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A Comprehensive Guide to Penetration Testingby@technoexpert
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1,225 reads

A Comprehensive Guide to Penetration Testing

by Varsha PaulJuly 28th, 2022
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Penetration testing is the practice of re-creating a cyber attack on your organization in order to discover security flaws. You can minimize the risk of a real attack by detecting and addressing these vulnerabilities. The first step in starting your penetration testing process is to identify which assets you need to protect. These assets can be anything from your website to your email system. Once you've discovered these assets, you must choose the sort of test to do. Once the type of test you want to perform gets decided, a service provider needs to be chosen. As we have seen, there are many Top Pen Testing Providers available, so make sure to do your research before making a decision.

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Penetration testing, also known as "pen testing," is the practice of simulating a cyber attack on your company in order to identify security flaws. By detecting and correcting these flaws, you can decrease the likelihood of a real attack. We'll go through the Top 5 Pen Testing Firms in this blog article, as well as what makes them special. We'll go through how penetration testing may benefit your company and how to conduct a penetration test on your own.


Penetration testing is a critical part of preventing cyber attacks on your company. Simulating an attack allows you to identify flaws in your system before a genuine attacker does. This enables you to remedy any security holes and decrease the chance of a successful assault.


5 Top Pen Testing Firms and Their Features

Astra Security - Integration with CI/CD, Integration with Slack, Zero False Positives, Comprehensive Pentest Report, Compliance Reporting

ScienceSoft - Development of Application, Application Integration, Collaboration and Content, Cloud Platform, Messaging

Intruder - Enterprise-grade scanning technology, Checking of Infrastructure and web-layer, Automatic scanning of systems, Multiple integrations

ISECURION -Offers manual and automated approaches for penetration testing, Certified Consultants with rich domain expertise.
ISECURION will not only identify technical vulnerabilities but also help customers to fix the findings. Help you to find gaps in your process, people, and Technology. Support for various technology-related solutions

CyberHunter - Penetration Testing, Cyber Threat Hunting, Network reconnaissance, Vulnerability mapping, Exploitation attempts, Cyber threat analysis

Understanding Penetration Testing

Now that we have looked at some of the five Top Pen Testing Firms, let us take a more in-depth look at penetration testing and what it involves. Penetration testing is the practice of re-creating a cyber attack on your organization in order to discover security flaws. You can minimize the risk of a real attack by detecting and addressing these vulnerabilities.

Different Types of Attacks you Should be Aware of

There are many different types of attacks that you should be aware of including:

  • SQL Injection: An attacker can insert malicious code into your database that can allow them to access sensitive information


  • Cross-Site Scripting (XSS): An attacker can inject malicious code into your website that can be executed by unsuspecting visitors


  • Denial of Service (DoS): An attacker can send large amounts of traffic to your website or server in an attempt to overload it and cause it to crash


  • Man-in-the-Middle (MitM): An attacker may engage in an attack by listening in on communications between two parties and viewing or modifying the data being transmitted.


  • Phishing: A phishing scam is a form of fraud that aims to obtain sensitive information such as login credentials, bank account numbers, and credit card numbers.


Each type of attack has its own unique features and can be used to target different vulnerabilities.

Why is Penetration Testing Necessary?

Penetration testing is a necessary part of protecting your business from cyber-attacks. Simulating an assault allows you to spot flaws in your system before a genuine attacker does, allowing you to repair the holes and lower the danger of a prosperous strike.


Not only can penetration testing platform help to improve your cybersecurity posture, but it can also have other benefits for your business, such as:


  • Helping you to understand your network better
  • Identifying potential weaknesses in your system
  • Providing valuable insights into the security of your website or application
  • Improving communication and collaboration between different teams
  • Gives you peace of mind that your system is secure

4 Benefits of Using Penetration Testing Service Provider

  1. Discovering security vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by attackers
  2. Fixing these vulnerabilities before they cause damage
  3. Reducing the risk of a successful attack
  4. Improving your overall security posture.

How to Begin Your Penetration Testing Process

The first step in starting your penetration testing process is to identify which assets you need to protect. These assets can be anything from your website to your email system. Once you've discovered these assets, you must choose the sort of test to do. The two most frequent types of tests are black box and white box. Black box testing mimics an external attack from a hacker's standpoint, whereas white box testing is similar to an internal attack.


Once the type of test you want to perform gets decided, a service provider needs to be chosen. As we have seen, there are many top pen testing providers available, so make sure to do your research before making a decision.


After you have chosen a service provider, the next step is to create a test plan. This plan should outline the scope of the test, the objectives of the test, and the methods that will be used. Once you've developed a strategy, it's time to put it into action.

How Do You Pick the Ideal Pen Testing Firm for Yourself?

Let's have a look at some of the factors to think about when selecting a pen testing business.


  • The sort of business you run: Different firms have varying demands. Hence, make sure that the firm you pick specializes in the industry that suits your best interests.


  • The type and size of your organization: This will have an impact as smaller businesses need different things than larger ones. Hence, pick a firm that is familiar with businesses of your size.


  • Your budget: Not all firms are created equal. Some firms charge more than others. Make sure you pick a firm that is within your price range.


  • Your required type of testing: Black box testing is when the firm does not have any prior knowledge of your system. White box testing is when the firm has access to your code and can test for specific vulnerabilities. Select the kind of examination that is appropriate for you.


  • The location of the firm: Some businesses are located in different countries. Ensure that the company you choose is based in a country where you may easily access it.

Let Us Further Explore the Previously Mentioned 5 Top Pen Testing Firms

Now that we have looked at some of the top pen testing firms, let us take a more in-depth look at each one.


  • Astra Security

Astra Security is a well-known provider of penetration testing solutions. They provide both black box and white box tests, as well as bespoke solutions. Astra Security also provides web application security evaluations and mobile app security assessments.


  • ScienceSoft

ScienceSoft is another provider of penetration testing services. They also provide black box and white box tests along with bespoke tests. They provide web application security assessments as well as mobile app security checks. They provide consultancy services for assisting you in enhancing your overall security posture.


  • Intruder

Intruder is a well-known company that excels in providing penetration testing services. Along with bespoke tests, they provide black box and white box tests. Web application security assessments and mobile application security assessments are two services that they also provide.


  • ISECURION

ISECURION is a well-known provider of penetration testing services. They provide black box and white box tests, as well as customized tests. ISECURION provides web application security screening and mobile app security checks in addition to functional testing.


  • CyberHunter

CyberHunter is a penetration testing company that offers black box, white box, and gray box tests as well as bespoke evaluations. They also provide web application security checks and mobile software evaluations.

Conclusion

There are many Top Pen Testing Firms to choose from. They all have different services, but they can all help make your security better. It is important to think about what you need when choosing a Top Pen Testing Firm.

Happy hunting!