computer network security can play a useful role. For example, THC-Hydra program brute force or dictionary attacks by emulating, your network infrastructure security risk posed by unsafe password can be used to identify. (A dictionary attack, dictionary of commonly used words and the possibility of concatenating digits numeric password to try to speed up this process by the brute force password attacks, automatically try every possible password combination Included.)
Penetration testing as with all other aspects, automated tools or standard check lists will only get you so far. Indeed, skilled attackers technology reverse engineered and custom exploits and malware can understand how to create, and they generally avoid detection methods can figure out how. To reduce the risk level of an experienced penetration tester's knowledge and experience is required.
What is the Difference Between Network Penetration Testing .
There are many different terms used to describe the process of detecting and fixing vulnerabilities at the network level, including phrases like ‘network audit’, ‘network vulnerability assessment’, ‘network vulnerability scan’, ‘network intrusion testing’, ‘network security testing’, etc. These all generally refer to the same set of network-level penetration testing services – but because there is some variation between vendors you should ascertain the precise scope of the testing to ensure you are fully protected.
What Companies Need Network Penetration Testing Services?
As a general rule, have identified a need for penetration testing that all companies must supply network pentesting enough. The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) as determined through mandatory testing are bound to start applies to both companies, as well as the general information on sensitive targets increasing attacks by security companies who are concerned as to - and want to avoid making the headlines themselves are.
For example, if you like, the customer's credit card details, sensitive, responsible for handling large amounts of data in a call center - this is a highly desirable goal of your organization if attackers Network access to testing is particularly important.
Unfortunately, some organisations are only persuaded of the need for rigorous penetration testing in the aftermath of a serious security breach or loss of data. Although we believe prevention is better than cure, in these situations it may be possible to either assess the scale of the breach (and the data that has been affected), or to try and restore a compromised network.
