Penetration Testing Execution Standard: Benefits and 7 Essential Stages

“Security is not a product. It's a process.” This assertion holds remarkably true in the digital world of cybersecurity, where protection must be researched and enhanced constantly. 

In the early 2010s, a group of experts got together to improve and standardize the cyber defense process. And they came up with something beneficial! It's called the Penetration Testing Execution Standard, or PTES for short.

What is PTES, and why is it important? Think of it as a holistic playbook, simplifying the process that a security team should go through in methodologically rooting out vulnerabilities. Since penetration testing (pentest) is a crucial practice for assessing cybersecurity defenses, having a standardized approach like PTES ensures consistency and thoroughness. We will cover in detail the critical components of the Penetration Testing Execution Standard, why it matters in today's environment, and how it can enable your organization to move forward and prepare for various threats.

What is the Penetration Testing Execution Standard?

PTES (Penetration Testing Execution Standard) is a methodology for penetration testing that describes a systematic approach to assessing the security of information systems. Its main goal is to provide a comprehensive security analysis and clear guidelines for identifying vulnerabilities, assessing risks, and improving an organization's cybersecurity. PTES outlines the key stages of a pentest—from preliminary planning and information gathering to vulnerability analysis, exploitation, and final reporting—and defines standardized approaches and best practices for conducting security testing.

What are the Benefits of Using Penetration Testing Execution Standard?

PTES framework provides organizations with important benefits that help to ensure robust cyber defenses and increase resilience to potential cyberattacks:

Structure and Consistency

Before the standard was created, organizations had their methodologies, which often differed in structure, depth, and approach. This made risk assessment difficult. PTES provides a clear and consistent process for conducting security tests.

A Complete Process

With detailed guidelines, the framework covers the entire pen test process — from planning and information gathering to analysis and reporting — penetration testing provides a complete overview of an organization's security posture.

Improved Reporting and Communication

The standard makes the pen testing process understandable to all parties involved and helps to establish effective communication between technicians and management. Thanks to clear penetration reports, an organization gets a clear picture of its security posture.

Adaptability and Improved Risk Management

PTES takes into account real-world scenarios and today's challenges, ensuring penetration testing closely mirrors real-world conditions, allowing an organization to prepare more effectively for possible attacks. The standard allows you to better assess your flaws and prioritize critical issues.

Benchmarking and Continuous Improvement

PTES gives organizations the ability to take their security practices and benchmark them against a recognized standard. Besides that, it gives a clear picture of where they are standing and the ability to enable constant improvements.

7 Stages of the Penetration Testing Execution Standard

PTES covers all phases of penetration testing:

1. Pre-Engagement Interactions

The very foundation that sets the right tone for a successful pentest, includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Client penetration test objectives. Clearly defining the purpose, which ranges from identifying vulnerabilities to checking compliance with standards.
• Scope of analysis. Determine what systems, applications, or networks are going to be included in the client penetration test, as well as any exclusions.
• Rules of engagement. This step defines the methodology that will be used for conducting penetration testing, outlining limitations and communication protocols.

2. Intelligence Gathering

This is the phase of the Penetration Testing Execution Standard where valuable information is garnered regarding the environment of the target system, and typically includes the following three steps:

• Passive data collection. This is when information is gathered without having any direct interaction with the target. This would include things such as WHOIS lookups or social media research.
• Active data collection. Directly interacting with the target to elicit information from it, such as ping sweeps or port scans.
• Open Source Intelligence (OSINT). Exploiting open-sourced data to develop the understanding of the target, such as from company websites or forums.

3. Threat Modeling

The work undertaken at this penetration testing round focuses on the identification and prioritization of potential threats, which includes:

• Documentation collection. Studying available security policies, network diagrams, and documentation of systems. This gives a general idea of the infrastructure and security mechanisms.
• Asset classification. Segment the assets into primary/important/ critical and secondary/not so important to understand the importance of the asset. This allows you to identify which assets need enhanced protection.
• Threat classification. Identify the primary/ high-impact threats and secondary/ lower-impact threats, which may affect the assets.
• Adversary community mapping. Building up a picture of who might want to attack, and why, and how. This helps to understand potential attacker motives.

4. Vulnerability Analysis

This penetration test phase shall look to find and analyze vulnerabilities in the target systems and includes:

• Passive analysis. Information gathering doesn't entail actively scanning the systems. For instance, this penetration test phase could involve reviewing documentation and configurations.
• Active analysis. Vulnerability testing by utilizing automated scanning tools to identify weaknesses.
• Manual analysis. After the automated scan, the pen tester manually checks the results to find hidden or more complex vulnerabilities and eliminate false results from the automated scan.

At this step, pentesters receive a complete list of vulnerabilities in the system.

5. Exploitation

In this critical pen evaluation step, the pentester will attempt to exploit these identified deficiencies for the client, guided by concepts like:

• Stealth. These are penetration testing techniques that help pen testers to remain undetected while penetrating a system. For example: minimizing activity, encrypting traffic, and changing attack patterns.
• Speed of penetration. The speed at which pen testers penetrate client systems to reduce exposure. It is necessary to minimize the amount of time when the system is vulnerable.
• Depth of penetration. To achieve deep access levels-for instance, administrator-level privileges. A deeper level of access makes it possible to test more serious risks for the client.
• The breadth of exploitation. This is the number and variety of vulnerabilities used during penetration testing.

6. Post-Exploitation

At this step, you need to assess the organization's security posture and explore paths to further strengthen cyber defenses:

• Assess resource value. Find out the value and function of the compromised resources, whether these contain confidential information or data that is important to the business.
• Identify additional vulnerabilities. Search for other deficiencies to be used in future attacks.
• Maintain control. If the pen test scenario permits, check whether you can stay logged in for a long time without being detected.
• Exit strategy. Clean the exit without leaving any traces that might inadvertently draw the target's attention to your presence.

7. Reporting

This final phase will cover the documentation regarding the results of the penetration test, which should include:

• Executive summary. A high-level overview of the penetration test conducted for the client, findings reported, and recommendations established for stakeholders.
• Technical report. Explicit report of pen test methodologies used, found vulnerabilities, techniques of exploitation, and recommendations specific to remediation.

What are the risks of not following PTES?

An organization that fails to comply with pen test standards when conducting penetration testing runs the risk of:

1. Incomplete vulnerability detection. Without a clear framework such as a Penetration Testing Execution Standard, critical deficiencies can be missed.
2. Insufficient risk assessment. PTES involves risk analysis at every pen evaluation step, otherwise, you may underestimate the importance of deficiencies or misplaced priorities.
3. Lack of consistency and quality. Non-standardised penetration tests can lead to different results. This makes it difficult to compare results between pen tests and to plan long-term security.
4. Improper management of time and resources. Without a structured pen test approach, organizations can spend unnecessary time and resources on pen testing — PTES helps to optimize the methodology and costs.
5. Legal and regulatory risks. In many industries, standardized testing is mandatory to meet regulatory requirements. Failure to comply with the pen test standard can lead to fines, sanctions, and loss of trust.
6. Lack of long-term improvement. Without a standardized penetration testing approach, assessing progress in strengthening cybersecurity and adapting to new threats is difficult.

Conclusion

So, the PTES provides benefits, like consistency in the pen testing approach, better risk management to prioritize the vulnerabilities, and an ability to enhance communication among different stakeholders. With the Penetration Testing Execution Standard in place, organizations can gain an adaptive and holistic view of their security landscape, facilitating continuous improvement.

Datami offers penetration testing services that comply with PTES standards. We use the best methodologies and tools to strengthen your organization's cyber defenses.