Penetration Testing Services, or Ethical hacking, is a robust cybersecurity approach that enables organizations to pinpoint vulnerabilities and weaknesses in their systems and networks.
Getting ready for Penetration Testing can be stressful, especially considering what is at stake.
So, in this blog, we will provide you with a Checklist on How to prepare for Penetration Testing to help you ease the process.
Executing a successful pentest can be a complex process, encompassing various steps such as vendor procurement, defining the scope and logistics of the test, and implementing remediation actions after the trial. So, let’s take a closer look at the Pentest Checklist.
Process for the Pentest Checklist
Step 1: Objective & Scope
The first and foremost step is to outline the scope and objective of the Penetration Test. By determining these in detail, a tester can pay attention to the specific elements and help you accomplish your desired goals.
To execute this seamlessly, ensure that your team decides on the details and assessments to incorporate into the test.
Objective
Discover the objective of the team. It could be to identify vulnerabilities in your system, boost security, or comply with PCI DSS standards.
Scope
Next, identify the scope of the Penetration Testing Services. Should you choose to have an end-to-end Pen test for compliance with a new mobile application? Or should it concentrate on a precise change to a web application for a targeted scope?
The scope of your pentest will help testers walk into the correct path and guarantee they perform the job effectively.
Step 2: Select Penetration Testing Type
Once you are thorough with the scope and objective, you should focus on selecting the right type of test – black, gray, or white box tests. It is crucial to hold internal discussions before starting the test to determine which test would best serve the demands of your business.
The next step demands creating and exchanging documentation with the pen testing team after you decide to conduct a gray- or white-box pentest. Here is a helpful list of documentation that testers should compile for testing assets:
- demos or walkthrough videos of your assets
- Process flowcharts
- Flowcharts for data
- descriptions of user roles
- matrices for access control
Although the list is not mandatory, the additional documents help the testers carry out a more thorough test.
Step 3: Alert coworkers and Prepare the Environment
It is best to alert your colleagues about the test in advance. It will prepare them and ensure no one is off guard.
It is also crucial to prepare the environment before commencing the test. For example, the IT department should back up critical data in advance.
(Although you will not lose any information in this test, it’s better to be cautious.)
Want to employ gray or white-box pentest? Then, you should set up and exchange credentials with the testing team. On the other hand, in the Black box test, you are not required to share any details with the tester.
Once you are thorough with the above steps, start the testing process.
Step 4: Collaborate with Pen testers
Learning about cybersecurity practices can be a great benefit of working with pen testers. Additionally, it guarantees that your team fully comprehends the vulnerabilities identified during the test and, more significantly, the remedial procedures.
Select a member from your team to serve as the point of contact for the testers to speed up the process. It will guarantee that communications are organized and effective for all parties.
Additionally, the liaison can address any queries popping up throughout the testing process and resolve them to minimize disruptions.
Finally, to ensure you accomplish all milestones and the project stays on track, the liaison may speak with people reviewing the testing data and ask relevant questions.
Step 5: Remediation, Testing, and Repetition
Once the Penetration Testing is thoroughly done, the next step is remediation.
After the vulnerabilities and threats are pinpointed from the pentest, remedial actions will enable developers to fix any future exposures.
Finally, the tester may exercise a retest and ensure that the appropriate patches are individually applied to remedy susceptibility.
Conclusion
In today’s robust digital era, irrespective of the field of business, cyber security should be your first priority. Although, it’s best to employ a Penetration Testing Services provider to fortify your systems. With years of experience and expert team members, they can provide you with tailor-made solutions to all your security concerns. However, you can also use the above checklist to get good results.
Implementation of Penetration Testing with our checklist will help you increase the ROI from security testing. You can further develop strong penetration testing capabilities and reduce the chances of any mistakes.