Penetration Testing
Our security consultants at Productiv use a combination of manual and automated techniques to identify vulnerabilities. Once identified, the tester attempts to exploit the vulnerabilities to see what additional access, information and privileges can be gained.
We don’t just give a best effort penetration testing or simply attempt to get in. Instead, we work to find all vulnerabilities and provide a full audit for potential security issues. This type of laser-like focus helps your organisation build a more resilient and impenetrable security posture.
Services
What is Penetration Testing?
Penetration testing (also known as pen testing) is a type of security practice in which a cyber-security specialist seeks to identify and exploit vulnerabilities in a computer network. The goal of this simulated attack is to identify any weak points in a system’s defences that attackers could exploit.
This is similar to a bank hiring someone to disguise themselves as burglars in order to break into their building and gain access to the vault. If the ‘burglar’ succeeds in breaking into the bank or vault, the bank will gain valuable information about how to tighten security measures.
Penetration testing is frequently utilised in conjunction with a web application firewall to improve web application security (WAF). The penetration test findings can be utilised to calibrate your WAF security rules and address discovered vulnerabilities.
Services
What are the stages of Penetration testing ?
1. Planning and Reconnaissance
The first step entails: Defining a test’s scope and objectives, including the systems it will test and the testing techniques it will employ. Collecting information (such network and domain names, mail servers, etc.) to learn more about a target’s operations and any possible vulnerabilities.
2. Scanning
The following stage is to determine how the target application will react to various intrusion attempts. This is usually done with Static analysis. It is the process of inspecting an application’s code to estimate how it will behave while operating. These tools are capable of scanning the full code in a single pass. Dynamic analysis is the process of inspecting an application’s code while it is executing. This method of scanning is more practical since it gives a real-time picture of an application’s performance.
3. Getting Access
This stage employs web application assaults such as cross-site scripting, SQL injection, and backdoors to identify weaknesses in a target. To understand the damage that these vulnerabilities might inflict, testers attempt to exploit them by escalating privileges, stealing data, intercepting communications, and so on.
4. Maintaing Access
The purpose of this step is to determine whether the vulnerability can be exploited to maintain a persistent presence in the compromised system long enough for a malicious attacker to get in-depth access. The goal is to mimic sophisticated persistent attacks, which may stay in a system for months and steal an organization’s most sensitive data.
5. Analysis
The penetration test findings are then collected into a report that includes:
- Particular flaws that were exploited
- Access to sensitive information
- The amount of time the penetration tester was able to remain unnoticed in the system.
Security experts use this data to assist tune an enterprise’s WAF settings and other application security solutions in order to fix holes and guard against future assaults.
How Productiv conducts Penetration Testing?
In general, we provide two types of penetration tests:
1) Automated, in which we analyze a network for known vulnerabilities and examine how they may be connected to carry out a successful attack; and
2) Manual, in which we use the results of the automated scan to try to attack the network from within or outside the organisation. (‘Outside the network’ represents a determined external party such as hostile hackers, whereas ‘within the network’ represents a dissatisfied employee.)
Every penetration test begins with a well defined scope that details the networks, systems, and locations we will test, as well as the techniques we will employ. Controlling the scope of the test allows attackers and defenders to focus on the specific systems within the organization’s control.
Productiv uses the below two strategies to conduct automated or manual penetration tests:
Internal Testing
Internal testing simulates an inside attack by an authorised user with standard access credentials behind the firewall. This type of test is beneficial for evaluating the extent of harm that an unhappy employee may inflict.
External Testing
External testing focuses on your servers or devices that are visible to the public, such as domain name servers, email servers, web servers, or firewalls. The goal is to determine if an outside attacker can get entrance and how far they can advance once inside.
Our pen testers focus on different aspects of the security apparatus utilising each of these diverse strategies. Experienced Cyber security and IT provider companies, such as Productiv, can imitate the strategies and tools used by hostile entities while guaranteeing that no legal guidelines are violated and no damage is done.
At the conclusion of the test, Productiv gives a complete report outlining each found vulnerability as well as the most effective set of defensive measures your business may use in the future.
When do we collaborate with third party testers?
It is ideal to have a pen test done by someone who has little to no prior knowledge of how the system is secured since they may be able to identify blind spots dismissed by the professionals who developed the system. As a result, outside contractors are frequently hired to conduct the testing. These contractors are employed to hack into a system with authorisation and to increase security.
Many ethical hackers are professional developers with advanced degrees and pen testing certification. Some of the top ethical hackers, on the other hand, are self-taught. In reality, some are former hackers who now utilise their knowledge to assist and solve security weaknesses rather than exploit them. The optimal candidate for a pen test might vary widely depending on the target firm and the sort of pen test they wish to conduct.
Tools used for an attack includes software designed to perform brute-force attacks or SQL injections. Also, there are pen testing gears, such as small inconspicuous devices that may be inserted into a network computer to provide the hacker with remote access to that network.
The systems analyst will communicate their results with the target company’s security team after executing a pen test. This data may then be utilised to deploy security updates to address any flaws detected during the test. These enhancements may include rate restriction, updated WAF rules, DDoS mitigation, and stricter form validations and sanitization.
Why should your business conduct these tests?
Penetration testing, and physical assessments enable you to proactively discover and address vulnerabilities in your environment as if you were a trained and experienced attacker.
Discover Vulnerabilities
Examine and analyse vulnerabilities in your infrastructure before an attacker does.
Threat Management
Identify suitable monitoring and detection measures to reduce potential threat.
User Recognition
We test your users’ understanding of phishing by conducting comprehensive phishing tactics.
Evaluate your Defense
We may assess your intrusion detection systems and tolerance against advanced threats by simulating an advanced threat actor.
Get Started
Start Getting Productiv Now
Book an appointment or contact us to discuss how managed services and cyber security can benefit your business.
Get in touch for a consultation and any questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Managed IT Services?
Managed Services is a type of IT outsourcing in which your company hires a third-party company. They handle some or all of your IT needs. Managed IT Services typically change from one merchant to another. However, the essential obligation is network monitoring, management, and problem resolution for your organisation’s IT frameworks.
What does a manage service provider do?
A managed service provider or MSP is a third-party company that provides IT services and support to your company. A managed service provider (MSP) proactively keeps up with your company’s innovation. It provides remote IT assistance, develops IT disaster recovery plans, and develops business coherence agreements. Productiv is a premier Managed IT Service Provider in Brisbane, Queensland.
How does Managed Service Providers work?
An MSP assists in ensuring that your systems run smoothly, stay secure but also maintain the latest versions. For the fastest response to any issues, we assist remotely through our office. But we are also available for consultation in person. In addition, we will be available for site visits for highly skilled implementations.
How can Managed IT services help my business?
Managed IT services help businesses prevent costly downtime by proactively monitoring your network for issues and fixing them. Your risk of infection, breach and outage is reduced since your network is remotely monitored. Thus, compared to the high cost of break-fix IT services, the flat charge can save hundreds or thousands of dollars.
How is Penetration Testing Done?
Using a threat modelling methodology, the Productiv Penetration Testing team will assist in determining where prospective assaults would originate. Then, our experts will think like malevolent hackers, providing your company with talents that would be prohibitively expensive to recruit inside.
How much does Penetration Testing cost?
Our highly qualified Penetration Testing specialists at Productiv have more than ten years of cyber security expertise. The cost of a penetration test will be determined by your server, systems, and applications. Contact our experts now to learn more about penetration testing and the charges involved.
How long does it take to do a penetration test?
The length of penetration testing is determined by the type of testing, the type and diversity of systems, and any interaction limits. Normal pen tests last between 1 and 3 weeks on average.
Why should a Managed Service provider perform penetration testing?
Our testing professionals will independently assess your security procedures, providing board members and investors with confidence that your systems are safe. You will also be able to reassure all of your consumers that your company manages data properly and in accordance with regulatory laws.