What is pentesting and how does the process work?

Discover what pentesting is and learn more about the process of testing systems for vulnerabilities, such as websites and mobile applications. In a pentest, an ethical hacker, also known as a white hat hacker, is engaged to hack the systems in consultation with the organization. The goal is to expose the vulnerabilities within these systems and thereby improve the organization's cybersecurity. Read on to learn more about pentesting.

How does a pentest process work?

Before a penetration test is carried out, the organization must determine which systems need to be tested, such as networks, websites, or mobile applications they manage or publish. Once insight has been gained into the systems, the type of pentest must be determined. Several testing methods are available:

• Black Box

• Grey Box

• White Box

Black Box pentesting

With a Black Box pentest, the organization provides no prior information about the systems and IT structure to the ethical hacker. The hacker only receives a scope, consisting of a URL and/or IP addresses. This simulates how a 'real hacker' operates. The lack of internal knowledge makes it more difficult for the ethical hacker to expose weaknesses.

Grey Box penetration testing

With Grey Box penetration testing, the hacker receives limited information about the systems and IT structure. Sometimes the penetration tester is given access to a system with a user account. This simulates a situation where a hacker has gained access to an organization's internal environment through, for example, phishing. With this knowledge and access, the ethical hacker can conduct an in-depth investigation into vulnerabilities within the organization's systems.

White Box pentesting

With a White Box pentest, the ethical hacker is given full access to, among other things, the source code, the network, or elevated privileges within the IT systems. This allows the hacker to focus mainly on thoroughly checking all systems and providing as detailed a picture as possible of the vulnerabilities within the organization's entire landscape.

Next steps after a pentest at Tozetta

At Tozetta, we prefer a White or Grey Box pentest. With this extensive test, all systems can be thoroughly examined for vulnerabilities. The ethical hacker can demonstrate the vulnerabilities with a detailed report. In the report and the follow-up conversation, guidelines are also provided to resolve the vulnerabilities. These conversations are always held with the Tozetta ethical hackers who actually carried out the pentest.

Want to know more about the possibilities of pentesting?

If you want to know more about the possibilities such as pentest costs, read our blog or get in touch with Tozetta. Tozetta specializes in carrying out pentests on websites and mobile apps.