Penetration Testing on a Website - It Detects both Known and Unknown Vulnerabilities

It is paramount to know and assess the threats that destroy the integrity of a website running on live server. At this point of time security of the web server, network and data is the next important thing to concentrate upon. Penetration testing can help in understanding the very root of the security threat to emerge with solutions that can work in making a website secure.

It is known as Ethical Hacking, the act of being active in planning attacks over the website’s security and networking. It is the Penetration Testing that is referred to here in this article. Both known and unknown vulnerabilities that harms the overall integrity of a website and the system, its network, data is pointed out when a penetration testing is carried out in order out arrive at a just conclusion to solve the problem. Every now and then security threats haunts web masters and a security breach is often what take place if proper measures are put into action. The security threats may arise, due to a possible network security hole somewhere in the system, bad or inaccurate configuration or when automatic update option has been disabled. To ascertain the possible cause that might make hacker activity a child’s play for a particular website or server, it is essential to carry out willful hacking by means of penetration testing.

The hacker activity as part of the vulnerability assessment in a penetration testing procedure is to willingly enter malicious code and undertake hacking. The only difference between the ethical hacking in penetration testing and the one carried out by real hacker is that the hacking conducted as an essential component of the penetration testing, gives periodic reports of how a particular hacking activity is effecting the website and the server security that is then forwarded to the admin for proper remediation management.

The penetration testing procedure is a "Black Box Testing" that involves tests where the attackers have no knowledge of the network infrastructure. This gives them the opportunity to carry out hacking as would have been carried out by a real hacker and in this way other unknown vulnerabilities that are not quite obvious to take place but posing a serious threat over the network and on live servers is pointed out and a proper solution is brought into the forefront to make a website secure to its fullest. Penetration testing carries out automated and manual discovery and exploitation of vulnerabilities, it validates compromised system with "tag" or copy of retrieved data conducted by certified staff.

Advantages of Penetration Testing:-

1) Penetration testing reveals possible network security holes.

2) More realistic risk assessment in the penetration testing procedure as it would have carried out by real hacker for better threat resolution.

3) Penetration testing brings about the formulation of a security strategy to analyze and identify threats, the cause and bring about a ready powerful solution to mitigate it.

4) Penetration testing prevents financial losses through loss of revenue and data due to the unethical processes.

5) A reliable penetration testing procedure that conducts risk audits to determine network operation and integrity.

6) Accurate and up-to-date known and unknown vulnerability assessments through penetration testing.

7) Preparation of disaster scenarios under the Black Box Testing and injecting malicious codes to analyze the cause and effect and assessing a prior attack scenario as well which in turn helps in error resolution and mitigating the possibility of a threat on the network.

Penetration testing should therefore be carried out whenever there is a change in the network infrastructure by highly experienced staff who will scrutinize internet connected systems for any weakness or disclosure of information, which could be used by an attacker to compromise the confidentiality, availability or integrity of your network.

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