Re: Penetration Testing or Vulnerability Scanning?

[Doug Foster <fosterd () airshow net>]

I like the explanation in the new FFIEC Information Security booklet:

"Penetration tests, audits, and assessments can use the same set of
tools in their methodologies. The nature of the tests, however, is
decidedly different. Additionally, the definitions of penetration test
and assessment, in particular, are not universally held and have changed
over time.

Penetration Tests. A penetration test subjects a system to the
real-world attacks selected and conducted by the testing personnel. The
benefit of a penetration test is to identify the extent to which a
system can be compromised before the attack is identified and assess the
response mechanism’s effectiveness. Penetration tests generally are not
a comprehensive test of the system’s security and should be combined
with other independent diagnostic tests to validate the effectiveness of
the security process.

Audits. Auditing compares current practices against a set of standards.
Industry groups or institution management may create those standards.
Institution management is responsible for demonstrating that the
standards they adopt are appropriate for their institution.

Assessments. An assessment is a study to locate security vulnerabilities
and identify corrective actions. An assessment differs from an audit by
not having a set of standards to test against. It differs from a
penetration test by providing the tester with full access to the systems
being tested. Assessments may be focused on the security process or the
information system. They may also focus on different aspects of the
information system, such as one or more hosts or networks."

-- Doug

On Fri, 2003-03-07 at 01:07, Rizwan Ali Khan wrote:
> When usually we talk about penetration testing tools, 
> people mosly 
> refer to Vulnerability Scanners like iss, typhon, 
> nessus, cybercop etc. 
>
>
> However penetration testing tools are those who 
> penetrate as well, the 
> above scanners do not do that. 
>
>
> One needs to have a working version of SSH exploit for
>
> the SSH 
> vulnerability detected by the vulnerability scanner, 
> so is it necessary for 
> penetration tester to have access to the latest of 
> underground exploit? or 
> could all this be done in an ethical manner too? 
>
>
> please guide I am so confused between two of these 
> methodologies. 
>
>
>
>
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