RE: Vulnerability Assessment vs. PenTest

[Sol Invictus <sol () haveyoubeentested org>]

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 complexity but will
> generally 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 and their 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 tests you usually have 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 documents indicating what is allowed.
>
> PEN tests really illustrate the relationship of vulnerabilities and how they
> can string together to open a hole in what appeared 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 a PenTest?  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.  A PenTest is an
> attempt to identify those vulnerabilities and then exploit some of them
> to verify their weakness.
>  
>
> James
>
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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 web applications continue to rise, 
you need to proactively protect your applications from hackers. Cenzic has the 
most comprehensive solutions to meet your application security penetration 
testing and vulnerability management needs. You have an option to go with a 
managed service (Cenzic ClickToSecure) or an enterprise software 
(Cenzic Hailstorm). Download FREE whitepaper on how a managed service can 
help you: http://www.cenzic.com/news_events/wpappsec.php 
And, now for a limited time we can do a FREE audit for you to confirm your 
results from other product. Contact us at request () cenzic com for details.
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