No-knowledge, Partial-knowledge and Full-Knowledge Penetration testing

Depending on the engagement, organizations may provide varying levels of information to the penetration testing team. In a black-box test, the testers have no prior knowledge. A grey-box test provides partial knowledge, while a white-box test gives full access to resources like source code, network diagrams, and logs. The more information the testers have, the more value they can offer.

Stolen Laptop Scenario

A valuable penetration test scenario involves illustrating the impact of a stolen or lost laptop, which often contains system privileges and credentials that attackers could exploit for unauthorized access. Even if the device is password-protected, attackers can use various methods to bypass this security. For example:

• If the hard drive is not fully encrypted, attackers can mount it on another system to extract data and credentials, which could then be cracked and reused on the organization’s login pages.
• Even if the laptop is locked, a logged-in user may have background applications running. Attackers could insert a malicious USB network card, tricking the system into using it for internet access, allowing them to intercept or modify network traffic.
• Once attackers gain access, they can search the system for sensitive information to further their objectives.