In each domain, testing is considered one of the important stages to ensure project quality and management. For example, a software tester tests the code through multiple tools to find the bugs and refine the software. Similarly, testing helps in verifying the product quality and affirming it is fit for market selling in other industries. Offering a flawed product to customers can lead to a poor brand image, resulting in reduced sales and adverse ROI.
Thus, the role of penetration testers in every business domain is crucial. These experts ensure product quality and help build a strong brand reputation. It is a demanding career option due to the increasing growth opportunities and a plethora of job options. Many aspirants prefer to join this industry because of job security, lesser stress, and attractive salary packages. If you are inclined toward this career option, the future is bright. You can enroll yourself in the best online cyber security courses to get deeply acquainted with both stacks. It would help if you had a supporting educational background and understanding of the penetration tester tools.
Penetration Testing - An Overview
Before jumping into the list of tools an expert can use in penetration testing, let us discuss what it is and how it works.
Popularly known as pen tests, it is a testing technique that helps identify and eliminate potential cyber-attacks. A pen tester simulates the attacks on the personal computer system or the private company network to check the vulnerabilities and list down the flaws which can lead to intruder attacks. Then, using different tools, they identify if there are any applications or unauthorized inputs that can make your network susceptible to code injection attacks.
Steps involved in Penetration Testing
Pen testing is an elaborate step-by-step process in which only an expert can perform best. The steps involved in it are:
Planning and Reconnaissance: This step includes planning the goals and targets for a penetration test. In this step, the experts also decide the strategies or tools they will use for the test.
Scanning: This step is about observing how the networks or target systems respond to the tools-oriented penetration tests.
Access Gaining: Observing the network response and using their expert strategies, the experts finally get access to the foreign network that they would want to intrude.
Access Maintenance: Once the test experts access the target network or system, they may want to maintain the same for longer to analyze and weed out all possible information from it. In this step, the experts work to restore the access.
Analysis and WAF Configuration: It is the last step of the test process in which the test experts check the results and reports to study the situation and decide if the test was a success or not.
Every pen-testing tool and expert follows these steps to conduct a successful test and get the desired results. So let us move forward and discuss the popular tools you would have to learn to become an expert pen tester.
Acunetix
It is a popular automated pen-testing tool that can help audit the network or a system to identify flaws. The detection rate of this tool is higher than the basic ones available in the market. Moreover, the latest upgraded version of this tool offers the best features to identify the most challenging vulnerabilities. Needless to mention here, it has made its benchmark in perfection and has become the first choice of testers.
Netsparker
Netsparker is a security scanning tool used for penetration testing. It is powerful enough to catch the cross-site scripting SQL injection on websites, web tools, private and public networks, and computer systems. You can test up to 1000 web applications simultaneously with this testing tool and can even set priorities on your web test to get only desired results. At the end of the pen test, you get a report of all the vulnerabilities with proofs. These reports make it convenient for the tester to immediately view the flaws and start working on fixing them.
Indusface
Indusface is one of the few testing tools that offer a manual testing option and a quick online check to scan and detect network vulnerabilities. If you sign up for a manual testing subscription, you automatically get the automatic one to use till your plan ends. You also get an optional WAF integration for virtual patching with zero flaws and 100% positive results. The best part about this tool is the 24x7 support system to discuss the remediation guidelines and proof of concept.
Intruder
It is another vulnerability scanner tool that can efficiently check the cyber security flaws in your digital network setup. The scan doesn’t end once you find the defects; you also get an explanation of the potential risks and the possible remediation techniques that can eliminate the risk of attacks. You get more than 9000 security checks in this tool, making it ideal for every organization, irrespective of the size. You can schedule your scans, prioritizing the results you need according to your requirements. The tool will perform the scan to give you the report, and you wouldn’t have to bother about anything. The best part about this security testing tool is that it conveniently integrates with the cloud platforms.
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Astra
Astra is the best example of a comprehensive pen test tool with an intelligent flaw detection scanner to perform manual scans. The dashboard is highly interactive and self-explanatory for the expert tester and allows him to start scans, identify vulnerabilities, and analyze the reports to take remedial actions. You get more than 3000 scans, each test complying with the set rules of cyber security authorities. The integration of this tool with GitHub, GitLab, and other cloud networks is simple and highly sorted.
Kali Linux
It is a scanner tool managed and maintained by offensive security. It offers the most advanced features, like priority scans, easy accessibility, and automated scans in this tool. The expert testers do not consider it a tool; they call it an advanced software test tool that is highly portable and flaunts multi-platform support. The tool is known to satisfy the critics due to its versatility, ample documentation, and community support. Hence, if you are working in the quality assurance field, it is vital to learn Kali Linux to test websites, desktops, mobile, VM, and many other systems or networks.
Metasploit
It is a framework that helps check the networks for any security vulnerabilities using the ruby language code. Once you know the software thoroughly, it is super convenient to weed out the flaws that can lead to disastrous cyber attacks on your network. An advanced commercial version of the tool is also available that comes in handy for web application testing, social engineering, and antivirus payload management. In addition, it enables the tester to write test cases to perform a pen test and store the reports of the results for future reference.
Wireshark
If you want to get granular control of the network activities, Wireshark is the tool you need! It helps test a variety of security protocols to identify the cyber threats, enables the tester to get live captures, and sends reports for future references. In addition, Wireshark has a suite of inspection tools that support multiple file formats, making scanning of any network and system possible. The fact that government agency officials also prefer using this framework clearly explains its credibility and gives you more reasons to use it.
Hydra
It is a popular tool amongst white hat hackers and security analysts. They use it to monitor and access their remote networks, crack passwords of foreign networks, and keep their systems protected. The tool is highly versatile, with the ability to scan websites and web tools thoroughly and generate reports for the reference of testers.
Burp Suite
It is a must-have tool for web application penetration testing due to its quick response and versatility. You can schedule regular scans on it and get a report of the network or computer system vulnerabilities. You can use it for any file format and any network, and the documentation it generates will help you plan your cyber security strategy. Also, check here for Ethical Hacking tools to look for in 2023.
How to Choose the Best Penetration Testing Tools?
With so many options available in the market, it can be overwhelming to choose the best penetration testing tools. Here are some factors to consider when selecting the ideal penetration tester tools:
- Scope: Identify the scope of your testing. Do you want to test web applications, mobile devices, networks or databases? Based on this, select a tool that supports your requirements.
- Features: No two penetration testing tools are alike in terms of functionality, ease of use & support. Some tools offer a full suite of features from automated scanning, manual testing to reporting. Others may offer custom scripting 7 exploit tools. Determine which features are of utmost importance for your requirements.
- Scalability: Consider your future needs while selecting a penetration testing tool. Will the tool be able to scale up as your organization grows? Can the tool handle multiple users and large datasets? Make sure you select a tool that can accommodate your growth.
- Cost: The cost of penetration testing tools can vary significantly. Some tools offer free or open-source versions, while others are expensive enterprise-level solutions. Evaluate the features & benefits of a tool against its cost to determine whether it is worth the investment.
- User Community: It's quite vital to select a tool with an active user community. A thriving community means that users can share information, ask questions & provide solutions. A tool with a large user community also means that you can find resources & support quickly.
Conclusion
Cyber Security is the prime concern of every business running its operations online on cloud platforms. Therefore, the testing experts must keep performing the network penetration test to identify the flaws. Once they know where the exploitation can happen, they can work on a remedial model and get a secure and safe network.
Thus, learning the popular tools is significant for any expert working in the penetration test industry. KnowledgeHut’s best online Cyber Security courses will help them gain expertise and prepare them to grab the best job opportunities available in the market.
