How can we better implement Web application penetration testing?

How can we better implement Web application penetration testing?

The more enterprises rely on network communication and cloud-based data systems, the more likely they are to be attacked and damaged by external attackers. When considering the data security of Web applications, it is increasingly important to establish penetration testing methods.

How can we ensure the normal operation of security systems when designing and defending them? The answer is to build a penetration test method to protect information assets.

What is penetration testing?

In short, penetration testing is a Controllable network attack that tests the best defense system of an enterprise and exploits its vulnerabilities to determine the degree of vulnerabilities in Web applications.

In essence, the design and implementation of penetration testing methods can enable enterprises:

1. Actively test and attack your system in an authorized environment, focusing on IT infrastructure, operating system vulnerabilities, application problems, user and configuration errors.

2. Analyze and check the system defense and whether the user complies with the system protocol.

3. assess possible attack sources, such as Web applications, wireless networks, devices, and servers.

No data is completely secure. However, effective penetration testing methods can greatly remove unnecessary vulnerabilities.

Benefits of Penetration Testing

Effective penetration testing can identify vulnerabilities that cannot be detected by scanning software, and determine how the existing network defense system can detect and respond to attacks in a timely manner to determine the hazard level of a successful attack, it also ensures compliance with all data security compliance protocols.

Another benefit of taking penetration testing seriously is its potential impact on the company's internal culture. The enterprise's leadership shows the importance and requirements for data security, which will increase the importance of employees. The latter will also do its best to follow the End User Agreement.

How long does the penetration test take?

Enterprises should conduct effective penetration tests on a regular basis. To avoid loss of important data due to future attacks, security managers should actively strengthen Web application defense. Consider the industry of the enterprise when planning the penetration test method. Not every company has the same security requirements, but the company has the responsibility to ensure the security of confidential information.

Enterprises should deploy penetration testing methods frequently. Pay special attention to the following:

1. penetration testing is often required for specific specifications in some industries.

2. Any modifications made to the network infrastructure or Web applications may involve upgrades, changes, security patches, installation of new software or hardware, and overhaul.

3. policy change. This is especially true for end users. Policy changes affect the interaction between users and Web applications, bringing new challenges.

4. migrate enterprises or add new office sites. This involves remote employees who access Web applications through the ISP rather than the enterprise's secure network.

Finally, it is necessary to be cautious when designing the penetration testing method. The cost of penetration testing is much lower than the cost caused by data leakage.

Build an effective penetration test process

When building a penetration testing method, you must remember that penetration testing requires a lot of trust. Enterprises need to find a supplier that is experienced and familiar with the specific needs of the enterprise.

Penetration Testing actually requires suppliers to attack the enterprise's systems. Therefore, some basic requirements should be established:

Scope: Is penetration testing specific to the enterprise or the overall scope? Who and who are not in this scope?

SCHEDULE: During the test, enterprises still need to run normally, so it is very important to determine when to perform the penetration test. The overall schedule of penetration testing should be a key element of the penetration testing method.

Black box test and white box test: In the white box test, the Penetration Tester can obtain the access and information of the basic implementation test, and then start to find and exploit the vulnerability. In the black box test, the tester performs attacks just like an external attacker.

Communication: it is important to establish communication channels among all parties involved in the test, because any errors in the communication may lead to unpredictable consequences.

The above problems are the basis of penetration testing methods, so we should consider them with caution.

Collect intelligence

At this stage, suppliers began to launch initial attacks. If well-planned, the supplier can identify what the attack is and what it cannot attack.

If the supplier did not investigate in detail information about the company, employees, assets, and liabilities, the work would not be sufficient. The time spent in this phase is very important and will be much more important.

Threat modeling

After collecting relevant information, the next step is to use this information to build a complete model of the company and assets. Then, determine the primary and secondary target assets and conduct further investigation.

Assets involve many elements, including corporate data (such as policies, processes, and trade secrets), employee and customer data, and personnel assets (senior employees who may exploit their vulnerabilities in some way). In a sound penetration testing method, suppliers should not be biased towards certain assets they find unless required to do so. Suppliers should strive to identify the most valuable assets.

Vulnerability Analysis

After a target asset is established, the supplier determines the best entry point to exploit these asset vulnerabilities. Good penetration testing methods can provide strict guidelines for the scope of the project to ensure that the results meet the customer's expectations.

Sometimes, this analysis can reveal all potential vulnerabilities. Suppliers are also required to perform penetration tests for specific potential problems. A thorough penetration test method can be used to evaluate the vulnerability level, including the vulnerability level and the sensitivity of the information that may be exposed.

Vulnerability exploitation and follow-up work

The next step in penetration testing is the attack. Just like real data leaks, vulnerability exploitation can be quickly implemented and executed.

After the supplier has gained access to the system, it will try to avoid being detected and try the "Privilege Escalation" policy to gain more system access and other potential resources.

After achieving the goal, the penetration test is carried out to the later stage of vulnerability exploitation. The supplier evaluates the value of the attacked system or entry point and determines whether the vulnerability can be further exploited.

Report

It is obvious that thorough penetration testing requires a lot of work in data collection, data analysis, and vulnerability utilization. However, how can suppliers report information so that enterprises can convert it into actionable solutions?

Specific requirements and suggestions: advanced recommendations may provide basic environment configurations for Enterprise Web applications, but they are not of great use for specific implementations.

Risk Level: Obviously, the more difficult the attack is to implement and complete, the more difficult the real attacker will face during implementation. The supplier shall provide a detailed report to indicate the risk levels of vulnerabilities discovered, and assess the potential impact of these vulnerabilities on the enterprise after they are exploited.