Network Penetration Testing

Network penetration testing is a proactive security measure where penetration testers simulate real-world cyberattacks on a network to uncover potential vulnerabilities. Network penetration tests help pinpoint security gaps across networks, systems, hosts, routers, servers, and firewalls. These pentests may be performed through manual pentesting or automated pentesting.

Network penetration testing provides organizations with insights into potential security vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by malicious actors. Through early discovery, organizations can reassess their security gaps and mitigate risks.

Network pentesting benefits security teams by helping them: 

• Identify security gaps within an organization’s network
• Discover vulnerabilities before exploitation
• Tweak security policies and deploy patches quickly
• Uncover potential attack paths and ways a threat actor can gain access

Network penetration testing involves ethical hackers simulating real-world attacks to identify any vulnerabilities within a network. Network penetration testing works through this typical process:

1. Discovery & Scanning: Scope out the network for potential vulnerabilities and gather information around IP addresses, open ports, services, and applications. This can be done through vulnerability scans.
2. Enumeration & Analysis: Run further analysis to identify potential weaknesses in a network such as misconfigurations and outdated software. 
3. Detection & Exploitation: Actively search and detect security gaps and exploit them to gain access to the network using malicious actors’ tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs).
4. Post-exploitation: Once access is gained, attempt to maintain control within the network by moving laterally and escalating privileges to gain further access.
5. Reporting & Read-Out: Document findings, including the severity of vulnerabilities, potential impacts, and detailed recommendations for remediation. 

Network penetration tests are one of the four main types of penetration testing, along with application, physical, and IoT/Mobile tests. The objective of this test is to identify vulnerability exploits in your networks, systems, hosts, and other network devices – including routers, servers, and firewalls.

In the world of cyber security, network penetration tests are the most common form of penetration test that companies perform. This is because your internal networks are the most likely area of attack by a hacker. Your sensitive data and control of systems are all linked to your networks, so it is crucial that you consistently test your defenses to identify any network vulnerabilities.

Common attack vectors to test for with network penetration testing include: 

• Phishing attacks: A threat actor tactic using email or messages to trick an employee, partner, or someone else with network access into revealing information that gives the attacker access privileges.
• Distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks: A DDoS attack typically uses a botnet that attempts to overwhelm a network with useless traffic so its system resources cannot react efficiently, often leading to a crash. 
• Man in the middle (MitM) attacks: A man in the middle attack is where a hacker interrupts and inserts themselves in communications between a client and a server to gain access to the network server.

While performing penetration tests is both necessary and important for your network, there are more ways to maximize your security defenses. Here are a list of security best practices to protect your network infrastructure from an attack:

Install anti-virus and anti-malware software and make sure it is up to date

Having a strong and up to date anti-virus software should protect you from many of the large vulnerabilities your network has. This will create a “backbone” for your network and make sure no device is exposed to an attacker.

Establish network use standards

Making sure employees know how they should operate on the network, and more importantly, how they shouldn’t be is key for maximizing your security. Social engineering and user error are some of the most common ways attackers infiltrate a system, so educating your employees on network use standards is crucial.

Disable network connections when they are not in use

This step is all about limiting the number of attack vectors hackers have to target. Disabling network connections from dormant connections makes sure you only use what you need and don’t stretch your network thin. This way your cyber security team can focus on keeping active connections safe.

Encrypt data at rest

Encrypting data is done to ensure important and confidential data stored “at rest” is safe from compromise. Encrypting this data should mean that even if an attacker gets their hands on your data, they won’t be able to decrypt it for personal gain.

Limit the number of users with network access and admin privileges

The more users that have elevated administrative privileges on your network, the more likely a successful attack is. Limiting the number of total users on your network and the number of individuals with admin privileges will limit the vulnerability of your network against a targeted attack and the number of attack vectors for a hacker.

Aggregate network penetration testing data from both manual and automated testing in PlexTrac. PlexTrac integrates with a wide range of vulnerability scanners and automated pentesting tools and services to bring all your data into a central location to streamline reporting, prioritize risk, and expedite remediation.  

PlexTrac is the #1 platform for automating pentest reporting with AI, aggregating pentest and vulnerability data from various tools and scanners, and effectively prioritizing risk.

Request your demo today to learn more.

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