It is common knowledge that all systems and applications using the internet as a backbone have vulnerabilities. These prospective issues can be addressed in a proactive fashion using Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing, or VAPT.
It combines the two aspects of vulnerability assessment and penetration testing using manual and automated tools.
This standard helps in a comprehensive assessment of security measures and identifies any and every loophole.
Vulnerability assessment can be defined by a thorough examination of the application a business or organization is using with the help of various tools and techniques. Penetration testing on the other hand is the process of actively attacking the business or organization’s application to determine any potential vulnerability.
Both these aspects cover the complete scope of ensuring that your application is safeguarded against any threat proactively. All the testing undertaken here ensures that your system does not have any unknown vulnerability or flaw that can be exploited by vested interests.
- Features and Benefits
- Audit approach & methodology
- Applicability
A structured approach to Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing involves the following pre-ordained steps:
Scope Layout – This involves getting a clear idea of the systems and code that will be included in the tests and the tools that will be used in the tests.
Gathering Information – This step would be all about gathering data about prospective targets for attacks.
Vulnerability Detection – This step would entail identifying the vulnerabilities in the targets on the application or code.
Gaining & Maintaining Access – Penetration testing entails that the testers try and gain access to the system and when in their motive is to stay undetected for as long as possible.
Covering Tracks – This part is all about ensuring that any changes made to the application or code are disguised to hide the attack underway.
Reporting – All the results shared need to be analysed and documented including recommendations and prioritization of threats.
VAPT provides businesses, organizations and companies with several benefits. The fact that this standard is a combination of vulnerability assessment and penetration testing ensures that you have your system and codes updated and secure to the latest iterations.
It provides your systems, applications and codes comprehensive security considering it is tested both, internally and externally.
It helps reduce the chances of an attack on the application thus strengthening the reputation of the business as a trustworthy one.
Increases the overall data security and strengthens the application. Moreover, it also protects the intellectual property of the business.
It increases the brand’s overall compliance with the established standards and certifications.
Technocrat Consultants will apply following four-stage methodology for web application VAPT.
- Planning & technical assessment
- Discovery & Execution
- Vulnerability Assessment/Attack/Compliance Testing
- Review & Analysis
Planning & technical assessment:
Set scope; identify target and schedule of testing.
Plan assessment path, entry point and testing boundary.
Discovery & Execution:
Identify the function and all possible input fields of the application.
Profile the application authentication (if available), access control & login flow.
Vulnerability Assessment/Attack/Compliance Testing:
Invoke automated vulnerable scanner and perform vulnerability analysis based on OWASP Top 10 Standards.
Attempt manual validation, attacks and exploits (Payload Testing) (Optional)
Additional discovery by analysing and manual testing with feedback look between attack & discovery phase.
Review & Analysis:
Analyse and verify the identified potential vulnerabilities.
Perform a risk analysis to determine the risk level of these vulnerabilities found.
Additional discovery by a feedback loop between the “Review & Analysis”, “Attack” & “Discovery Phase”.
Inventories the vulnerabilities and assign risk rating.
This VAPT test includes:
- Scan for and identify the well-known server, code engine, and database vulnerabilities.
- Identify and attempt to compromise any server and application administration flaws
- Identify opportunities to write to the host file system or execute uploaded files.
- Attempt to view unauthorized data, especially data that are supposed to be confidential.
- Identify opportunities to systematically attack weakness including input validation attacks, session impersonation and token manipulation.
- Examine client-side cached files, temporary files and other information that can yield sensitive information or be altered and re-submitted.
It is applicable for businesses and organizations of all sizes and types having IT infrastructure