Penetration testing uses various software, including port, vulnerability, and application scanners, as well as social engineering techniques. It aims to identify weaknesses and vulnerabilities to protect data, servers, and online applications before an actual attack occurs.
There are many different types of penetration testing software, and penetration testing often uses specialized applications and programs that are widely available to the general public. Because there are a number of steps typically associated with penetration testing, each stage requires different types of software. The basic categories that most penetration testing software fall into are port, vulnerability, and application scanners. Some of these programs are only capable of scanning, while others can also be used to launch attacks on any vulnerabilities discovered. Even basic software tools, such as email programs, can be useful for doing the social engineering aspect of penetration testing.
Penetration testing is an umbrella term that covers a wide variety of activities, all aimed at helping protect data, servers and online applications. Other terms for penetration testing include “white hat” and “ethical” hacking, as penetration testing uses many of the same tools commonly employed by malicious hackers. The difference is that penetration testers are hired to identify weaknesses and vulnerabilities so they can be protected before an actual attack can occur.
The penetration testing process includes a number of different steps, and there are many different types of technology and software that can be penetration tested. This means that penetration testing can use many different types of software. Port scanners are one of the commonly used types of penetration testing software during the intelligence gathering phase. This type of software is designed to scan a remote host for open ports, which could be targeted during an attack. Port scanning software can typically also be used to determine what operating system (OS) the remote host is running.
Vulnerability scanners are another commonly used type of penetration testing software. This type of software is typically programmed with a number of known vulnerabilities. If a remote host has one of these vulnerabilities, the software can be set up to implement a variety of potential exploits and attacks. This type of software is also sometimes combined with a port scanner, which can streamline your penetration testing workflow.
In other situations, a type of penetration testing software known as an application scanner may also be useful. This type of software can scan web-based applications and then try to carry out a variety of different attacks. Some common attacks employed by application scanners include cookie manipulation, SQL (Structured Query Language) injection, and buffer overrun.
Some penetration testing also has a social engineering aspect to it which may or may not use any software. This type of penetration testing can effectively pinpoint human security weaknesses, and testers often use deceptive techniques to gain access to sensitive information. Email software is sometimes used to establish contact, although this type of penetration testing often uses telephone conversations and even physical interactions to gain access to valuable data.
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