Offensive Cyber Security Testing

Question 1

Cyber security risk

Answer 1

Cyber Security Risk = f(Threat, Vulnerability, Impact)

Question 2

high-level penetration testing process

Answer 2

• Scoping
• Cyber attack
• Reporting

Question 3

Scoping

Answer 3

The main aim of penetration test is to find all vulnerabilities within a given scope.

Before proceeding with any hacking, the cyber security organisation and their client must
both be clear on:
* What is going to be tested

• How it is going to be tested
• When it is going to be tested
• Why it is going to be tested
• Where it is going to be tested

Question 4

Cyber attack

Answer 4

Techniques and methodology depend highly on the outcome of scoping

It may be based on a particular technology, against a target of limited scope, or exclude pertinent techniques

Target may be infrastructure (servers, services, etc.), a website, a mobile app,
hardware, a physical building, or a person

Certain techniques may be prioritised based on the goal of the test

Question 5

Reporting

Answer 5

The value of a penetration test is all in the report

Recipient of the penetration test report can be anyone from business owner (non-specialist) to technical staff who have to implement the recommended changes (specialist)

Question 6

The types of offensive security testing

Answer 6

• Vulnerability scanning
• Penetration testing
• Red teaming

Question 7

Vulnerability scanning

Answer 7

• Automated tooling to identify all possible vulnerabilities by service versions, within a given scope
• Does not verify vulnerabilities by exploiting them
• Conducted frequently by any size organisation to manage vulnerabilities

Question 8

Penetration testing

Answer 8

• Manual process to identify and exploit all possible vulnerabilities, within a given scope
• Verifies vulnerabilities by exploiting them

Question 9

Red teaming

Answer 9

• Simulate a highly capable adversary conducting an advanced attack on an organisation
• Aim is to test an organisation’s response and recovery to a cyber attack rather than find vulnerabilities