Penetration Testing Methodology: How to Choose the Best One

As the cyber threat increases and the count of cyber attacks goes up as never before, it becomes more than critically important to help businesses guard against potential attacks by conducting thorough and effective penetration testing.

Penetration test (pentest) is a cybersecurity assessment where ethical hackers simulate real-world attacks on a system, network, or application to identify security vulnerabilities. The goal is to uncover weaknesses before malicious attackers can exploit them.

In our article, we will further be devoted to an overview of 5 best penetration testing methodologies that bring something unique to the table. Also, we’ll provide insights that can be used as a guide for a business in selecting the most suitable methodologies for its overall software security requirements.

What is Penetration Testing Methodology

Penetration testing methodologies are standardized approaches and procedures for conducting penetration tests. They define the testing stages, methods for identifying vulnerabilities, ways to exploit them, and recommendations for risk mitigation. These methodologies also define goals, outline techniques used for security assessments, and specify the tools required to conduct thorough and effective penetration testing

These pen test methodologies perform a professional testers team to provide a structured, valid examination. This gives a deep understanding of the security landscape to strengthen the security posture through the pentest process.

The best methodologies, such as OSSTMM, OWASP, NIST, PTES, and ISSAF, help ensure a systematic and effective approach to security assessment.

1. Open-Source Security Testing Methodology Manual (OSSTMM)

Open-Source Security Testing Methodology Manual (OSSTMM) is a detailed framework for penetration testing that ensures comprehensive and consistent security testing. OSSTMM largely adopted as a free resource penetration testing framework that enables structured conduct of a penetration test or security assessment.

It provides full-range security testing, which includes 

• Physical test, 
• Human test, 
• Wireless test, 
• Telecommunications test,
• Data Network test. 

OSSTMM is thus very versatile.

Here are the main steps that make up OSSTMM:

• Scope and plan. Defining the scope: what the security test needs to achieve, which system or application are to be targeted, and how the assessment as a whole will be carried out.
• Information gathering. The next stage involves gathering relevant data about target systems, data about networks, and data about infrastructure to get an in-depth understanding of the environment and determine its boundaries (whether it’ll be black-box, white-box or gray-box approach).
• Vulnerability identifying. This step’s focus area is on the complete scanning for the identification of potential vulnerabilities or weakness within the target system or application.
• Exploitation and penetration. Testing identified vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access or control over the target system or application.
• Report and recommendations. This report stage involves: documenting findings, analyzing the possible impacts of the discovered vulnerabilities, and giving a report with actionable recommendations on how to improve the overall system security posture.

2. Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP)

The OWASP is the standards by which one can stipulate a set of complete security demands on a web system or application to allow any organization to maintain security up to a particular level. 

It is a widely recognized methodology that provides details on performing security penetration testing and integrates various frameworks and methodologies:

• OWASP Testing Guide specifically focuses on the security of web applications through a structured methodology for conducting tests related to the security of web-based systems.
• OWASP Application Security Verification Standard (ASVS) is a standard for assessing the security of web applications at different levels, providing guidelines for their coding and development.
• OWASP Software Assurance Maturity Model (SAMM) is a framework for integrating security into the software development lifecycle.
• OWASP Risk Rating Methodology provides a structured manner to rating the risks, together with the identified vulnerabilities, to assist security staff in mitigating the most critical ones first by prioritizing them based on their likelihood of exploitation and potential impact.

OWASP has gained popularity with developers within the field of web application protection because OWASP emphasizes standard, open tools for performing comprehensive vulnerability testing and risk management.

3. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)  

The NIST has also given a comprehensive methodology for carrying out security assessments, including penetration testing. Specifically, the NIST SP 800-115, a technical guide to information protection testing, offers a standard approach to reliability testing.

The NIST penetration testing methodology is an organized process for conducting penetration testing in steps: 

• planning, 
• discovery, 
• exploitation,
• post-exploitation. 

It provides professional testers teams with the means to identify and validate vulnerabilities in the target systems, including network ones, in an ordered way.

NIST maintains a strong emphasis on effective reporting. It provides guidelines and a template for the documentation of results, findings, and recommendations acquired from penetration testing. This ensures that all the points brought out are clearly presented before the stakeholders in an action items form, regarding access levels. 

The National Institute of Standards and Technology provides a standard and all-inclusive approach toward security testing so that organizations can look into their security postures and make informed decisions.

4. Penetration Testing Execution Standard (PTES)

The next globally accredited penetration testing methodology, which follows a very detailed path for the implementation of end-to-end penetration testing, is known as the Penetration Testing Execution Standard, or PTES. Multiple key components are part of the PTES that power the overall process of web pen testing, helping to identify potential attacks.

Pre-engagement activities are essential in a PTES pen test approach before the testers begin actual pen testing. This includes correctly scoping the assignment, defining objectives, describing the rules of engagement, and gathering appropriate web information on the target environment, following established guidelines for both external and internal system evaluation.

Reporting is an integral part of the PTES penetration testing methodology. This outlines best practices on how to document findings and technical analysis, with clear and meaningful recommendations for clients or stakeholders to gain an understanding of what the results of the penetration test and take further actions.

The PTES is a structured, standardized way of going about penetration testing. Emphasis is on the pen test proceeding accomplishment phase, flanked by supporting pre-engagement and summarizing steps.

5. Information System Security Assessment Framework (ISSAF)

Information System Security Assessment Framework is also one of the detailed methodologies for security assessment and penetration testing.

ISSAF emphasizes an information-gathering phase in which professional testers collect maximum details about the target environment, including focus areas such as network infrastructure, system, or application. Understanding these aspects is important for anticipating potential tactics used by the attackers' team.

In the ISSAF template, a few techniques on vulnerability technical analysis are available, like vulnerability scanning, code review, and hand-operated testing. Each of these ways could greatly help contribute towards the identification and technical analysis of potential weaknesses in the target web system or application.

Information System Security Assessment Framework is aimed at achieving the exact things: it was designed to provide a standard, open-source approach toward security pen testing that an organization can use to set up structured security postures. Important aspects here are flexibility and at the same time adaptability for different organizational needs.

Selecting a Penetration Testing Methodology

Having acquainted ourselves with the basic methodologies of penetration testing, we will review the key criteria for their selection. These criteria are going to help us in determining the methodology of pen testing that would most suit your particular demands and fit into your organizational objectives.

Scope and Coverage of Pen Testing Methodologies

The scope of penetration testing methodologies is quite broad, as different frameworks can be tailored to assess protection of a system or application. It is crucial to consider what specific components will be tested for vulnerabilities — whether it be web network, mobile application or various apps, corporate system, or infrastructure.

For instance, when testing a web application, the OWASP methodology is often employed due to its focus areas on common vulnerabilities specific to this. In contrast, for assessing corporate networks, NIST, or the Penetration Testing Execution Standard (PTES) is more appropriate, as they provide guidelines for evaluating network guarding and identifying potential entry points for attacks. By aligning the chosen methodology with the specific assets to be tested, organizations can ensure more effective and targeted penetration testing.

Industry Recognition and Adoption of Pen Testing

Another important factor would be standard and industry adoption. The choice of a widely recognized and adopted framework gives better credibility and alignment with industry best practices, thus ensuring the security efforts in an organization stay current with criteria laid down by the industry. Relevantly, when considering both internal and external compliance needs.

Reporting Capabilities for Pen Testing

Additionally, the complete penetration testing report capabilities within each are judged against each other. To make informed decisions and strengthen security postures, organizations must have effective reporting by testers that provides clear findings, hacking access prioritization, thorough audit of the results, and actionable recommendations.

Resource Availability and Ease of Adoption for Pen Test

The next important factor in addressing potential attacks on the system is the availability of resources, including a skilled testers team and supporting penetration tools. This is what should also involve a vulnerability analysis of the ease in adopting and completing penetration test methodologies, facilitated by the availability of training, certification programs, and integration with test tools to effectively combat potential attacks on the system.

Compliance and Regulatory Requirements for Pen Testing

Important aspect to be considered is obedience and regulatory demands. Some procedures are more attuned than others to certain obedience environments, making sure that security assessments an organization undertakes meet up to the demands of regulators, especially concerning their application.

Financial and Resource Considerations for Pen Testing

Finally, one can't ignore such aspects as cost and resource considerations for each methodology. To this effect, an organization must consider the holistic financial and operational implications of implementing a certain penetration testing framework in terms of personnel, tools, and time resources.

By balancing these factors, organizations will be able to choose the correct penetration testing methodology that will meet their security needs and regulatory exigencies. And at the same time not overload them with respect to resource constraints. This will ensure that the chosen plan will maximize the effectiveness of the security analysis carried out, letting the organization enable appropriate safety controls to mitigate identified vulnerabilities by the testers.

Conclusion

Proper methodologies matching can significantly help any organization's security stance against an evolving hostile data network threat landscape, including the management of privileges and access. The best methodologies such as OSSTMM, OWASP, NIST, PTES, ISSAF provide a structured approach to identifying vulnerabilities and help organizations detect potential threats.

Datami offers penetration testing services, leveraging industry-leading methodologies to deliver comprehensive security assessments. By applying best practices and standards, we tailor our approach to each project, ensuring a thorough security analysis and actionable recommendations for mitigating vulnerabilities. 

Trust Datami to safeguard your digital assets and strengthen your organization's cybersecurity.