Penetration testing tutorial for beginners

Penetration Testing or very commonly known as Pen test in Online world . This might be a familiar team for all IT Security enthusiasts and tech companies . For those who are unfamiliar to this term , here we will give you an idea by defining the concept of Penetration test .

Introduction To Penetration Testing

Let us start with introduction to penetration testing by defining what is penetration testing .

Then we will learn the importance of the pen test . And why it is necessary to perform these kind of tests and so on .

Defining Penetration Testing ( Pen Test )

Let’s go for a simple definition to understand the concept . Pen test / Penetration test is generally a Security test to find out the security threats and security risk on a system . 

This test helps in detecting the security risk on a system and thus makes the security analyst teams vigilant to rectify the insecurities of a system .

How Important is Penetration Test ?

Now you may be thinking why penetration test , what is the importance of penetration test . Let’s discuss it in short –

Imagine any software application or a website that has got security flaws . It can happen easily , when a developer develops an application or website errors can occur . Some of the minute errors like configuration errors , software bugs , design errors can lead to security threats . This can turn vulnerable when someone illegally enters into the site and make use of the security loopholes .

So its always necessary to find out the security flaws by doing a pen test .

• This helps in understanding the security loopholes in system .
• Makes to alert about the data that are under security threat .
• You get an idea about the weakest section of your system through which someone can attack your system .
• Gives you idea about possible areas where white hat techniques can be used to exploit your system security .
• Protection against black hat attacks.

These reasons makes every company and its network to invest a good amount on their system security and network security . Especially government portals , agencies , big MNC’s , corporate companies and Banking sectors spend a good amount on ensuring cyber security .

Benefits of Penetration Test / Pen Test

Pen Test is to ensure a secured system . This can add more benefit to any organisation and not doing a pen test is risky business as well . Every company must ensure they do risk assessment of their system security as well . Sometimes your system insecurity can lead to financial insecurity of the firm and eventually may be into break of customer loyalty even.

• Increases Efficiency of Management

If your system is secure and you have understood the flaws in the security system and rectified it . Thus during any unexpected or intentional cyber attacks your management can function without any tensions . Because pen test would have given you risk analysis report of your system security .

• Ensure your customer loyalty

In case if your system’s security issues were not detected and rectified in a pen test then any time you can loose the trust of your customer on your brand . Because leak of customer data can be a serious problem .

• Safe zone from Fines & Penalties

Data breach and leak of confidential data can lead to legal issues thus make you end up with paying huge penalties . Penetration test saves you from all such legal issues by putting an end to the chance of any kind of attacks to your system.

• No Fear Data leak

Data leak is a serious threat of any insecure system , so doing pen test reduces the maximum chance of data leak.

• Financial Safety

In case of banking networks or any payment gateway related systems , insecure system can increase the chance of financial loss , this can be avoided . And in case of other organisations they can avoid financial loss due to hack attempts and customer loss and penalties .

What are the Types of Pen Test ?

There are basically three types of pen test available on practice . Then there are different areas on which pen test is applied .

There are three types of pen testing , they are –

White box pen testing

Black Box Pen testing &

Grey Box Pen testing .

Now we have given a basic outline about pen testing and will continue more about the pen test like How pen test is performed and types of Penetration testing etc .