IB Computer Science P3 Vocab

Vocabulary for IB Computer Science Paper 3 M26 & N26

What is PTES/PenTES?

Penetration Testing Execution Standard

What is PenTES for?

A framework for conducting penetration testing; a structured approach to testing and reporting results

How many phases in PenTES?

7 phases

Phase 1 is…?

Pre-engagement interactions

What happens in phase 1?

Preperation, getting document approvals, putting together needed tools

Why is phase 1 important?

Needed so that testing aligns with security needs and operational requirements of system

Aspects of Phase 1

1.1 - Goal setting and identifying targets

1.2 - Defining scope and rules of engagement

1.3 - Testing approaches

1.1 Goal setting and identifying targets

Objectives established after finding key concerns; specific targets and high risk areas identified

1.1 Examples of key concerns

Patient data integrity

Uninterrupted service delivery

Compliance with health sector regulations

1.1 Examples of high risk areas

Patient record databases

IoT enabled medical devices

1.2 Defining scope and rules of engagement

Confirms which parts of the system are being tested to avoid disruption; rules of engagement agreed upon by team and client to understand methods and extent of PenTES

1.3 Testing approaches

Black box testing

White box testing

Grey box testing

Black box testing

Attack simulated from perspective of an uninformed external hacker, looks at surface level issues

White box testing

Analysis with full in-depth information of client’s system, requires access to network diagrams, system configurations, and known issues

Grey box testing

Mixture of black and white testing, uses partial knowledge of systems. Simulates inside threat or external attack with partial insider info

Phase 2 is…?

Intelligence gathering

What happens in phase 2?

Team collects data from outside sources like social media or official records to be then analysed. Categorised as OSINT.

What is OSINT?

Open-Source Intelligence (Phase 2)

Phase 3 is…?

Threat modelling

What happens in phase 3?

Potential threats and/or vulnerabilities are identified, strategies to stop them are developed.

Phase 4 is…?

Vulnerability analysis

What happens in phase 4?

Vulnerabilities that could be used by a hacker are identified and confirmed

Phase 5 is…?

Exploitation

What happens in phase 5?

Attempts are made to breach the system with vulnerabilities from phase 4.

Phase 6 is…?

Post-exploitation

What happens in phase 6?

If access is gained from phase 5, the focus is now on keeping control of the system and getting data from it.

Phase 7 is…?

Reporting

What happens in phase 7?

Everything prior is documented and presented to the client in a report.

Hacker

Person who breaks into computer systems

Uninterrupted service delivery

No downtime, no interruptions, minimal lag when accessing patient information