Penetration Testing Basics

Introduction

Penetration testing, also known as ethical hacking, is a simulated cyber attack against your computer system to check for exploitable vulnerabilities. In this lesson, we will cover the basics of penetration testing, its types, processes, and tools.

What is Penetration Testing?

Penetration testing is an authorized and proactive attempt to evaluate the security of an IT infrastructure by safely exploiting vulnerabilities. The goal is to identify weaknesses before they can be exploited by malicious actors.

Key Concepts:

• Vulnerabilities: Flaws or weaknesses in a system.
• Exploitation: The act of taking advantage of a vulnerability.
• Authorization: Permission granted to conduct testing.

Types of Penetration Testing

1. Black Box Testing

Testers have no prior knowledge of the system, mimicking an external attacker.

2. White Box Testing

Testers have full knowledge of the system, including source code and architecture.

3. Gray Box Testing

A combination of both black box and white box testing, where testers have partial knowledge of the system.

Penetration Testing Process

The penetration testing process typically involves the following steps:

1. Planning and Preparation
2. Information Gathering
3. Scanning and Enumeration
4. Exploitation
5. Post-Exploitation
6. Reporting

Flowchart of the Penetration Testing Process

graph TD;
    A[Planning and Preparation] --> B[Information Gathering];
    B --> C[Scanning and Enumeration];
    C --> D[Exploitation];
    D --> E[Post-Exploitation];
    E --> F[Reporting];
        

Tools and Techniques

Common tools used in penetration testing include:

• Metasploit: A powerful exploitation framework.
• Nmap: A network scanning tool.
• Burp Suite: A web security testing tool.
• OWASP ZAP: An open-source web application security scanner.

Example Code Snippet (Using Nmap)

# Scan a single IP address
nmap -sS 192.168.1.1

# Scan a range of IPs
nmap -sP 192.168.1.1-20
            

Best Practices

To conduct effective penetration testing, consider the following best practices:

• Obtain proper authorization before testing.
• Define the scope of the test.
• Document all findings thoroughly.
• Follow ethical guidelines and legal standards.

FAQ