Penetration Testing mailing list archives
RE: Vulnerability Assessment vs. PenTest
From: "StyleWar" <stylewar () cox net>
Date: Sat, 5 Aug 2006 19:00:52 -0500
I can break it down like legos. The value proposition of a pen test is an understanding of whether the investment into detection and response is at an appropriate level. The value proposition of a vulnerability assessment is an understanding of whether internal controls such as patch management, physical security etc. are adequate given a specific risk tolerance. Although one may use elements of the other, they are, and will forever be- very different things (despite the boutique's attempts to make them 'the same thing'). In the hands of a good pen tester, a pen test does NOT have to exploit vulnerabilities in order to achieve its value proposition. In the hands of a good analyst, a vulnerability assessment will avoid excessive commentary on specific exploitable conditions, and instead expose the flaws that created the opportunity for those vulnerabilities to exist in that environment in the first place... ...Now-- go get me some coffee...Teaching makes me tired. :) - StyleWar "never underestimate the dousing effect of cubicles and consensus management on the candles of creativity and leadership"
-----Original Message----- From: Sol Invictus [mailto:sol () haveyoubeentested org] Sent: Saturday, August 05, 2006 7:13 AM To: Mark Ausley, CISSP Cc: pen-test () securityfocus com Subject: RE: Vulnerability Assessment vs. PenTest You guys are making this way too complicated. The only difference between a Vulnerability Assessment and a Penetration Test is the fact that a Pen test will verify that the vulnerabilities are in fact exploitable by actually exploiting those vulnerabilites. Many services will perform a VA and never run any exploits and try to pass it as a Pen test. If you have someone doing that, then they are trying to overcharge you. The price between a VA and a Pen-test can be significant. Why is that? it's the level of responsibility that the Pen-testers must take. It's very important that your Service provider know the difference and is able to explain the difference. If they can't do that then you should not use their services. If they have a high priced VA then you need them to justify the "value adds". Sol. On Sat, 2006-08-05 at 00:47 -0400, Mark Ausley, CISSP wrote:A Vulnerability Assessment can vary in scale and complexitybut willgenerally include the following: 1. External scan with Nessus, STAT, Retina, etc to obtain general security posture of systems. 2. Internal scan with something like CIS tools, DISA scripts, Gold Disk etc to assess the configuration of the systems andtheir patch levels, etc.There is some overlap between these first two steps. 3. Review system architecture and associated documentation. 4. Interview SysAdmins & Engineers on system operation. 5. Review existing policy, procedures, SOPs, etc. 6. Perform and document the risk analysis. A PEN test on the other hand can include any number of the VA items but usually include a much wider array of testing tools. A PEN test is usually a few hours to a few days as opposed to a VA which can take months to perform. Also, during PEN testsyou usuallyhave little knowledge of the target systems prior to the test. A VA involves unrestricted access and knowledge of the target systems. A PEN test usually has a pre-set goal. The scope of the testing and its goal is usually spelled out to the tester and can be limited or unlimited. A PEN test can be more likely to break or disrupt normal operations than a VA and always requires official documentsindicating what is allowed.PEN tests really illustrate the relationship of vulnerabilities and how they can string together to open a hole in whatappeared to be a solid wall.-- Mark -----Original Message----- From: James Harless [mailto:jharless () kidwellcompanies com] Sent: Friday, August 04, 2006 4:57 PM To: pen-test () securityfocus com Subject: Vulnerability Assessment vs. PenTest Where is the line between a Vulnerability Assessment and aPenTest?In other words, which tests do you run which identifies your assessment as a pentest rather than a VA? And, related, do VAs still have value? Do you feel that a PenTest includes everything that a VA would (and more)? My thoughts are that a VA is just an effort to document all the identified and potential vulnerabilities on a network. APenTest isan attempt to identify those vulnerabilities and thenexploit some ofthem to verify their weakness. James---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- This List Sponsored by: Cenzic Concerned about Web Application Security? Why not go with the #1 solution - Cenzic, the only one to win the Analyst's Choice Award from eWeek. As attacks through webapplicationscontinue to rise, you need to proactively protect your applications from hackers. Cenzic has the most comprehensive solutionsto meet yourapplication security penetration testing and vulnerabilitymanagementneeds. You have an option to go with a managed service (Cenzic ClickToSecure) or an enterprise software (CenzicHailstorm). 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Current thread:
- Vulnerability Assessment vs. PenTest James Harless (Aug 04)
- RE: Vulnerability Assessment vs. PenTest Mark Ausley, CISSP (Aug 04)
- RE: Vulnerability Assessment vs. PenTest Sol Invictus (Aug 05)
- RE: Vulnerability Assessment vs. PenTest StyleWar (Aug 05)
- RE: Vulnerability Assessment vs. PenTest Daniel Accioly Rosa (Aug 05)
- RE: Vulnerability Assessment vs. PenTest StyleWar (Aug 06)
- RE: Vulnerability Assessment vs. PenTest Mark Ausley, CISSP (Aug 05)
- RE: Vulnerability Assessment vs. PenTest StyleWar (Aug 06)
- RE: Vulnerability Assessment vs. PenTest Sol Invictus (Aug 06)
- RE: Vulnerability Assessment vs. PenTest Arian J. Evans (Aug 21)
- RE: Vulnerability Assessment vs. PenTest Sol Invictus (Aug 05)
- RE: Vulnerability Assessment vs. PenTest Mark Ausley, CISSP (Aug 04)
- <Possible follow-ups>
- Re: Vulnerability Assessment vs. PenTest Bob Radvanovsky (Aug 04)
- Re: Vulnerability Assessment vs. PenTest Alice Bryson <abryson () bytefocus com> (Aug 05)