Automated penetration tests
Automated pentesting (automated penetration testing) solutions enable organisations to run continuous, fully automated simulations of hacking attacks to detect vulnerabilities in the IT infrastructure. Such tools simulate the actual behaviour of cyber criminals, identifying security weaknesses and prioritising vulnerabilities that could lead to a security breach. Automated pentests not only detect potential threats, but also help organisations respond appropriately by, among other things, implementing corrective actions, reducing the risk of successful cyber attacks. At the same time, they are significantly faster and cheaper than classic penetration tests, while maintaining high precision
Main features and functions of automated penetration testing tools
Automatic detection of vulnerabilities and threats
Automated penetration testing tools scan networks, systems and applications for security vulnerabilities that can be exploited by cybercriminals.
Simulation of actual attacks: tools automatically perform penetration tests, using the latest attack techniques such as privilege acquisition, privilege escalation or ransomware.
Example: the system will detect a vulnerability resulting from an out-of-date web server and check whether an attacker can exploit this vulnerability to gain access.
Example: the system will detect a vulnerability resulting from an out-of-date web server and check whether an attacker can exploit this vulnerability to gain access.
Vulnerability analysis: tools scan the network, operating systems, applications and devices to identify vulnerabilities such as misconfigurations, outdated software or open ports.
Example: software detects an open port 3389 and indicates the risk of unauthorised access to the RDP service.
Example: software detects an open port 3389 and indicates the risk of unauthorised access to the RDP service.
Access testing: the system checks whether a detected vulnerability can actually be exploited in an attack, thus eliminating false alarms and focusing on real threats.
Example: The tool attempts to carry out an SQL Injection-type attack on the database and assesses the effectiveness of the application's protection.
Example: The tool attempts to carry out an SQL Injection-type attack on the database and assesses the effectiveness of the application's protection.
2. assessing the effectiveness of existing safeguards
Automated penetration testing tools allow the effectiveness of deployed protection mechanisms such as firewalls, EDRs or SIEM systems to be tested.
Testing of defence systems: tools launch attacks against the organisation, checking that security solutions such as NGFW or EDR are able to detect and block the attack.
Example: the system simulates a phishing attack or lateral network traffic to see if the defence mechanisms react to suspicious activity.
Example: the system simulates a phishing attack or lateral network traffic to see if the defence mechanisms react to suspicious activity.
Network and application resilience assessment: specific elements of the infrastructure, such as servers, web applications and the cloud, are tested to assess their vulnerability.
Example: tool tests the configuration of a web application against Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks.
Example: tool tests the configuration of a web application against Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks.
3 Prioritisation of vulnerabilities
Automated pentesting solutions assess detected vulnerabilities in terms of their risk to the organisation.
How does it work?
How does it work?
Contextual risk reports: tools generate reports indicating which vulnerabilities pose the greatest risk to the organisation, such as those that allow access to sensitive data.
Example: a vulnerability in a web application leading to the leakage of customer data will be marked as critical and recommended for immediate remediation.
Example: a vulnerability in a web application leading to the leakage of customer data will be marked as critical and recommended for immediate remediation.
Prioritisation on the basis of criticality: tools classify vulnerabilities according to risk level, taking into account their potential impact and ease of exploitation.
Example: system marks a vulnerability with CVSS 9.8 as critical, while a low-risk misconfiguration is marked as less urgent.
Example: system marks a vulnerability with CVSS 9.8 as critical, while a low-risk misconfiguration is marked as less urgent.
4. automation of the testing process
Automated pentesting solutions eliminate the need for manual testing, allowing frequent and accurate security checks.
How does it work?
How does it work?
Regular testing: tools allow tests to be scheduled on a continuous cycle (e.g. daily or weekly), allowing new vulnerabilities to be detected quickly.
Example: When a new web application is deployed, the system will automatically check for known vulnerabilities such as SQL Injection.
Example: When a new web application is deployed, the system will automatically check for known vulnerabilities such as SQL Injection.
Reducing test times: automation speeds up the vulnerability detection process compared to traditional manual pentesting.
Example: tool carries out a full scan of the network infrastructure in a matter of hours instead of days.
Example: tool carries out a full scan of the network infrastructure in a matter of hours instead of days.
5. promote a proactive approach to safety
Automated pentesting allows organisations to be proactive, identifying and addressing vulnerabilities before they are exploited by attackers.
How does it work?
How does it work?
Simulations of the latest attack techniques: tools are regularly updated with new techniques used by cybercriminals to anticipate future threats.
Example: system will simulate a ransomware attack, checking whether the organisation is immune to it.
Example: system will simulate a ransomware attack, checking whether the organisation is immune to it.
Minimising the window of vulnerability: automatic pentests detect vulnerabilities as soon as they appear (e.g. as a result of a software update), allowing corrective action to be taken quickly.
Example: The tool detects an unpatched vulnerability in a new version of the operating system and sends an alert.
Example: The tool detects an unpatched vulnerability in a new version of the operating system and sends an alert.
Real-time threat detection
Automated penetration testing tools allow threats to be identified immediately that could be overlooked by other systems.
How does it work?
How does it work?
Dynamic penetration testing: tools not only detect existing vulnerabilities, but also simulate their exploitation in real time to see what consequences a successful attack would have.
Example: tool tests the performance of authentication mechanisms in real time, attempting to crack a user's password using brute force techniques.
Example: tool tests the performance of authentication mechanisms in real time, attempting to crack a user's password using brute force techniques.
Simulations of lateral movement: systems test whether an attacker can move around the network (lateral movement) and gain access to further systems or data.
Example: system simulates traffic from an infected host on the internal network, testing the effectiveness of network segmentation.
Example: system simulates traffic from an infected host on the internal network, testing the effectiveness of network segmentation.
7. Mitigating the risk of insider attacks (Insider Threats)
Automated pentesting solutions identify potential opportunities for abuse of privileges by employees or access to data by attackers.
How does it work?
How does it work?
Access control testing: tools check whether employees have excessive privileges that may lead to escalation of privileges or unauthorised access.
Example: the system will simulate an attempt to take over the privileged account and check that the PAM mechanisms are effective.
Example: the system will simulate an attempt to take over the privileged account and check that the PAM mechanisms are effective.
Simulation of insider threats scenarios: tools mimic the actions that an employee attempting to breach security policies might take.
Example: tool tests whether an employee with administrator rights can export data from the customer database without detection.
Example: tool tests whether an employee with administrator rights can export data from the customer database without detection.
8 Reporting and corrective recommendations
Automated pentests provide detailed vulnerability reports and remediation recommendations.
How does it work?
How does it work?
Reports in line with regulations: tools generate reports that help organisations demonstrate compliance with regulations (e.g. RODO, NIS2, PCI DSS) and identify specific corrective actions.
Example: The report will indicate that the unsecured database contains personal data and will suggest encrypting it.
Example: The report will indicate that the unsecured database contains personal data and will suggest encrypting it.
Suggestions for corrective action: tools provide detailed guidance on how to remedy detected vulnerabilities (e.g. installation of security patches, configuration changes).
Example: system recommends upgrading the Log4j component to the latest version to prevent a Log4Shell attack.
Example: system recommends upgrading the Log4j component to the latest version to prevent a Log4Shell attack.
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