Black Box Penetration Testing: Types of Penetration Testing
Black box penetration testing (or black box pen testing) is a form of security testing that involves breaking into a system without the system operator's knowledge. A black box test aims to identify vulnerabilities that an attacker would need to access a system.
It gives the penetration tester a higher degree of secrecy and stealth while testing a system. It also allows the penetration tester to gather information about a system without disclosing its presence.
This guide will provide a comprehensive overview of Black box penetration testing, its types, the complete procedure, and all the benefits a black box pen test can provide. We'll also reveal the best software testing solution for your testing needs! Make sure to read till the end!
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What is Penetration Testing?
The process of assessing the security of a computer system or network is known as penetration testing, and finding the best penetration testing services is crucial for this task. It involves attempting to access a system or network to identify vulnerabilities that an attacker can exploit.
A penetration test is carried out by a penetration tester, an independent third party that a company or organization hires to assess the security of its systems.
The main goal of a penetration test is to identify vulnerabilities in a system or network that an attacker can use to gain access to the system or network.
Different Types of Penetration Testing
Penetration testing is typically carried out in one of the three different ways:
1. Black Box
Black box testing refers to penetration testing in which the tested system is isolated from any external network or other systems. It allows the penetration tester to gather information about the system without detection.
2. White Box
White box testing refers to penetration testing in which the tested system is connected to an external network or other systems. This allows the penetration tester to identify any vulnerabilities caused by external network access, such as unauthorized users accessing a system or network.
3. Grey Box
Grey-box testing is the next level up from black-box testing. A grey-box tester has the access and knowledge of a user, possibly with elevated privileges on a system, as opposed to a black-box tester, which examines a design from an outsider's perspective.
Grey-box testing frequently has some understanding of the internals of a network, possibly including design and architecture documentation and an account inside the network.
Reasons to Conduct Black Box Test
There are numerous reasons to perform a black box test:
- You can quickly find errors in functional specifications by using black box testing.
- It cultivates the discipline of following the protocol outlined in the test plan.
- Since the tester and designer are independent, black box testing features unbiased tests.
- Black box testing helps find hidden errors in GUI testing and identify security holes in the system.
- Black box testing mimics user behaviour without knowing the program's internal architecture.
Black Box Penetration Test Types
1. Functional
By providing accurate input and verifying the output against the functional specifications, functional tests seek to analyze each function of the software product.
2. Nonfunctional
The primary objective of nonfunctional testing is to verify a specification that establishes the benchmarks for gauging a system's performance. These combine requirements for usability, look and feel, efficiency, security, etc., that are not functional.
3. Regression (Widely Used)
Its goal is to demonstrate that a previously practical application continues to function well after changes are made to specific components. Regressiontesting analyses guarantee that nothing has changed.
Black Box Penetration Testing Procedure
Black Box testing includes multiple steps that are designed to simulate user behaviour. They are:
1. Surveillance
Surveillance is gathering information on a target system to identify its weak points and vulnerabilities to improve security or achieve specific goals. It is important to note that surveillance and black box testing are different, even though both involve using a black box to test the security of a target.
Examples: IP addresses, email addresses, employee information, websites, exposed pain points, etc.
2. Scan and Enumeration
After the survey, scanning follows to identify the target system. The tester now searches for more information about the target, such as the software used, the operating system, etc.
3. Vulnerability Identification
Next, the tester looks for vulnerabilities in the public components of the target. It could involve CVEs(Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures)in the target system's versions or third-party software.
4. Exploit Process
The tester must create a malicious request or use social engineering techniques to exploit the vulnerabilities. The objective of this step is to take the shortest path to the system's core, which is often achieved by using small pieces of data hidden from the user.
5. Privilege Escalation
After breaking into the system, the tester tries to raise their access level to fully access the design and database. It is often achieved by abusing the system's in-built access controls and privileges.
Benefits of Black Box Pen Test
Now that the Black Box penetration testing is complete, let's dig deeper to harness the power of the Black Box tools.
There are several benefits of black box pen testing. They include:
- Your application is put through a hacker test. It discovers the publicly disclosed vulnerabilities on your networks and applications.
- It can assist you in identifying implementation and configuration issues by testing the application while running.
- It recognizes improper product builds (for example, outdated or missing modules/files).
- It can identify security problems that develop as a result of contact with the underlying environment.
- Through the use of social engineering techniques, it can identify security issues involving people.
- Ability to recognize problems like incorrect input/output validation, information disclosure in error messages, etc.
- Comparing black box penetration testing to other types of pen-testing, such as grey box and white box, the black box is the cheapest, fastest, and most influential of the three.
Best Penetration Testing Solution
Regarding finding the best-in-class software testing services for apps and websites, Appsierra is one of the best companies to partner with. They have asuite of toolsand services to help you secure your app while increasing your development speed.
They use a combination of black box and white box testing to ensure your app is as secure as possible. Instead of breaking down your app's security, we use advanced software testing methods to simulate a hacker trying to break into your app.
No matter your app's complexity or your company's size, Appsierra has built a standard of services that will find the most effective approach to test your applications for vulnerabilities. Get started today with Appsierra and experience the power of software testing!
Conclusion
Hence, black box penetration testing is the most effective way to enhance the security as well as the stability of any application. If you are looking for a cost-effective and most customized penetration testing experience for your app, Look no further! Appsierra is a team of QA and software testing experts who can help you with your testing needs. Visit Appsierra today!
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