What Is Penetration Testing in Software Testing? Types, Process & Examples

Penetration testing is essential to modern security, as it allows teams to evaluate the security of their systems through simulated attacks based on reality. Additionally, it protects usable sensitive data before a threat is realized by the user.

Understanding what penetration testing is in software testing assists teams with making secure software early on. This guide will hopefully be helpful in understanding the meaning, types, process, and examples in layman’s terms. This guide is made for ease of reading and use for understanding. 

What is Penetration Testing in Software Testing? 

Penetration testing is a security activity in the form of ethical hacking that has the ethical hacker simulate an attack on a computer system. This helps to identify weaknesses that a real hacker may exploit and measure the actual strength of security controls when stress tested. 

Some teams practise penetration testing to identify vulnerabilities in web applications, networks, servers and mobile devices. The experience will identify gaps that could expose sensitive data in a real incident, thus allowing the team to address and mitigate the security risks before they become bigger threats. 

Penetration testing examines how attackers think and act. Penetration tests make use of the same tools and testing methods as malicious hackers. It allows teams to identify and fix security risks before an attacker can exploit them.

How Does Penetration Testing Operate?

Combination of Manual and Automated Testing

Penetration testing combines manual testing and automated testing to discover weaknesses in a system. The penetration tester attempts various means to break into the target system. This emulates an actual attack to show what a real attacker is capable of.

Clearly Defined Scope Prior to Testing

Before the test, the tester and the security team defined a scope. The scope is important to protect the system from any unwanted consequences as a result of the test. A well devised scope also protects against possible false positives or security risks that were not identified.

Structured Phases

The majority of penetration tests use basic and structured testing phases. A simple penetration test will have planning, scanning, exploitation [gaining access], maintaining access, and reporting phases. These phases emulate the phases of a real-world attack and begin to show how an attacker moves to gain access and seek their objectives.

Example of Penetration Testing

A company requests a security professional to evaluate its online banking portal. The tester first examines and scans the login page and identifies an SQL injection vulnerability. The tester was able to exploit the issue and access customer records through the database without logging in. The tester documented the issue, demonstrated how it was exploited, and recommended enhancing input validation and protecting the database.  This is an example of how penetration testing can assist in being able to prevent and mitigating cyber attacks.

The 5 Phases of Penetration Testing

Phase 1: Planning and Reconnaissance

The first phase of a penetration test consists of determining the engagement objectives and the scope of testing. All parties involved, including the testing team and the organization, confirm which systems are included in the target environment. The goal is to limit the penetration testers from using any unnecessary assets for the test itself.

In the reconnaissance phase, penetration testers begin collecting any public information about the target system. Information may include network information, domain names, or information about technology stacks. Reconnaissance is performed to assist in planning the execution.

Phase 2: Scanning
Scanning evaluates the target system’s response to various intrusions against it. It mainly involves two methods of analysis: static and dynamic analysis. Static analysis examines the application code while not operating, giving the testers a deeper understanding of the vulnerabilities in how the code is structured.

Phase 3: Gaining Access

Once vulnerabilities are identified, they will attempt to exploit those vulnerabilities. Pen testers will attempt processes such as SQL injection to exploit the database logic or cross-site scripting to inject a malicious payload of code. These methods illustrate how an actual attacker could easily exploit a web application.

Phase 4: Maintaining Access

Once initial access has been gained, penetration testers will attempt to establish a persistent presence. This simulates adversaries that establish a presence and remain dormant for extended periods within this simulated environment. They accomplish this by installing backdoors, escalating privileges, and obscuring their movement.

The Maintain Access phase demonstrates how effective security controls are in detecting unauthorized activity that is occurring or has occurred. It further identifies how long an intruder may go undetected. This phase is instrumental in strengthening attack detection tools.

Phase 5: Analysis and Reporting

The final stage compiles all findings into a report detailing the vulnerabilities found, how they were exploited, and what sensitive data may have been disclosed.

The report will prioritize each finding based on risk and ease of exploitation, with a focus on serious vulnerabilities first. Recommendations would include any vulnerabilities ranked as low risk, even if they do not require immediate action.

Types of Penetration Testing

Black Box Penetration Testing

Black box testing is conducted when the penetration tester has no prior knowledge of the target environment. The tester then gathers information to mimic the activities of real attackers. This exercise can assist organizations with an understanding of their exposure to an external attack.

Grey Box Penetration Testing

Grey box testing allows the tester to have partial knowledge of the target environment, generally having such details as network diagrams, account credentials, or application information. It is a better method for internal applications and for instances where the organization desires deeper testing.

White Box Penetration Testing

A white box penetration test allows and gives the penetration tester complete knowledge of the target environment. This would mean source code, architecture, and configuration details, etc. The tester is allowed to conduct a thorough analysis of all environmental requirements.

How is Penetration Testing different from Software Testing?

Basis of Difference	Penetration Testing	Software Testing
Purpose	Finds security weaknesses and attempts to exploit them	Checks whether the software works as expected
Focus	Security, vulnerabilities, attack paths	Functionality, performance, usability
Approach	Simulated attack on the system	Verification and validation of features
Tester Skill	Requires advanced security skills and ethical hacking knowledge	Requires QA skills to test features and workflows
Tools Used	Tools like Nmap, Burp Suite, Metasploit	Tools like Selenium, JMeter, TestRail
Outcome	Shows how far attackers can go and what data they can access	Confirms whether software behaves as intended
When Used	After deployment or before release to check real risks	Throughout the development lifecycle
Output	Security report with exploited vulnerabilities	Bug report with functional issues

5 Penetration Testing Methods and Approaches

1. External Testing

External testing focuses on the internet-facing assets, such as web applications and websites. The testers will attack from outside the organization so that it reflects how a real hacker would attack. The focus of external testing is to find weaknesses that would allow an attacker to gain sensitive data.

2. Internal Testing

Internal testing simulates an attack from inside an organization. Internal testing uses an employee’s access level for the test. Internal testing indicates to the client how far the attack could have gone from an insider threat and how much sensitive data could have been exfiltrated from their organization.

3. Blind Testing

In blind testing, the tester has only the company name – there is no other contextual information. The assigned security team may not even be aware a test is being conducted, which allows for a more realistic scenario for testing detection and response.

Blind testing will show how effective existing security controls are in real-time scenarios. It illustrates where there are monitoring and response glosses in the procedure.

4. Double-Blind Tests

Double-blind tests enhance the realism, because neither the tester nor the security personnel know when the test is scheduled to take place. Only a top-level management position approves the exercise prior to its initiation. This more accurately simulates a surprise attack.

5. Targeted Testing

Targeted testing is an approach in which both the tester and affiliated security team member(s) are aware of the test details and then work together during the exercise. This also allows for learning opportunities for the security staff.

Top 5 Specialized Areas of Penetration Testing

1. Web Application Penetration Testing

Web application testing is a specialized test aiming to find flaws in online applications. Ultimately, testers will look for application layers, for example, SQL, cross-site scripting, broken authentication, etc. Exposing sensitive data, etc.

2. Network Penetration Testing

Network testing investigates firewalls, switches, routers and other infrastructure. Testers will see if they can exploit misconfigurations and outdated software. They also analyze network traffic for unprotected sensitive information.

3. Mobile Application Testing

Mobile application testing studies how mobile applications store data and how they communicate with servers. Testers examine storage for insecure storage, unsafe permissions, and weak communication channels.

4. Cloud Environment Testing

Cloud testing looks at cloud configurations and access. Testers search for misconfigured storage, open access permissions, and exposed data. Cloud systems typically fail due to misconfiguration.

5. Social Engineering Testing

Social engineering testing investigates how employees react to manipulation. Testers send phishing emails, send voicemails or attempt to gain entry physically. These actions demonstrate whether staff would adhere to security rules.

Career Path: Becoming a Penetration Tester

Skills and Qualifications

Pen testers learn about operating systems, networking, and coding. Certifications such as the CEH and OSCP provide evidence of their skills. They continuously probe novel attacks to be current.

Salary of a Penetration Tester

Pen testers make an attractive salary that increases as they gain experience. Earnings depend on factors such as geography and industry. Demand continues to be robust, especially given the increasing threat of cyberattacks.

5 Benefits of Conducting Penetration Testing 

1. It helps identify a serious security vulnerability before an attacker can exploit that vulnerability.
2. It protects the sensitive data of the organization by discovering weak security controls.
3. It enhances the overall security posture of the organization.
4. It helps satisfy compliance mechanisms such as PCI DSS and other regulatory bodies.
5. It protects organizations from the damaging costs of a security breach.

5 Challenges of Conducting Penetration Testing 

1. It requires expert knowledge and can be cost-prohibitive for many organizations.
2. It is a point-in-time exercise, and vulnerability may exist in the future.
3. Some penetration tests may cause things to happen that affect the operational aspect of the systems being tested.
4. Not all findings may be leveraged as a system vulnerability or may be hard to resolve into action.
5. It requires ongoing follow-up action and retesting of previous tests.

Conclusion

Penetration testing helps organizations uncover and fix real security risks. It uses controlled simulations to expose weak points in systems and applications. Regular testing builds stronger defences and protects sensitive data from threats.

FAQs

1. What are the 5 phases of penetration testing?

The phases of penetration testing are planning, scanning, gaining access, maintaining access, and reporting. These phases are modeled on a real attacker’s path. Each phase helps build a full picture of your security.

2. What is meant by penetration testing?

Penetration testing is a simulated attack on a system. It helps find and fix vulnerabilities before attackers use them. It protects sensitive data and improves security.

3. How is penetration testing different from software testing?

Software testing is used to test for function and quality assurance, while penetration testing tests security and resistance to attack. Combining software testing and penetration testing delivers a safe application.

4. What are the three types of penetration testing?

Black box, grey box and white box. Each type differs in the degree of knowledge the pen tester is privy to. Each type of test has its place in your risk-based assessment programme.

5. How does a pen test work?

The pen tester analyzes the system and then simulates compromise through a controlled attack. The pen tester will use both automated tooling and manual techniques to identify weaknesses and vulnerabilities in the report.

6. What is an example of a pentest? 

Testing a login page for SQL injection. If the pen tester can bypass login, you have identified where the vulnerability exists. This is how the remediate process works for vulnerabilities.