Marked by an era of digitization, businesses are facing extensive reliance on digital infrastructures. This underpins the necessity to safeguard the systems from cyber threats, increasing the importance of penetration tests. This blog introduces one such type known as 'External Penetration testing' or 'External Pentest.'

'External Pentest,' an evaluation method employed to analyze and improve an organization's cybersecurity strength, primarily focuses on assets accessible publicly. It illustrates real-world cyber-attack scenarios to find potential loopholes and susceptibilities in your system before an actual hacker does.

Understanding External Penetration Testing

The primary objective of an 'external pentest' is to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities from an outside perspective - servers, websites, email infrastructures, and such. This pro-active approach involves an authorized simulated attack on the system to evaluate its security infrastructure.

Benefits of An External Penetration Testing

External Pentest brings manifold benefits to an organization - it helps to identify vulnerabilities, validate existing security measures, meet regulatory compliance, and ensure business continuity by preventing damaging cyber attacks.

Stages of External Penetration Testing

An External Pentest is categorized into five different phases: Reconnaissance, Scanning, Gaining Access, Maintaining Access, and Reporting.

Phase 1: Reconnaissance

The first stage involves gathering information about the target system. It focuses on understanding how the system operates, its vulnerabilities, and the types of information a malicious hacker could potentially uncover.

Phase 2: Scanning

This phase involves the use of automated tools to understand how the target system responds to intrusion attempts. An anomaly in the response could indicate potential susceptibility to an attack.

Phase 3: Gaining Access

This is the initial actual attack stage, where the tester uses the identified vulnerabilities to break into the system. The attack vectors could include SQL Injection, Cross-Site Scripting, or exploiting unpatched software.

Phase 4: Maintaining Access

This phase mimics a hacker's action on successfully entering a system. The tester tries to remain inside without getting detected and harvests valuable data.

Phase 5: Reporting

Last but not least, this phase sees the tester documenting and reporting the findings. The report includes identified vulnerabilities, exploited areas, sensitive data accessed, and recommendations for improvement.

Common Tools for External Pentest

Several tools aid in external pentesting. These include but are not limited to - Nmap, Nessus, Wireshark, Metasploit, Burp Suite, etc. These tools facilitate vulnerabilities scanning, packet crafting, exploits testing, and more.

Best Practices for External Pentest

There are certain best practices that organizations can adhere to, such as comprehensive planning, establishing well defined objectives, following a robust reporting structure, and more. Equally important is to ensure the pentest activities strictly adhere to the legal and contractual guidelines.

Cybersecurity Consultants

For firms lacking in-house capabilities, cybersecurity consultants can be a great asset. These professionals specialize in various forms of Penetration testing and can provide tailored solutions to suit your specific requirements.

In-house vs. Hired Consultants

While in-house teams bring deeper knowledge of the organization's design and architecture, consultants provide unbiased insights and have a diverse exposure to numerous test scenarios. Thus, concluding which is better would depend on a company's individual dynamics and needs.

Frequency of External Penetration Testing

Considering the rapidly evolving threat landscape, it is recommended to carry out at least one 'external pentest' annually. However, the frequency could vary based on factors such as changes in network infrastructure, introduction of new applications, post security incident, and more.

In conclusion, to stay a step ahead in the dynamic world of ever-evolving cyber threats, external pentest serves as a necessary shield. An incisive understanding and rigorous application of pentesting can certainly empower organizations to defy cyber intrusion attempts, and safeguard their infrastructure and data. Regular penetration testing, coupled with a well-formulated defense mechanism, can aid businesses in building a strong barrier against cyber threats.