Penetration testing, also called Pentest, is a cybersecurity process that helps you stay ahead of hackers. In a pentest, an ethical hacker finds security vulnerabilities in your application, network, or system and helps you fix them before attackers get wind of these issues and exploit them. Cyber Security Hive is listed among the top Penetration testing companies in UAE to defend your organization from security threats through our penetration testing services.
What are the Limitations that can affect the outcome of a Penetration Test?
While various forms of penetration tests are available to manufacturers and producers, several limitations can also affect penetration testing effectiveness. The limitations are the length of time given for the penetration test, the scope of the assessment, the limitation of access to the system or network, the methods allowed, the skill-set of the penetration tester, access to known exploits, and the inability to experiment with custom exploits.
Time: Penetration testers are given a time when the assessment is to be performed. Depending on what's agreed between the business requesting the assessment and the group conducting the assessment, penetration tests typically last for one to two weeks. Compared to penetration tests, attacks conducted by cybercriminals and hackers focused on exploiting vulnerabilities will last for weeks, months, or even years.
Scope: The scope outlines the penetration test rules, preventing accidental damage or affecting business operations. The scope will limit the times of day when conducting the assessment, what machines are allowed to be targeted or exploited, and which employees to focus on during assessments involving phishing emails. When the assessment permits the penetration tester to have a broader assessment scope, the penetration tester will find and exploit more vulnerabilities that criminals may use during an actual cyber security attack.
Limitation of access: Depending on the simulation or scenario that the penetration tester is given, the pentester may be requested to test specific systems' security but start the assessment from a distinct portion of the network. In these situations, this limitation is obligatory for the penetration tester to test the safety of the network from various entry points, which provides the manufacturer with a practical representation of how far an attacker can get through their network from different starting points and show what data could a hacker gain access to throughout these situations.
Known exploits and experimentation: These two limitations directly impact one another, as, without investigation and lack of current known exploits, an unknown exploit may be later used against a business. These two limitations stem from the amount of time given for the testing period, as experimental testing might result in unintended damages or a lack of provable results. Penetration testers are restricted to known exploits approved for testing, preventing accidental damage to systems or processes.
Limitation of methods allowed: Limiting the methods and exploits used is accepted by penetration testers. This is enforced to prevent accidentally crashing crucial systems and affecting productivity. While a penetration test's primary goal is to search out exploitable vulnerabilities, the tester should be cautious of any known exploit that might cause a system to shut down unexpectedly. In cases like this, the penetration testers should inform the client of the vulnerability and the potential result of exploiting it.
Cyber Security Hive is listed as one of the top Penetration testing companies in India. Our Penetration Testing services can benefit organizations in many ways, including preventing monetary losses, preserving the brand reputation, compliance with statute rules and regulations, eliminating potential risks, etc.
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