Since the turn of the century, the amount and complexity of cybersecurity threats have continually been on the rise. Penetration testing (pen testing) has quickly become an essential method for identifying vulnerabilities before malicious actors exploit them. A pen test simulates a real-world attack on your systems, networks, or applications to uncover security weaknesses. Correct preparation is critical to maximise the benefits of pen testing while minimising business disruptions.
In this guide, our expert team has created actionable steps to help your business effectively prepare for a penetration test, ensuring it runs smoothly and delivers valuable insights to improve your security posture.
Define the Scope of Your Pen Test
Determine the Objectives:
Before conducting a pen test, it’s crucial to clarify the purpose. Are you testing network security, application security, or physical access controls? Clearly outline what you hope to achieve, whether it’s identifying vulnerabilities in specific systems or understanding how an attacker might breach your defences.
Set Boundaries:
Clearly define which parts of your infrastructure will be included in the test. This could involve specific software applications, IP addresses, or business areas. For instance, testing only the external network could be quite different from examining internal systems.
Agree on Testing Types:
Decide on the type of test that best suits your needs: no-knowledge, partial-knowledge, or full-knowledge. Choosing the right testing type ensures the test aligns with your objectives and provides realistic results.
Select the Right Penetration Testing Partner
Research Vendors:
When choosing a penetration testing provider, consider their accreditations and certifications, such as CREST, NCSC, or ISO 9001, to ensure credibility. At Samurai Security, we position ourselves as a top contender with proven expertise, demonstrated through our accreditations and CVE submissions. Look for companies that specialise in the specific type of testing your business needs.
Check for Confidentiality Agreements:
It’s essential to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with your testing partner to ensure sensitive information remains protected throughout the process.
Evaluate Experience and Transparency:
Ensure the company has experience in your industry and provides clear communication regarding their rates, scope, and timelines. This transparency helps manage expectations and minimises any misunderstanding.
Prepare Internal Teams (Or Don’t)
Notify Key Stakeholders:
Depending on the type of test, you may want to notify relevant departments, such as IT or security teams. If the test involves social engineering, it’s critical that these teams are not informed to ensure an authentic test with results that reflect the real scenario.
Plan for Business Continuity:
Ensure your critical operations remain uninterrupted during the test. For example, set up testing schedules outside peak business hours or have a contingency plan in case of disruption.
Establish Clear Communication Channels
Set Up a Point of Contact:
Designate a person or team within your company to liaise with the testing team. This contact should be available throughout the test to provide immediate assistance if needed.
Gather and Provide Necessary Information:
For a full-knowledge test, gather documentation such as network diagrams and application architecture, and securely provide them to the testers. This helps them understand your environment. Use secure platforms like Egress to share this information safely.
Ensure Compliance and Legal Permissions
Compliance Considerations:
Ensure your penetration test aligns with industry regulations such as GDPR or PCI-DSS. This is critical, particularly for businesses handling sensitive data.
Obtain Third-Party Permissions:
If the test involves systems hosted by third parties or cloud environments, make sure you’ve obtained written permission to test their systems to avoid legal complications.
Backup Critical Systems and Data
Perform Backups:
Before the test, back up all critical systems and data to protect against accidental data loss or corruption during the process. Verify that these backups are complete and can be restored if needed.
Avoid Testing in Production Environments:
Whenever possible, penetration tests should be conducted in a staging or development environment. Testing against live production systems can result in unintended disruptions or downtime.
Plan for a Debrief and Remediation
Schedule a Debrief:
Once the test is complete, schedule a debrief with your penetration testing partner to go over the results. Understanding the findings is critical to addressing vulnerabilities.
Prepare for Remediation:
Allocate resources and set deadlines to fix any discovered vulnerabilities. Ensure that vulnerabilities are tracked and managed through a systematic approach, documenting when they were found, addressed, retested, and resolved.
Educate and Train Your Staff
Awareness Training:
After the test, educate all relevant teams, including employees, developers, engineers, and anyone involved in the application or infrastructure, about security best practices. Highlight the vulnerabilities discovered during the test and provide guidance on how to avoid similar issues in the future to prevent potential security lapses.
Conclusion
Comprehensive preparation is the key to ensuring your penetration test is a success. By clearly defining the scope, selecting the right partner, safeguarding critical systems, and following up with effective remediation, you can turn the insights gained from the test into actionable improvements. Remember, penetration testing should be viewed as an ongoing process in your business’s cybersecurity strategy, ensuring continuous improvement and risk mitigation.