VAPT Report from Top Security Company

Our report makes us one of the best network security pentesting companies. This is because it carries simplicity, avoids jargon and yet provides a highly technical material pertaining to solutions. Our VAPT report is different than others because it is not an outcome of a tool, but a combination of logs, tools output and manual pentesting efforts carried out. Below are some features of our network VAPT report.

• Executive summary to narrate the report for senior management
• Detailed technical vulnerability description for network experts to understand
• Detailed network security fixation steps for network engineers to perform fixation
• Vulnerabilities categorized into Critical, High and Low severities
• Reference links and videos pointing to aid in the fixation process
• Sent in a confidential manner to protect privacy

A Network VAPT (Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing) report is a critical deliverable that provides a comprehensive overview of the findings, vulnerabilities, and recommended remediation actions resulting from the assessment. The report is typically shared with the client or stakeholders to help them understand the security posture of their network and take appropriate actions. Here's what should be included in a network VAPT report:

1. Executive Summary:

• A high-level summary of the assessment's objectives, methodology, key findings, and recommendations.
• An overview of the network's overall security posture and potential risks. The purpose of such test is to get a scan report, containing the vulnerability scan results. The vulnerability report contains all technical details, which lets the IT team decide on overall vulnerability management.

2. Scope and Objectives:

• Clear documentation of the assessment's scope, including the network segments, systems, and applications assessed.
• Specific objectives and goals of the VAPT.

3. Methodology:

• Explanation of the testing methodology employed, such as the tools and techniques used during the assessment.

4. Detailed Findings:

• Comprehensive information on each discovered vulnerability, including:
• Vulnerability name and identifier (e.g., CVE)
• Description of the vulnerability
• Severity level (e.g., CVSS score)
• Affected systems or services
• Proof of concept (PoC) or evidence of exploitation
• Recommendations for remediation

5. Risk Assessment:

• An assessment of the risk associated with each vulnerability, including potential impact and likelihood of exploitation.
• Prioritization of vulnerabilities based on their criticality.

6. Recommendations:

• Specific, actionable recommendations for mitigating or remediating the identified vulnerabilities.
• Guidance on implementing security best practices to enhance network security.

7. Technical Details:

• Detailed technical information for IT and security teams to understand the vulnerabilities and how they were discovered.
• Network diagrams, system configurations, and any relevant logs or data.

8. Screenshots and Logs:

• Visual evidence of successful exploitation or configuration issues.
• Log files and captured data to support findings.

9. Compliance and Regulatory Considerations:

• Identification of vulnerabilities that may impact compliance with industry regulations, standards, or legal requirements (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS).

10. Appendices:

• Any additional technical information, scripts, or tools used during the assessment.
• Glossary of terms, if necessary.

11. Conclusion:

• A summary of the overall security posture of the network.
• The impact of the vulnerabilities on the network's security.

12. Acknowledgments and Contacts:

• A list of individuals or teams involved in the assessment.
• Contact information for questions or clarifications.

13. Legal Disclaimer:

• A statement outlining the ethical and legal boundaries of the assessment.
• A reminder of the importance of obtaining proper authorization for the test.
The report should be clear, well-organized, and easy to understand for both technical and non-technical stakeholders. It's crucial to ensure that the findings and recommendations are actionable and that clients or organizations can use the report to improve their network's security. Additionally, follow-up meetings or discussions may be necessary to address any questions or concerns and provide guidance on implementing remediation measures.

Unknown Assets on the Network
Many businesses these days fail to keep a complete inventory of all the IT assets that they own and are tied into their network. This causes a massive problem.

Abuse of User Account Privileges
According to data cited by the Harvard Business Review, "60% of all attacks were carried out by insiders." Whether it's because of honest mistakes (accidentally sending information to the wrong recipients or losing a work device), intentional data breaches and privilege escalation, or any social engineering attacks that compromise the users account data, the people in the organization/ business represent one of the greatest security threats.

Since these threats are from trusted or known users and systems, they're also the hardest to identify and stop.

Unpatched Security Vulnerabilities
Many businesses are concerned with "zero day" exploits. These exploits include unknown issues with security in programs and systems that are not yet been used against anyone. However, zero-day vulnerabilities aren't the actual problem-unpatched known vulnerabilities are the problem.

Attackers usually implement known exploits. In fact, as noted in an online article, "The Verizon Data Breach Report 2016 revealed that out of all detected exploits, most came from vulnerabilities dating to 2007. Next was 2011." In fact, Vulnerabilities that are almost a decade old have been accounted for most of the breaches.

A Lack of Defense in Depth
In spite of all best security practices, there can still be a day where the hacker succeeds in breaching your network security. However, the damage the attacker will be capable of depends on how the network is structured. Businesses that have an open network structure are at great risk, because once an attacker is inside an open network, they have free access to all systems on the network.

Not Enough IT Security Management
Many companies now face this issue of not having enough people in place to properly manage the best cybersecurity solutions which are put in place. Due to this, critical cybersecurity alerts get missed, and successful attacks gets eliminated in time to reduce damage.

Network Penetration Testing (VAPT) is a proactive cybersecurity practice that involves simulating cyberattacks on a network to identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses that malicious actors could exploit. The goal is to assess the network's security posture and provide recommendations for improving its resilience. Here's a step-by-step overview of how Network Penetration Testing is conducted:

1. Preparation:
• Scoping: Define the scope of the penetration test, including the IP ranges, systems, and network segments that are within the scope of the test. Be clear about what should and should not be tested.
• Authorization: Obtain proper authorization from the network owner or organization, as penetration testing without authorization can be illegal.
• Rules of Engagement: Establish rules of engagement that specify the limitations, constraints, and objectives of the test.

2. Information Gathering:
• Reconnaissance: Collect information about the network, such as IP addresses, domain names, network architecture, and publicly available information about the organization. This information can help testers identify potential attack vectors.

3. Vulnerability Scanning:
• Use automated scanning tools to identify known vulnerabilities in network services, devices, and applications. Vulnerability scanners can detect issues like outdated software, missing patches, and misconfigurations.

4. Analysis and Planning:
• Review the results of the vulnerability scans to understand the potential vulnerabilities. • Develop a testing plan that outlines the methods and techniques that will be used to test the network.

5. Penetration Testing Execution:
• Conduct manual testing: Skilled security experts simulate real-world attacks to exploit vulnerabilities discovered during the scanning phase. This may involve attempting to gain unauthorized access, privilege escalation, data exfiltration, and other malicious actions. • Exploit vulnerabilities: If a vulnerability is discovered, the penetration tester will attempt to exploit it to understand the potential impact. • Capture and document successful exploits, including screenshots and logs.

6. Post-Exploitation and Lateral Movement:
• If an initial compromise is achieved, testers may attempt to move laterally through the network, exploring additional vulnerabilities and gaining access to other systems or segments.

7. Privilege Escalation:
• Attempt to escalate privileges to gain higher-level access within the network.

8. Documentation:
• Record findings: Document all vulnerabilities, including their severity, potential impact, and steps to reproduce. Include screenshots, logs, and other evidence. • Note successful exploitation and any critical findings.

9. Reporting:
• Generate a comprehensive report that includes:
• A detailed summary of the testing process.
• A list of identified vulnerabilities, their severity, and potential impact.
• Recommendations for remediation.
• Proof of concept for successful exploits.
• Detailed technical information to support findings.

10. Remediation and Retesting:
• Work with the organization to fix the identified vulnerabilities.
• After remediation, conduct another round of testing to confirm that the vulnerabilities have been effectively addressed.

11. Follow-up and Post-Testing Actions:
• Ensure that all issues are resolved and that the network is secure.
• Provide guidance and assistance for improving the overall security posture.
Network Penetration Testing is an ongoing process, and regular testing is recommended, especially after significant changes to the network or its architecture. It helps organizations identify and address security weaknesses, ultimately strengthening their cybersecurity defenses.

External and internal network penetration testing are two different approaches to evaluating the security of a network. They focus on different aspects of an organization's cybersecurity and have distinct goals and scopes. Here are the key differences between external and internal network penetration testing:

External Network Penetration Testing:
1. Scope: External network penetration testing focuses on assessing the security of the network from an external perspective, as if an attacker is trying to breach the network from the internet or an external network.
2. Objectives:
• Identify vulnerabilities that could be exploited by external threat actors, such as hackers, who have no prior access to the internal network.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of perimeter security measures, like firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and access controls.
• Detect and assess potential attack vectors, such as open ports, exposed services, and web applications accessible from the internet.
3. Typical Tests:
• Scanning for open ports and services.
• Assessing the security of external-facing web applications.
• Testing the effectiveness of firewalls and intrusion prevention systems.
• Identifying vulnerabilities in externally accessible systems.
4. Challenges:
• Limited knowledge about the internal network.
• May not reflect the security of internal systems or threats originating from within the organization.
Internal Network Penetration Testing:
1. Scope: Internal network penetration testing evaluates the security of the network from an insider's perspective, assuming an attacker has some level of access to the internal network.
2. Objectives:
• Identify vulnerabilities that could be exploited by an insider, such as an employee or contractor.
• Assess the effectiveness of internal security controls, user access controls, and segmentation between network segments.
• Identify lateral movement opportunities for an attacker who has already breached the network.
3. Typical Tests:
• Testing for weak or default credentials.
• Assessing the security of internal applications and services.
• Examining network segmentation and access controls.
• Evaluating the ability to escalate privileges within the internal network.
4. Challenges:
• Requires a higher level of trust and access within the organization.
• Focuses on insider threats and may not detect external vulnerabilities or threats.
In practice, both external and internal network penetration testing are essential for a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy. External testing helps protect against external threats, while internal testing addresses the potential risks posed by insiders, such as employees or contractors with malicious intent or inadvertently insecure behaviour. Organizations often use a combination of these testing methodologies to create a robust security posture that safeguards against a wide range of threats.

Network security is essential to protect the personal data of clients existing on network and to facilitate protection of information that is shared between computers on the network. Having a secure network can prevent hacking attempts or virus / spyware attacks from the internet as the primary goal of network security is Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability. To maintain secure platform for computers, users, and programs, network security is important to protect networking infrastructure from unauthorized access, misuse, malfunction, modification, destruction, or improper disclosure.

What are cyber security risks?

Network VAPT can be done in two ways, manual and automatic by using tools. To ensure the security of a network, it should be scanned thoroughly both internally and externally.

Network includes of all the network devices such as firewalls, switches, routers and all the devices that are connected within a network or outside.

A detailed assessment can shed light on the unwanted ports that are open, unsupported firmware, unpatched systems, poorly configured firewall rules, outdated software version, weak password policy so on and so forth.

Once the vulnerabilities are found, they can be further exploited to see the extent of damage they can do to the organization. This step is to be done very carefully since wrongfully executed test can do more harm than good to the network.

More info can be found here: Network Security VAPT

Different operating systems are based upon different ideologies. Linux based operating systems like Kali, Pentoo Linux, Backbox Linux are specifically made with certain inbuilt tools, which helps the pen testers to works easily and with better grasp. On the other hand, Operating systems like Windows or OS X were mainly developed on the basis of user-friendly Graphical User Interface(GUI) based features, which helps a normal user to a great extent but restricts the developers/pen testers to scan/ access their system. But with time, different scanning tools like Nessus have been developed in all possible environments but still, it becomes more help for the pen testers to work on the command line on Linux based environments.

On the other hand, unlike Windows or Mac, Linux is open source. That implies the source code of OS is open and available to everyone. Hence anyone can change and manipulate it to gain more access and more vulnerability to the system and also deploy controls to avoid the same. That leads to the point that environments like Linux are more transparent, the developers at Microsoft works hard to make it impossible for anyone outside to understand the inner workings of the operating system hence making it hard for the pen testers to work on it.

Above all, it becomes pretty clear that every environment has its own advantages, but for pen testing, Linux environments are more preferable over the other present OS in the market due to universalistic nature and opensource availability. But still, various tools are available in cross-platform basis providing similar experience making the work of pen testers easier.