Security Assessments

What is penetration testing?

An authorized security assessment that attempts to identify and exploit vulnerabilities in a system or network.

What is a white box penetration test?

A test where the ethical hacker has full knowledge of the target or network.

What is a black box penetration test?

A test where the ethical hacker has no prior information about the target or network.

What is a gray box penetration test?

A test where the ethical hacker receives partial information about the target or network.

Which penetration test is comprehensive but less realistic?

White box testing.

Which penetration test best simulates an outside attack?

Black box testing.

Which penetration test simulates an insider threat?

Gray box testing.

What information might be provided during a gray box test?

IP configurations, email lists, or other partial network information.

What is a bug bounty?

A program that compensates ethical hackers for reporting discovered bugs and vulnerabilities.

What are the four security teams listed in the notes?

Red team, blue team, purple team, and white team.

What is the purpose of a red team?

To simulate attacks and test security defenses.

What is the purpose of a blue team?

To defend systems against attacks and security threats.

What is the purpose of a purple team?

To coordinate red and blue team efforts to improve security.

What is the purpose of a white team?

To oversee and coordinate security testing activities.

What is a scope of work (SOW)?

A detailed document defining exactly what is included in a penetration test.

What is another name for a scope of work?

Statement of work.

What five questions does the scope of work address?

Who, what, when, where, and why.

What are rules of engagement (ROE)?

A document defining exactly how a penetration test will be carried out.

What three topics are listed under rules of engagement?

Type of test, handling of sensitive data, and notification of the IT team.

What is the difference between scope of work and rules of engagement?

Scope of work defines what is included; rules of engagement define how testing is conducted.

What are the five phases of the penetration testing lifecycle?

Reconnaissance/footprinting, scanning/enumeration, gain access, maintain access, and report.

What is reconnaissance or footprinting?

Gathering information about a target before attempting to gain access.

What is scanning in penetration testing?

Examining a target network or system to identify potential points of access.

What is enumeration?

Collecting detailed information about usernames, computer names, network resources, shares, and services.

What is the gain access phase?

The phase where the tester attempts to access the target system.

What is lateral movement or pivoting?

Moving from one compromised system or resource to another.

What is privilege escalation?

Obtaining higher access privileges, such as moving from user-level to administrator-level access.

What is the maintain access phase?

The phase where a tester attempts to preserve access to a compromised system.

What is the final phase of the penetration testing lifecycle?

Report.

What additional activities are listed under penetration testing?

Lateral movement or pivoting, privilege escalation, maintaining access, and clearing tracks.