Lab Notes

What is Website Penetration Testing? Website Maintenance Terms Explained.

What does penetration testing mean?

Website penetration testing (also known as a pen testing) is an ethical hacking procedure where a website is placed under a simulated attack to bring to light the strengths and weaknesses in the site’s security systems. By using similar methods, tools and procedures to criminals and malicious hackers, we can very quickly develop a picture of how, where and when attacks are likely to happen, how likely they are to succeed and, most importantly, how to stop them in their tracks.

How do Maverick perform website penetration tests?

We perform these tests inĀ  consultation with you and your website’s stakeholders, and only when authorised to do so. We start with a clear goal of what we want to achieve with the attack – this could be something relatively simple like ‘establish the directory structure of the web server’ or more drastic like ‘run arbitrary code on the site’. We then use whatever means necessary to achieve this goal, just like a real malicious attacker would.

One of the problems with routine security maintenance is that it can easily turn into a box ticking exercise, concentrating defences on known areas of weakness. This is a bit like installing a portcullis on your front door but leaving your bathroom window open. Penetration testing forces us to think laterally, finding cracks and attack vectors that otherwise just wouldn’t have occurred to us.

Penetration testing is an optional add-on to all our website maintenance plans. You can see all our options and features or build your own plan which includes penetration testing here.

Dan Devine

Dan Devine

Technical Director // Maverick

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