Introduction
These are very generic, very high-level two broad categories. You want to get a gauge of the security posture of your product, or organization, but have you thought of whether you want to do it from external or internal or both perspectives? Each of them will be required at the end, but you would need to know the agency you hired for this, is doing exactly which. This article gives a clear idea.
External and internal penetration testing are essential components of any comprehensive cybersecurity program. Penetration testing involves simulating an attack on an organization's systems and infrastructure to identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses that could be exploited by an attacker. External penetration testing involves evaluating an organization's internet-facing assets, such as web servers, mail servers, and VPN gateways, to identify vulnerabilities that could be exploited by an external attacker. On the other hand, internal penetration testing involves evaluating an organization's internal network to identify vulnerabilities that could be exploited by an attacker who has already gained access to the network. In this way, both external and internal penetration testing plays a crucial role in helping organizations identify and mitigate security vulnerabilities and enhance their overall security posture.
How do External and internal pen-testing differ
External penetration testing involves simulating an attack on an organization's network or systems from the perspective of an external attacker who has no internal access to the organization's network or systems. The objective of external penetration testing is to identify vulnerabilities that an attacker can exploit from outside the organization's network, such as open ports, unsecured services, or misconfigured firewalls.
On the other hand, internal penetration testing involves simulating an attack on an organization's network or systems from the perspective of an internal user or an attacker who has already gained access to the organization's network or systems. The objective of internal penetration testing is to identify vulnerabilities that an attacker can exploit from inside the organization's network, such as weak passwords, misconfigured permissions, or unpatched software.
In summary, external penetration testing focuses on identifying vulnerabilities that can be exploited from outside the organization's network, while internal penetration testing focuses on identifying vulnerabilities that can be exploited from within the organization's network. Both types of testing are essential to assess an organization's overall security posture and identify potential areas of improvement.
Some Technical aspects specific to External Pen-Testing
The objective of an external penetration test is to identify weaknesses in an organization's security posture that can be exploited by an attacker from the Internet. By focusing on these specific points, testers can identify potential vulnerabilities and provide recommendations to improve the organization's external security posture.
Internet-facing Assets: In an external penetration test, the tester should focus on identifying all the organization's assets that are accessible from the Internet, such as web servers, mail servers, VPN gateways, and remote desktop services. The tester should evaluate these assets for potential vulnerabilities, such as weak authentication, default passwords, or unpatched software.
Domain Name System (DNS): The tester should evaluate the organization's DNS infrastructure to identify potential vulnerabilities, such as DNS cache poisoning or DNS spoofing attacks.
Open Ports and Services: The tester should evaluate all open ports and services exposed to the Internet to identify potential vulnerabilities, such as misconfigured services, outdated software, or weak authentication mechanisms.
Social Engineering: In an external penetration test, social engineering techniques such as phishing attacks are used to evaluate the organization's security awareness and identify potential weaknesses in its policies and procedures.
Remote Access: The tester should evaluate remote access mechanisms such as VPN or remote desktop services to identify potential vulnerabilities, such as weak authentication or unpatched software.
Cloud Services: The tester should evaluate the organization's cloud services, such as AWS or Azure, to identify potential vulnerabilities, such as weak access controls or misconfigured services.
And those specific to Internal Pen-Testing
The objective of an internal penetration test is to identify weaknesses in an organization's security posture that can be exploited by an attacker who has already gained access to the organization's internal network. By focusing on these specific points, testers can identify potential vulnerabilities and provide recommendations to improve the organization's internal security posture.
Internal Network: In an internal penetration test, the tester has access to the organization's internal network and can evaluate internal systems and assets that are not accessible from the Internet. The tester should evaluate the internal network for potential vulnerabilities, such as weak passwords, unpatched software, and misconfigured systems.
Authentication and Authorization: The tester should evaluate the organization's authentication and authorization mechanisms to identify potential vulnerabilities, such as weak passwords, unsecured user accounts, or inadequate access controls.
Privilege Escalation: The tester should attempt to escalate privileges within the organization's network, such as gaining administrative access to systems or resources, to identify potential weaknesses in the organization's access controls.
Physical Security: The tester should evaluate the organization's physical security controls, such as access controls, video surveillance, and alarms, to identify potential vulnerabilities that could allow an attacker to gain physical access to the organization's premises or assets.
Insider Threats: The tester should evaluate the organization's policies and procedures related to insider threats, such as data theft or sabotage by employees, to identify potential weaknesses in the organization's security culture.
Endpoint Security: The tester should evaluate endpoint security controls, such as antivirus and endpoint protection software, to identify potential vulnerabilities that could be exploited by an attacker.
Both methods have a bunch of common objectives though. As can be seen in this list:
Network Configuration: Testers should evaluate the network configuration to identify weaknesses, such as open ports, misconfigured firewalls, and other vulnerabilities that could be exploited by an attacker.
Operating Systems: The testers should review operating systems to check for unpatched vulnerabilities, weak passwords, and other weaknesses that could be exploited.
Web Applications: Testers should examine web applications and their source code to identify potential vulnerabilities, such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and other common web application vulnerabilities.
Network Services: Testers should identify network services running on the organization's network and evaluate them for vulnerabilities, such as buffer overflows, remote code execution, and other security weaknesses.
Wireless Network: In an external test, testers should evaluate the wireless network for security vulnerabilities, such as weak encryption, rogue access points, and other vulnerabilities that could be exploited.
Social Engineering: Testers may use social engineering techniques such as phishing attacks to evaluate the organization's security awareness and identify potential weaknesses in its policies and procedures.
Data Protection: Testers should check for appropriate data protection mechanisms, such as data encryption, access controls, and user authentication, to ensure that sensitive data is properly protected.
Contact us to know more about Pen-Testing that can help your specific case.