Penetration Testing Hagen

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.

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.

Unlike penetration testing, vulnerability assessment does not determine in detail whether the vulnerability can actually be exploited or what impact it has. A vulnerability scan usually uses automated vulnerability scanners such as Nessus or even Nmap. Vulnerability scanners only cover standard scenarios and do not take into account the specifics of the IT infrastructure in question.

Vulnerability scans are therefore more of a first step in the technical analysis of vulnerabilities than a complete process for securing systems. They are also often used as part of a security audit or as one of the first steps in penetration testing. In all cases, penetration testing goes further and examines the discovered vulnerabilities in detail.

The pentester attempts to exploit the vulnerabilities and assess the resulting opportunities for the attacker. This helps determine the impact of a vulnerability. Due to the manual nature of a penetration test and the creativity of the pentester, the chances of finding serious vulnerabilities are much higher with professionally conducted penetration tests than with standardized vulnerability scans.

One question that is not asked often enough is how much of the testing is automated and how much is manual. Automated tools, especially at the beginning of a project, can save save a pentester a lot of time and their use also depends on the project. However, experience shows that about 90-95% of the pentest is "manual work".

This is not to say that automated vulnerability scanners do not add value; Vulnerability scans are quick and easy tools that should be used on a regular basis to should be used to identify missing patches or outdated software in larger environments.

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.

An IT security audit examines the security of a company's IT systems from a holistic perspective. Security threats can arise not only from attacks, but also from technical incidents, organizational deficiencies or force majeure.
Security audits often take place as part of an ISMS (information security management system) and examine not only technical security elements but also compliance with the company's own standards and guidelines, security processes, employee training (keyword information security awareness) and similar aspects. Some security audits also include elements of a vulnerability scan.
However, a security audit usually does not go into as much technical detail as a manual penetration test.