What is the most effective way to test your network security measures?

The best way to protect your organization is to educate your workforce. People are your first line of defense is critical. It is imperative that they have the tools and education to spot vulnerability and not to give any information to put the business in a dire situation.

It’s important to take in consideration asset inventory which would include all servers, devices, applications, data repositories, and user access points. Second step would be to classify these on the basis of risk exposure, asset criticality, business criticality and regulatory impact. Third which in my opinion is very important is to perform a threat model and risk scenario analysis to identify and surface issues such as Denial of Service, phishing vectors, malware propagation points, malicious insider behaviour trend behaviour.

Having the proper documentation of all assets is super important - that's how you can start assessing what the risks are! I remember working for a company that had the worst documentation - one example: the worst ports/service document - had no idea which system/server had what ports and services! Without knowing what you have, you can't have an idea of how to protect what you have!

During your inventory make sure to also include Who has access to that device, What they are allowed to do on or with that device, and ensure you know Where that device physically is. Don't be the company that ends up finding the next server that has been walled into it's own closet during an office remodel and no one knows Where it is. any more.

The most effective way to test network security is through a combination of penetration testing, vulnerability scanning, and continuous monitoring to identify and address weaknesses and threats proactively.

I think it's important to know how to perform vulnerability scans for every security tester or penetration tester or red team engineer! In order to find vulnerabilities, you need to be able to know what tools to use and how to use them! I definitely believe that this is one of the most important steps in a test - after understanding what your assets are and what to test, you can start running scans to find any type of vulnerability - whether that be a misconfiguration or missing patch or public exploit!

It’s akin to a health checkup for your network. Using automated tools, it probes your network, identifying gaps like outdated software, misconfigured protocols, unpatched flaws, or open ports that attackers could exploit. Before you can mend a weakness, you need to be aware of it. Scanning sheds light on these vulnerabilities. Think of it this way, If you’ve recently renovated a part of your ‘digital building’ (i.e., updated or changed your network), a fresh scan ensures you haven’t unintentionally introduced new vulnerabilities. Think of it as a monthly medical appointment for your network, but if there are any significant changes, you’d want to check its health immediately afterward.

Vulnerabilities scanning is one of the critical component of network security testing. Using automation tools like Nessus, OpenVAS, Wires hark, Nmap; etc to scan our network for potential Vulnerabilities. This way we can identify and address our organizations security weakness and protect our network from cyber attacks and data breaches. We should regularly apply the latest updates and security patches whenever available.

Performing a vulnerability scan involves using specialized software or tools to assess your network, applications, and systems for known vulnerabilities and weaknesses, which can be critical for identifying and addressing potential security risks.

Remember that a Penetration Test and a Red Team Operation are very different operations. A Penetration Test will be good for looking for "low hanging fruit" so to speak, and usually be very noisy. While on the other hand a Red Team Operation will be attempting to mimic a specific threat actor and work on not being caught just as the threat actor would.

Conducting a penetration test involves engaging ethical hackers or security professionals to simulate real-world attacks on your network, applications, or systems to uncover vulnerabilities and assess your organization's security defenses, helping to proactively strengthen your security posture.

After conducting a vulnerability scan or penetration test, it is crucial to thoroughly analyze the results and take appropriate action, which may include patching vulnerabilities, updating security configurations, and implementing safeguards to mitigate identified risks and enhance overall network security.

Regularly reviewing and updating your security policies and procedures is essential to adapt to evolving threats, compliance requirements, and organizational changes, ensuring that your network security measures remain effective and up-to-date.