Frequently asked questions

Vulnerability Assessment is the technique of identifying (discovery) and measuring security vulnerabilities (scanning) in a given environment. It is a comprehensive assessment of the information security position (result analysis). Further, it identifies the potential weaknesses and provides the proper mitigation measures (remediation) to either remove those weaknesses or reduce below the risk level.

Penetration Testing replicates the actions of an external or/and internal cyber attacker/s that is intended to break the information security and hack the valuable data or disrupt the normal functioning of the organization. So, with the help of advanced tools and techniques, a penetration tester (also known as ethical hacker) makes an effort to control critical systems and acquire access to sensitive data.

Here is the step by step Vulnerability Assessment Process to identify the system vulnerabilities.

Goals & Objectives : – Define goals and objectives of Vulnerability Analysis.

Scope : – While performing the Assessment and Test, Scope of the Assignment needs to be clearly defined.

Information Gathering : – Obtaining as much information about IT environment such as Networks, IP Address, Operating System Version, etc. It’s applicable to all the three types of Scopes such as Black Box Testing, Grey Box Testing and White Box Testing.

Vulnerability Detection : – In this process, vulnerability scanners are used to scan the IT environment and identify the vulnerabilities.

Information Analysis and Planning : – It will analyze the identified vulnerabilities to devise a plan for penetrating into the network and systems.

Network VAPT is the assessment procedure that is conducted by safety experts on the user’s network for identifying possible vulnerabilities that the attackers might exploit. The primary objective of a network penetration test is to recognize exploitable vulnerabilities in systems, networks, network devices (i.e., switches, routers), and hosts before hackers can discover as well as exploit them.

Following are the important types of Network/infrastructure penetration testing :

  • External Infrastructure Penetration Testing
  • Internal Infrastructure Penetration Testing.
  • Cloud and Virtualization Penetration Testing.
  • Wireless Security Penetration Testing.
  • Web application penetration testing involves a methodological series of steps aimed at gathering information about the target system, finding vulnerabilities or faults in them, researching for exploits that will succeed against those faults or vulnerabilities and compromise the web application.

    Some of the Security Testing Methodologies and standards are –
  • OWASP (Open Web Application Security Project)
  • OSSTMM (Open Source Security Testing Methodology Manual)
  • PTF (Penetration Testing Framework)
  • ISSAF (Information Systems Security Assessment Framework)
  • PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard)
  • Mobile application penetration testing can identify and assess vulnerabilities and mis-configuration that might lead to security concerns such as code execution, privilege escalation, data leakage, and information disclosure. This is a continuous improvement process which is beneficial during application development.

    Classifications of mobile application penetration testing

  • Static Analysis
  • Dynamic Analysis
  • A secure code review is a specialized task involving manual and/or automated review of an application’s source code in an attempt to identify security-related weaknesses (flaws) in the code. A secure code review does not attempt to identify every issue in the code, but instead looks to provide insight into what types of problems exist and to help the developers of the application understand what classes of issues are present. The goal is to arm the developers with information to help them make the application’s source code more sound and secure.

    The review intends to identify a portion of the network, assign a threat rating to each portion, and apply an appropriate level of security. It will identify the risks to the network, network resources, and data. It aims to help maintain a workable balance between security and required network access.

  • CEH: Certified Ethical Hacker i
  • OSCP: Offensive Security Certified Professional
  • ECSA: EC-Council Certified Security Analyst
  • CISSP: Certified Information Systems Security Professional
  • CISA: Certified Information Systems Auditor
  • CISM: Certified Information Security Manager
  • GCIH: GIAC Certified Incident Handler
  • Network Tools:

  • Nmap
  • Nessus
  • Rapid 7
  • Qualysguard
  • Web tools

  • Burpsuite professional
  • OWASP ZAP
  • Acunetix
  •  

    Mobile Tools

  • MOBSF
  • APKTOOL
  • JADX
  • Burpsuite professional
  • Genymotion download
  • ADB
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