Vulnerability assessment and penetration testing, or VAPT for short, is a security process that identifies vulnerabilities in software or network systems. The goal of the test is to exploit those weaknesses. In addition to identifying vulnerabilities, testers can also use these tests to uncover active exploits already being used against an organization’s information assets.
The purpose of penetration testing is to find where exactly there are holes in your system; what kind of flaws exist; whether you’re vulnerable and how bad it could be if someone were able (or willing) to take advantage of them. There might not actually be any malicious hackers out there trying every second to get into your computers but even so – you’d still benefit from regular vulnerability testing as part of your overall security strategy.
Types Of VAPT
There are many different types of VAPT, but the most common ones are vulnerability assessment, penetration testing, and red team assessments or exercises. Each one has its own unique benefits and drawbacks which we’ll go over in a bit more detail below.
Before getting into that though, let’s quickly define what each of these terms actually means.
– Vulnerability Assessment (VA): A VA is exactly what it sounds like; an examination of systems to identify any potential weaknesses that could be exploited by attackers. This can be done manually or through automated scanning tools, although the latter is generally less reliable since it often misses certain vulnerabilities that might only be found through manual inspection.
– Penetration Testing (PT): PT is the act of actually exploiting these vulnerabilities in order to gain access to the system or data that’s being protected. This can be done internally (by someone with authorized access) or externally, through attacks launched from outside the network perimeter.
– Red Team: A Red Team is a group of people who are specifically tasked with trying to break into an organization’s systems – often using methods and techniques that would be considered illegal if performed by unauthorized individuals. While similar to PT, red teaming typically goes beyond just identifying and exploiting vulnerabilities; it also includes things like social engineering (tricking users into giving up their passwords or other sensitive information), bypassing security controls, and so on.
Types of Penetration Testing Under VAPT
In general, there are three types of penetration testing that you need to be familiar with in order to understand the process. These include grey box, black box or white hat, and red team assessments or exercises.
– Grey Box Penetration Testing: With this type, testers have access to information about your systems such as IP addresses, server names/types/locations, etc., which is critical when it comes time for them to test security measures against potential threats. This can be helpful because they can effectively mimic real-world attacks while using only partial knowledge of your system’s configuration without having any internal access whatsoever – making their efforts more accurate in many cases than those conducted by people who have no idea what’s actually on the other side of the firewall.
– Black Box Penetration Testing: This type of testing is conducted by people who have absolutely no knowledge about your systems, including things like IP addresses and server names/types/locations; basically nothing besides what you can find out simply by opening up a web browser to connect to them. Of course, this makes it much harder for these testers to accurately mimic real-world attacks since they’re using only partial information – but that doesn’t necessarily mean that their efforts are useless or inaccurate under certain circumstances. It all depends on just how informed the tester happens to be in terms of what kinds of vulnerabilities exist within particular applications running on target machines as well how likely those exploits might be able to succeed against your particular organization.
– White Hat Penetration Testing: This is the term used for ethical hacking, which is a type of testing that’s conducted with the explicit permission of the system owner. Testers in this case have full access to all information about systems and are typically tasked with finding vulnerabilities so that they can be fixed before any malicious actors might find them first. The goal here isn’t necessarily to exploit weaknesses but rather to identify them ahead of time so that damage can be minimized if/when a real attack does occur.
– Red Team Assessments or Exercises: Finally, red team assessments or exercises are exactly what they sound like; simulations or war games designed to test an organization’s security posture and readiness as well as to determine whether or not an organization is prepared in the event of a real attack. These types of tests are typically more expensive and thus used less frequently than the others mentioned above but they’re also generally considered to be better at simulating true attacks since they involve both internal knowledge as well as external access – making them much harder for security staff to defend against successfully without taking some damage.
Advantages And Disadvantages Of VAPT
The primary advantage of conducting a VAPT is that it helps companies identify areas where their network might have vulnerabilities, giving them time to address these weaknesses before any attackers exploit them too. Another key benefit comes in terms of legislation; if you work in certain industries with strict compliance requirements (healthcare, finance, etc.), having a VAPT program is often required by law.
Finally, penetration testing can provide you with an invaluable source of new ideas for improving your security posture and processes moving forward. Whether it’s through identifying data leaks or malware outbreaks on company machines that might have been missed otherwise, the knowledge gained from these types of tests can pay huge dividends down the road as long as they’re used properly to help improve existing procedures instead of just being filed away into some dusty corner where nobody ever looks at them again. This way, any issues that are identified won’t happen again in the future so there will be no need for additional tests – saving everyone money and time going forward.
The primary disadvantage associated with this approach is cost; even if you only opt for a white hat assessment, the price tag can still be relatively high depending on how many machines need to be scanned and how deep the testers are allowed to go. Additionally, any remediation steps that need to be taken after vulnerabilities are discovered can also be expensive – although this is often money well spent in order to improve overall security posture.
Another potential issue is that not all companies have the staff or expertise required to properly analyze and act upon the findings of a penetration test; without someone who understands what they’re looking at, it’s possible for important details to be overlooked or simply ignored altogether which defeats the entire purpose of conducting such an exercise in the first place. This is where having a team within your organization (or working with an outside one) that understands how to act on this kind of information is crucial.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of each type of VAPT.
– VA (Vulnerability Assessment):
The main benefit of a VA is that it’s relatively cheap and quick to perform, making it a good option for organizations that are on a tight budget. It also provides a general overview of an organization’s security posture which can be useful for prioritizing future steps (like performing a PT or red team assessment).
On the downside, VA scans often miss certain vulnerabilities that might only be found through manual inspection. They’re also not as reliable when done with automated scanning tools since they often generate false positives.
– PT (Penetration Testing):
PT is more comprehensive than a VA scan, but it’s also more expensive and time-consuming to perform. It can provide a more accurate idea of what your organization’s security posture is like, but it also has a higher risk of leaving behind evidence that can be used to detect the activities.
– Red Team:
A red team assessment provides the most in-depth and comprehensive look at an organization’s security vulnerabilities since its exercises are performed with all the same gear and access levels as a real attacker would have. The downside here though is that these types of tests tend to be much more expensive than VAs or PTs – not only do you need people who understand how to properly conduct them, but any remediation steps after they’re completed will likely cost even more money (due to needing additional personnel). This type of testing should really only be done by experienced professionals who understand the risks involved.
Conclusion
In short, conducting VAPT is an important idea that can help organizations identify and fix vulnerabilities in their systems before they’re exploited by attackers. While there are some disadvantages to each type of assessment, the benefits usually outweigh them in the long run. It’s important to choose the right type of VAPT for your organization’s needs and to make sure you have a team that understands how to conduct it properly.
