The methodology of a pentest
Choose the approach that fits your needs and constraints.
Black Box
The black box test involves performing a pentest without any prior knowledge of the target environment. This replicates a realistic external attack, primarily testing the attack surfaces exposed to the public, such as web applications or open systems. This approach measures the company’s real ability to withstand an external attacker without initial privileges. However, it may lack depth in identifying complex internal vulnerabilities, which is compensated by white box or grey box methods that explore internal vulnerabilities with more precision.
White Box
A white box audit involves conducting a penetration test with access to all necessary information about the target infrastructure: source code, network architecture, system configurations, etc. This method quickly identifies deep and complex vulnerabilities that would be difficult to detect otherwise. It offers comprehensive test coverage, optimizing resources and time. However, this approach may lack realism in cases where an external attacker would not have such information, which is where grey box or black box testing can complement by simulating more realistic external attacks.
Grey Box
The grey box test requires partial information about your system, such as limited credentials or restricted access. This method simulates an attack carried out by a malicious user with partial access to your infrastructure. It evaluates internal security while reproducing realistic scenarios. It is a compromise between black box and white box approaches for balanced analysis.