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Penetration testing and vulnerability scanning are two key assessments that evaluate the security posture of networks, websites, and applications. Thus, knowing which type of test is necessary or if both techniques are required for a given situation is vital as they serve different purposes. Network managers often make the mistake of thinking they need one method of testing when the other would do them better - avoiding this requires a good understanding of their role and purpose in mitigating security risks.
Penetration testing, also known as ethical hacking, entails discovering and harmlessly exploiting an installation’s vulnerabilities before real threat actors can do so via technological methods (abnormal URLs, specially crafted queries, scanning for exposed data) and non-technological ones like phishing and other social engineering techniques.
Pen testing is often based on common and published vulnerabilities that automated tools check for. Hence, a big part of the process depends on the client’s configuration. Other vulnerabilities are merely hypothetical, i.e., if certain features are turned off or if there are other protections in place, nominal vulnerabilities could pose no risk. Once exploits are discovered, pen testers report them to the client so they can act on them immediately.
In contrast, vulnerability scanning is a matter of checking for known defects in an installation’s security, evidence of which may include open ports, behavioural characteristics, or a version number. Security sites and software developers regularly publish known vulnerabilities for this type of security testing, each marked with a severity level. This information helps create tests for detecting said vulnerabilities.
Teams running vulnerability scans determine which vulnerabilities apply to your configuration, compile the relevant tests into suites, and run them. The results are included in a report detailing which vulnerabilities were detected and the severity of the findings. However, do note that a reported vulnerability is not necessarily always exploitable. Certain factors, such as how systems are set up, could make certain vulnerabilities a non-issue or unlikely to pose a risk at the very least. When dealing with a vulnerability scanning report, it is best practice to start from the most severe findings and work down to the least serious while weeding out false positives. Bugs in the software will always pop up from time to time, and patching them is a constant endeavour for developers who will also report the issue so that users can check for them. As such, regular scans are necessary to catch any new vulnerabilities.
What separates pen testing and vulnerability scanning is their end goal; the former challenges the installations it tests while the other simply observe them. Another way to see it is the difference between reporting that a door is open and unlocked and entering it. Although it is the more definite test, going inside a private space is not always appropriate, requires more time to check each door, and may even set off alarms.
In short, vulnerability scanning is more akin to a maintenance operation, while pen testing is the process of identifying immediate problems. A security issue could be important or not; if it is something pen testers can use to access internal networks means they certainly are.
The automation in vulnerability scanning when searching for security weaknesses makes it more thorough. Every externally-facing system, public service, and firewall needs to be included in the tests. Despite the wealth of information in the report, they are limited regarding the actual level of risk involved.
On the other hand, pen testing takes a more focused approach where testers identify the trouble areas most likely to pose a risk and try to use them instead of looking to exploit every potential vulnerability. The end report provides a good idea of real-world dangers to look out for.
Vulnerability scans are mostly automated and configured to the client’s systems, and the rest of the matter is to simply run them and report the results.
Pen tests use automation to an extent, but testers tailor them to the customer. They also apply their years of experience when creating exploitation scenarios and use various technological and non-technological techniques to test an organisation’s business processes and exploit human error. Given that no network is the same, pen testers will almost always craft a unique strategy for each test.
Regardless of the test chosen, the people running them should have the proper experience and credentials to run them. With that said, pen testing inherently demands greater knowledge, imagination, and ingenuity than vulnerability scanning since the former looks for the unexpected, a way to gain unauthorised access that no one has thought to prevent yet.
Moreover, pen testing requires more time and monetary resources and can often be disruptive. Yet, the critical information it provides is difficult to acquire in other ways and lets businesses prioritise weaknesses that affect their security posture.
Although pen testing and vulnerability scanning both improve cybersecurity, they are different techniques that achieve different goals. As such, it is vital to understand which tests to apply and when to ensure the robustness of your digital security.
As your one-stop for vulnerability assessment and Pen Test Services in Singapore, you can always rely on GROUP8 to provide tailored solutions to continuously improve your cybersecurity posture. For more information, do not hesitate to contact us at hello@group8.co today.