Types of Penetration Testing

Black Box Penetration Testing

In this type of test, the tester receives absolutely no information during the test. The pentester imitates the tactics of an attacker, starting from initial access, execution, and exploitation. Black box penetration testing is more realistic since it shows how an adversary without inside information would target and infiltrate an organization. The pentester is in charge of the attack’s reconnaissance phase, during which they collect any sensitive information they will need to successfully breach the network. Black box penetration testers gather information about their target system and use it to create a blueprint of its inner workings. Like an unprivileged attacker, a pentester creates the map based on their own observations, investigation, and analysis of the target system. The pentester then employs these results in an attack on the target. They may use whatever methods are required, including brute‐force attacks and password cracking. Following the breach, the pentester mimics the actions of an attacker by attempting privilege escalation and establishing a persistent presence, but without really causing any harm. After completing the test, the pentester will create a report and clean up the workspace.

White Box PenetrationTesting

This method entails giving the tester access to all network and system data, including network maps, login passwords, and IP addresses. In this type of testing, time is saved, and the total cost of the engagement is reduced. White box penetration testing is done to mimic a particular attack on a system by using as many attack pathways as feasible.

Gray Box Penetration Testing

Gray box penetration testing is a type of testing that combines elements of both black box and white box testing. During a gray box penetration test, the testers are provided with a limited amount of information about the target system, typically authentication credentials or partial access to the system. The purpose of this is to simulate an attacker with some prior knowledge of the system, such as an insider or a compromised user account.One of the primary benefits of gray box testing is its ability to reveal the extent of access that a privileged user might have on a system. By limiting the information given to the testers, it forces them to use their knowledge and experience to identify potential vulnerabilities and exploit them to gain access to sensitive data.