In this lesson,
we're going to discuss the world of penetration testing.
Penetration testing, also known as pentesting
or ethical hacking, is a simulated cyber attack
against a computer system to check
for exploitable vulnerabilities.
The process involves assessing systems
for potential weaknesses
that could be exploited by an attacker.
In this lesson, we will explore the different types
of penetration testing
including physical, offensive, defensive, and integrated.
First, we have physical penetration testing.
Physical penetration testing
involves testing the physical security of an organization
by testing its locks, access cards, security cameras,
and other physical security measures.
For example, a physical penetration tester
might try to bypass a company security by tailgating
behind an employee as they enter through a security door
or access control vestibule.
Or the penetration testing could try
to clone the authorized user access card
to use that to enter the building.
The goal of a physical penetration test is
to identify potential vulnerabilities
in an organization's physical security measures
and recommend improvements
to increase the organization's level of physical security.
There are numerous benefits
to conducting physical penetration tests,
including identifying physical vulnerabilities,
improving security awareness,
and preventing unauthorized access.
Identifying physical vulnerabilities helps
to identify weaknesses and physical security measures such
as locks, access cards, and security cameras.
Improving security awareness focuses on raising awareness
about the importance of physical security among employees
by encouraging them to follow best practices
like not allowing tailgating through secure doors.
Preventing unauthorized access occurs when you can identify
and fix vulnerabilities in your physical security posture
so that is more difficult for an attacker to gain access
to your organization's sensitive areas
inside of its facilities.
The next type
of penetration testing we have testing is known
as offensive penetration testing.
Offensive penetration testing, also known as Red Teaming
involves actively seeking out vulnerabilities in the system
and attempting to exploit them using the same techniques
as a potential cyber attack would.
This offensive penetration testing approach is considered
to be proactive and aggressive while aiming
to uncover as many vulnerabilities as possible.
An example of an offensive penetration testing
might involve a Red Teamer trying
to gain unauthorized access to a computer network
by exploiting a known vulnerability in a piece of software.
The tester would then report this vulnerability
to the company so that they can fix it
before a real attacker could exploit the same vulnerability.
Offensive penetration testing can be used
to simulate real world attacks
so that your organization's network defenders can see
what an attack looks like
and how to best defend against them.
Another benefit of completing a offensive penetration test
is that you can use the results to garner more funding
and support for your proposed cybersecurity investments
in the organization by demonstrating just
how vulnerable the current systems are through the use
of identifying and exploiting the organization's
most critical vulnerability.
Next, we have defensive penetration testing.
Defensive penetration testing, also known
as Blue Teaming is a more reactive approach
that involves strengthening systems,
detecting and responding to attacks,
and improving incident response times.
For example,
a defensive penetration tester might monitor a network
for signs of unusual activity that could indicate an attack.
If an attack is detected,
the tester would then work to mitigate the damage
and strengthen the system to prevent future attacks.
By conducting defensive penetration testing
in your organization, your staff will learn how
to better conduct an incident response,
strengthen their systems,
and enhance their detection capabilities.
Defensive penetration testing can help organizations
improve their incident response times so
that they can minimize the damage caused by an attack.
Also, defensive penetration tests can help organizations
to strengthen their systems
by monitoring their systems for any signs of attack.
These penetration tests also help
to enhance your detection capabilities so
that your network defenders can respond more quickly
and effectively when a future cyber attack occurs.
The final type of penetration testing we need
to cover is known as integrated penetration testing.
Integrated penetration testing combines elements
of both offensive and defensive testing
into a single penetration test or engagement.
This integrated approach, better known as Purple Teaming
involves using a red team who conducts the offensive
and a blue team that conducts the defensive,
working together to improve the organization's
overall security.
With an integrated penetration testing,
the red team might launch a simulated attack
on the organization system while the blue team tries
to detect and respond to that attack.
If the blue team identifies the attack,
the red team is informed so they can try more advanced type
of attack to avoid detection.
If the blue team does not identify the attack
that the red team conducted,
then the red team will walk the blue team
through the attack process
and how they can best configure their network sensors
to detect this kind of attack in the future.
This allows both teams to learn
from each other, improve their skills.
Integration testing can be helpful
when performing a comprehensive security assessment
to help promote collaboration
within your cybersecurity teams and
to conduct simulated attacks and responses to those attacks.
So remember, penetration testing is a critical part
of maintaining strong cybersecurity.
Physical penetration testing helps
secure the physical infrastructure of an organization.
Offensive penetration testing
proactively uncovers vulnerabilities.
Defensive penetration testing focuses
on strengthening systems and improve incident response.
Integrated penetration testing combines the strengths
of offensive and defensive testing
to provide a comprehensive security solution.
The goal of penetration testing is not to cause damage
but to identify and fix vulnerabilities
before they can be exploited by malicious actors
And these penetration tests are an essential part
of any organization's cybersecurity strategy.