Your organisation might have cutting-edge cybersecurity tools, an expert IT team, and a strong culture of security awareness. But how can you be sure these measures are effective for preventing a cyberattack?  

If a breach were to occur, how far could a hacker infiltrate your defenses?  

To build and maintain a robust cybersecurity posture, these are critical questions every hotelier must consider. 

In this week’s feature of the VENZA Echo, we explore the essential practice of penetration testing—a cybersecurity assessment that simulates an attack on your organisation to uncover hidden vulnerabilities and provide actionable insights to fortify cybersecurity defenses.  

What is Penetration Testing? 

Penetration testing, or pen testing, is a cybersecurity measure that simulates a cyberattack on a system, network, or application. The fundamental goal is to identify vulnerabilities that could be exploited by hackers.  

Pen testing can be viewed like a “secret shopper”. Just as the hired customers candiscreetly evaluate a hotel’s service, pen testing uses ethical hackers to examine systems for vulnerabilities and gaps in security controls.  

Pen testers can use a combination of automated tools and manual techniques to probe for weaknesses in security controls and configurations. Findings are then documented, providing a report of the vulnerabilities discovered and recommendations for remediation. 

Types of Pen Testing 

There are a multitude of types of pen testing, each designed to assess different aspects of security systems and controls.  

The most common forms of pen tests are:  

*Black Box: The tester does not know the system they’re testing, simulating a brute force external hacking attempt. This identifies vulnerabilities that can be exploited without insider knowledge. 

*White Box: The tester has full access to a system’s information, including source code, architecture, and network maps. This provides a comprehensive assessment of internal weaknesses, focusing on deeper security flaws that may exist.  

*Gray Box: The tester has limited knowledge about the system, such as user credentials or network infrastructure details. Combining elements of the White and Black Box, this evaluation provides a balanced assessment of security.  

*External: By focusing on external-facing assets such as websites and servers, this method identifies vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers outside of the organisation. 

*Internal: Conducted within the organisation’s internal network, this test measures vulnerabilities that could be exploited by insiders or attackers who have already breached external defenses.  

*Targeted: This assessment simulates a real-time attack scenario, with both the tester and organisational IT teams working together. This measures an organisation’s responsiveness and effectiveness in the event of a cyberattack. 

*Social Engineering: By simulating social engineering attacks such as phishing and vishing on operational employees, this assessment evaluates the human security factors. It helps identify vulnerabilities in employee behavior, paving the way for targeted training and remediation.  

Pen Testing Process  

Pen testing generally follows a seven-step process. 

1. Preparation

* This involves determining the systems, applications, and networks that will be tested, and establishing the goal of the assessment, such as identifying specific vulnerabilities or testing incident response.

* Permissions are granted and information is gathered or provided about the target environment including IP addresses, domain names, and network architecture.

2. Reconnaissance

* Depending on the level of knowledge granted to the tester, this step involves gathering information without directly interacting with the target, such as through public sources, social media, and online databases.

* This phase also sees testers begin actively probing the target to discover open ports, services, and other accessible information.

3. Scanning

* Automated tools are used to identify open ports, services, and potential vulnerabilities on the target systems.

* Specialized scans are deployed to locate known vulnerabilities in software and configurations.

4. Exploitation

* Using manual techniques and automated tools, the tester attempts to exploit identified vulnerabilities to gain access to systems and data.

* Once access is gained, the tester tries to escalate privileges to obtain higher levels of access and control within the target environment.

5. Post-Exploitation

* If the tester successfully gains or is purposely given access, they’ll attempt to simulate a real attacker’s action, such as extracting sensitive data by tunneling through the network further.

6. Reporting

* Once the assessment has concluded, the tester will compile their findings, including discovered vulnerabilities, methods used to exploit them, and the extent of access achieved.

* This will likely outline actionable recommendations for mitigating the identified weaknesses.

7. Remediation and Re-Testing

* Ideally, this is the phase where organisational IT teams address the identified vulnerabilities and close security control gaps.

* Follow-up tests may be conducted to ensure that identified system weaknesses have been mitigated with no new issues having been introduced.

Conclusion:  

For hospitality, even the most robust cybersecurity posture may not be enough to guarantee protection.  

Regular pen testing can uncover otherwise hidden vulnerabilities, painting a detailed portrait of your organisation’s defenses. By proactively identifying and addressing these weaknesses, hoteliers can strengthen their security posture and safeguard the data of their guests.  

Feeling overwhelmed? Don’t be. As leading experts in hospitality data protection, VENZA provides cutting-edge pen testing services to identify, test, and map potential risks. With our industry knowledge and expertise, we offer hoteliers an unparalleled pen testing experience. 

Ready to get started? Contact Sales to discuss signing up for our programs or adding new solutions to your contract. 

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Take VENZA’s free Phishing Test to assess gaps in your human firewall today!

Training your personnel to recognize and report phishing attempts is essential to protecting your guests and their data. Get started by determining your risk and readiness level using this free tool.

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