Penetration testing and vulnerability assessments are two of the most common types of security testing. Do you know what the differences between the two are and what the benefits of one over the other are? Let’s take a look at the merits and demerits of penetration testing vs vulnerability scanning.
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| Penetration Testing vs Vulnerability Assessment |
Penetration Testing vs Vulnerability Assessment - Comparison, Merits, and Demerits
There are several individuals who are unsure whether they're performing a penetration test or a vulnerability assessment. They do not know what the differences between the two are, or what the benefits of one over the other are.
Penetration testing and vulnerability assessments are two of the most common types of security testing. They both have their own unique advantages and disadvantages, which can make it difficult to decide which one is right for your business.
In this article, we will discuss the merits and demerits of penetration testing vs vulnerability assessments, so that you can make an informed decision about which is right for your business.
Penetration Testing
Penetration testing, also known as pen testing or pentest, is a type of security testing that involves attempting to exploit vulnerabilities in order to determine how much damage an attacker could do. Penetration testing providers use a variety of methods to attempt to penetrate their target systems, including exploiting known vulnerabilities, using social engineering techniques, and guessing passwords.
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Merits Of Penetration Testing Over Vulnerability Assessments
Here are the advantages or merits of opting for penetration testing over vulnerability assessments:
- Can identify high-risk vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers.
- Shows the potential impact of an attack.
- Helps businesses prioritize their security efforts.
Demerits Of Penetration Testing Over Vulnerability Assessments
Check out the demerits or disadvantages of penetration testing over vulnerability assessments:
- Requires specialized knowledge and skill sets.
- Can be expensive and time-consuming.
Vulnerability Assessments
A vulnerability assessment is a process where a tester identifies vulnerabilities in a system and ranks them according to their level of risk. Assessors typically use automated scanning tools to identify vulnerabilities, but may also manually test for them.
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Merits Of Vulnerability Assessments Over Penetration Testing
Merit or advantages of vulnerability assessments over penetration testing, take a look:
- Inexpensive and fast
- Identifies a wide range of vulnerabilities
Demerits Of Vulnerability Assessments Over Penetration Testing
These are demerits or disadvantages of opting for vulnerability assessments over penetration testing:
- Does not show the potential impact of an attack
- Cannot identify high-risk vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers
Steps To Penetration Testing
If you are interested in doing penetration testing, here are the steps you need to follow:
- Identify the target systems
- Identify the vulnerabilities in your target systems
- Research known vulnerabilities
- Use exploitation methods to attempt to penetrate the system to determine the damage an attacker could do.
Tools For Penetration Testing
There are a variety of tools that penetration testers can use to exploit vulnerabilities, including:
- Astra's Pentest- A comprehensive and one of the best penetration testing tools offered by Astra Security.
- Metasploit Framework – An exploit-writing and exploitation tool.
- Nmap – A network exploration and security auditing tool.
- Wireshark – A network troubleshooting and security analysis packet analyzer.
Steps To Do A Vulnerability Assessment
If you are interested in doing a vulnerability assessment, here are the steps you need to follow:
- Identify your target systems.
- Scan your target systems for security problems.
- Use automated scanning applications to discover flaws.
- Manually test for vulnerabilities that were not found by the scanning tools.
- Rank the vulnerabilities according to their level of risk.
- Recommend solutions to fix the high-risk vulnerabilities.
Tools For Vulnerability Assessment
There are a variety of tools that vulnerability assessors can use to find vulnerabilities, including:
- Nessus – A comprehensive vulnerability scanner.
- OpenVAS – A framework for managing and using security assessment tools.
- Nikto – A web server vulnerability scanner.
- Burp Suite – A security application for web applications.
Major Differences Between Penetration Testing And Vulnerability Assessments
Here are some of the major differences between penetration testing and vulnerability assessments, let's take a look-
- Penetration testing is focused on exploiting vulnerabilities to determine how much damage an attacker could do, while vulnerability assessments are focused on identifying and ranking vulnerabilities.
- Penetration testing requires specialized knowledge and skill sets, while vulnerability assessments can be performed by anyone with basic hacking knowledge.
- Penetration testing is expensive and time-consuming, whereas vulnerability assessments are reasonably cheap and quick.
Penetration Testing Or Vulnerability Assessments- The Better Option
So, which is better? Penetration testing or vulnerability assessments? The answer depends on your business's specific needs. If you need to identify high-risk vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers, then penetration testing is the better option. However, if you are looking for an inexpensive and fast way to identify a wide range of vulnerabilities, then vulnerability assessments are the better option.
There are many different types of security testing that may be used to keep your organization safe. However, no test is completely accurate. It is always important to take the results with a grain of salt and use them as a starting point for further analysis and remediation.
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Conclusion
In conclusion, penetration testing and vulnerability assessments both have their own unique advantages and disadvantages, which can make it difficult to decide which one is right for your business. Before deciding which sort of security evaluation to do, it's critical to think about your company's specific requirements.