Penetration Testing Bochum

A penetration test, or "pentest" for short, is a security check that emulates an attack by a malicious party on a network or application to identify security vulnerabilities. This test is coordinated in advance and conducted in such a way that no system is damaged. At the end of the test, you will receive a report that includes the problems and vulnerabilities found, along with suggestions on how to fix them.

At the beginning of the process, we try to familiarize ourselves with your company and the scope of work so that we are able to provide an accurate quote. We gather this information on purpose so that we don't come back and ask for more testing time (and additional costs). The more information you are willing to share with us, the better we can provide an estimate.

However, some customers want a black box approach, where only a limited amount of information is provided, to simulate a real attack and the response to it. In this case, we still need to capture the size/complexity, that is required for testing, and therefore have some fundamental questions about scope.

In a white-box test, the pentester receives all relevant information about the target system(s). The advantage is that this approach saves time - and thus costs. It is also generally true that white-box tests are more effective in improving the security of IT systems and should usually be preferred.
Generally speaking, black-box testing can be a suitable means of uncovering security issues against a specification (e.g., a Web API interface), but is very poorly suited to identifying flaws within specific components. In the latter case, white-box testing should be the preferred means.

Similar to cost, the duration of penetration testing depends on several factors. Penetration testing is a hands-on assessment that does not lend itself to short, quick sprints. At Redlings, we tend to have pentesting projects start at week or so, but many projects can extend over a much longer period of time. extend over a significantly longer period of time.

In black-box testing, the pentester attempts to attack the target without any prior knowledge of addresses, systems, applications and processes. The main argument for this approach is that this scenario comes closest to the real world and thus simulates a real attack scenario. However, this is only partially true because a real attacker does not have just a week or two like a contracted pentester, but has the entire time, including months or years, to prepare the attack. In fact, some of the most successful hacker attacks have taken place over a period of up to 12 months.
This bias means that black-box testing is often inconclusive and gives customers a false sense of security. Redlings therefore recommends black-box testing only in exceptional cases. The argument that attackers (must) implement a black-box approach also only works to a limited extent, since a long preparation time can lead to extensive internal informtions.

Admittedly, this is not so easy - if someone tells you that they only work with the best pentesters, this may be difficult to verify. that they only work with the best pentesters, it may be difficult to verify. Pentesters with more experience and more extensive training are often more expensive. Just remember that you get what you pay for. Beware of pentesters who offer prices that are too good to be true. They are probably not doing a thorough job. I suggest looking for penetration testers who have one or - better - several recognized Pentester certifications.

Among the most respected (and costly) certifications in security circles in the in the field of penetration testing are the certifications of Offensive Security (esp. OSCP - Offensive Security Certified Professional, OSCE - Offensive Security Certified Expert) and SANS/GIAC.