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Penetration tests can be conducted in several ways. The most common difference is the
amount of knowledge of the implementation details of the system being tested that are
available to the testers. Black box testing assumes no prior knowledge of the
infrastructure to be tested. The testers must first determine the location and extent of the
systems before commencing their analysis. At the other end of the spectrum, white box
testing provides the testers with complete knowledge of the infrastructure to be tested,
often including network diagrams, source code, and IP addressing information. There are
also several variations in between, often known as grey box tests. Penetration tests can
also be described as "full disclosure" (white box), "partial disclosure" (grey box), or
"blind" (black box) tests based on the amount of information provided to the testing
party.
The relative merits of these approaches are debated. Black box testing simulates an attack
from someone who is unfamiliar with the system. White box testing simulates what might
happen during an "inside job" or after a "leak" of sensitive information, where the
attacker has access to source code, network layouts, and possibly even some passwords.
The services offered by penetration testing firms span a similar range, from a simple scan
of an organization's IP address space for open ports and identification banners to a full
audit of source code for an application.
Rationale
A penetration test should be carried out on any computer system that is to be deployed in
a hostile environment, in particular any Internet facing site, before it is deployed. This
provides a level of practical assurance that any malicious user will not be able to
penetrate the system.
Methodologies
The OSSTMM focuses on the technical details of exactly which items need to be tested,
what to do before, during, and after a security test, and how to measure the results.
OSSTMM is also known for its Rules of Engagement which define for both the tester and
the client how the test needs to properly run starting from denying false advertising from
testers to how the client can expect to receive the report. New tests for international best
practices, laws, regulations, and ethical concerns are regularly added and updated.
[citation needed]
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) discusses penetration testing
in SP800-115.[1][2] NIST's methodology is less comprehensive than the OSSTMM;
however, it is more likely to be accepted by regulatory agencies. For this reason, NIST
refers to the OSSTMM.[citation needed]
The process of carrying out a penetration test can reveal sensitive information about an
organization. It is for this reason that most security firms are at pains to show that they do
not employ ex-black hat hackers and that all employees adhere to a strict ethical code.
There are several professional and government certifications that indicate the firm's
trustworthiness and conformance to industry best practice.[citation needed]
The Council of Registered Ethical Security Testers (CREST) offers three certifications:
CREST Registered Tester, CREST Certified Tester (Infrastructure) and CREST Certified
Tester (Web Applications).
SANS provides a wide range of computer security training arena leading to a number of
SANS qualifications. In 1999, SANS founded GIAC, the Global Information Assurance
Certification, which according to SANS has been undertaken by over 20,000 members to
date.[5] Two of the GIAC certifications are penetration testing specific: the GIAC
Certified Penetration Tester (GPEN) certification; and the GIAC Web Application
Penetration Tester (GWAPT) certification.[citation needed]
Government-backed testing also exists in the US with standards such as the NSA
Infrastructure Evaluation Methodology (IEM).[citation needed]
For web applications, the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) provides a
framework of recommendations that can be used as a benchmark.[clarification needed]
[citation needed]
The Tiger Scheme offers two certifications: Qualified Tester (QST) and Senior Security
Tester (SST). The SST is technical equivalent to CHECK Team Leader.
A number of certifications have been developed in the UK, initially for the UK
government, and then for the commercial sector, which wanted equivalent levels of
assurance.
For many years the only standard/accreditation was the CHECK scheme, administered by
CESG (formerly known as the "Communications and Electronic Security Group", part of
GCHQ). This standard is a mandatory prerequisite for Central Government testing but,
due to EU rules, cannot be enforced for local government and government agency work.
It has also been favoured by many commercial blue-chip organizations. Subscriber
organizations to the scheme are required to maintain strict ethical standards, and certified
individuals are automatically vetted to at least SC level security clearance.
The TIGER Scheme is one of the two non-governmental UK schemes for certifying the
skills of penetration testers. The Scheme is managed by a Management Committee
composed of industry stakeholders. The TIGER scheme contracts out training to an
Operational Authority (OA), which is currently QBit ltd, and testing of applicants to an
Examining Body (EB), which is currently Glamorgan University. TIGER certification is
available directly from the TIGER bodies, and does not require employment by a member
/ associate employer. The Tiger Senior Security Tester (SST) has now been granted
CHECK Team Leader (CTL) Technical Equivalence by CESG. Tiger maintains a register
of certified security testers.
OWASP, the Open Web Application Security Project, an open source web application
security documentation project, has produced documents such as the OWASP Guide and
the widely adopted OWASP Top 10 awareness document.
The Firefox browser is a popular web application penetration testing tool, with many
plugins specifically designed for web application penetration testing.[citation needed]
Damn vulnerable web app other wise know as DVWA is an open source web application
which has been made to be vulnerable so that security professionals and students can
learn more about web application security. g is useful in the cases where the tester
assumes the role of an outside hacker and tries to intrude into the system without
adequate knowledge of the system.
Risks
The scope should be clearly defined, not only in the context of the components to be (or
not to be) assessed and the constraints under which testing should be conducted, but also
the business and technical objectives. For example penetration testing may be focussed
purely on a single application on a single server, or may be more far reaching; including
all hosts attached to a particular network.
Another critical step to ensure that your project is a success is in choosing which supplier
to use.
As an absolute fundamental when choosing a security partner, first eliminate the supplier
who provided the systems that will be tested. To use them will create a conflict of interest
(will they really tell you that they deployed the systems insecurely, or quietly ignore
some issues).
Detailed below are some questions that you might want to ask your potential security
partner: