Why does penetration testing take place?

There are many reasons why penetration tests are necessary. Sometimes, a company may want to have a stronger understanding of their security footprint. Sometimes, they may have a compliance requirement that they have to meet. Either way, understanding why penetration testing is necessary will help you understand the goal of the company. Plus, it will also let you know whether you are performing an internal penetration test or an external penetration test. External penetration tests will follow the flow of an external user and see what they have access to, and what they can do with that access.

Internal penetration tests are designed to test internal systems, so typically, the penetration box will have full access to that environment, being able to test all software and systems for known vulnerabilities. Since tests have different objectives, we need to treat them differently; therefore, our tools and methodologies will be different.

Understanding the engagement

One of the first tasks you need to complete prior to starting a penetration test is to have a meeting with the stakeholders and discuss various data points concerning the upcoming penetration test. This meeting could involve you as an external entity performing a penetration test for a client, or as an internal security employee doing the test for your own company. The important element here is that the meeting should happen either way, and the same type of information needs to be discussed.

During the scoping meeting, the goal is to discuss various items of the penetration test so that you have not only everything you need, but also full management buy-in with clearly defined objectives and deliverables. Full management buy-in is a key component for a successful penetration test. Without it, you may have trouble getting the required information from certain teams, or there may be scope creep, or general pushback.