Network penetration testing simulates a cyberattack on an organisation's network to uncover and address security gaps. Think of it as a controlled hacking exercise aimed at discovering how a real attacker could breach the system and cause harm. The objective is to spot and rectify these vulnerabilities before an actual malicious hacker can exploit them, serving as a proactive measure to ensure the network's security integrity.

During network penetration testing, several attempts are made to exploit security vulnerabilities with the ultimate goal of gaining access to data and systems. This involves exploiting issues like outdated patches, authentication flaws, incorrect settings, and targeting users via man-in-the-middle attacks. Following a successful breach, post-exploitation activities occur, which typically include privilege escalation, lateral movement, and enumeration of accessible resources to find sensitive data.

How often to run penetration tests should be based on the organisation's risk profile, how sensitive its data is, and how it operates. Ideally, organisations should perform penetration tests at least once a year, but doing it twice a year is recommended. Additionally, tests should be conducted after any significant changes to their systems or networks.

Penetration testing often faces challenges such as incorrect threat alerts (false positives), a shortage of skills or resources, and pushback from stakeholders who see the tests as interruptions to their work.

With CloudLinxed's AiPenTest service, all of these issues are eliminated.

Vulnerability scanning is an automated process that identifies known vulnerabilities in systems and networks but does not test the effectiveness of security controls. Unlike basic vulnerability scans, our AiPenTest service actively exploits identified vulnerabilities in a controlled manner to replicate real-world attack scenarios. This approach not only identifies weaknesses but also tests the resilience of the systems against actual hacking attempts, offering a more realistic assessment of security vulnerabilities.

Traditional manual penetration testing processes are notably labor-intensive and slow. In contrast, AiPenTest operates multiple tools at once, automatically processes the outcomes, and strategically plans its next steps, significantly reducing the time usually spent on sequential commands. Additionally, AiPenTest slashes the reporting time, which typically encompasses reporting, quality assurance, and more, from an average of 6 hours to under a minute. This efficiency translates to an astonishing 29,900% increase in speed per assessment, streamlining the entire process.

Following a penetration test, the specialists at AiPenTest will deliver a comprehensive report, complete with detailed recommendations and the professional services required for remediation. We prioritise the identified vulnerabilities, create a plan for their resolution, and perform ongoing re-testing to confirm that these issues have been effectively resolved.

Indeed, the AiPenTest service effectively simulates several attack techniques outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework.