Penetration Testing Standards

Hackers are targeting corporate and personal details by implementing various attacking methods. The main reason that increases the attacks is the absences of efficiency standards and policies. This condition allows the hackers to exploit the vulnerabilities and steal the details. To prevent the hackers, here we discussed seven penetration testing standards, which covers things related to the penetration test:

1. Pre-engagement Interactions.

2. Intelligence Gathering.

3. Threat Modeling.

4. Vulnerability Analysis.

5. Exploitation.

6. Post Exploitation.

7. Reporting.

1. Pre-engagement Interactions:

This section presents as well as explaining the techniques and tools exist, which support in an effective pre-engagement step. This section possesses the information which is collected from the result of the several years of compiled experience of the successful penetration testers across the world.

2. Intelligence Gathering:

This section involves the intelligence collecting activities of the penetration test. The main objective of this document is to offer a standard, specially designed for the penetration tester performing investigation against a target. The document explains the goals and thought-process of penetration testing investigation and when used appropriately, supports the readers to generate a highly strategic plan.

3. Threat Modeling:

This section of penetration testing standards defines the threat modeling strategy as the need for a proper execution of the penetration test. This standard doesn’t involve a certain model, however, instead wants that the model involved were consistent in the prospects of its illustration of threats, their qualification and their capabilities as per the enterprise being tested.

4. Vulnerability Analysis:

The vulnerability analyses are defined as the process of identifying mistakes in the application and system that can be activated by the attackers. These mistakes include service & host misconfiguration and insecure application design. The process used to search for flaws highly dependent on the component being tested.

5. Exploitation:

This phase focuses mainly on the generating access to a resource or system by evading security restrictions. In case the vulnerability analysis was carried out properly, the exploitation phase should be well-planned as well as precision strike.

6. Post Exploitation:

The main objective of this phase is to identify the value of the system compromised as well as to maintain system control for later use. The value of the compromised system is identified by using the sensitivity of the data that is stored on it. The methods explained in this section are intended to support the tester identify as well as document sensitive data, communication channel, configuration setting and relationship with other devices.

7. Reporting:

This standard focuses on explaining the fundamental criteria for the penetration testing reporting. It is highly encouraged to utilize the own branded and customized format for reporting. At the same time, it is essential to offer a high-level understanding of the entities needed within the report.