What are the best ways to ensure your penetration testing team is on the same page?

Defina o escopo e o objetivo real do teste. Valide toda a arquitetura do ambiente a ser contemplado no teste, incluindo sistema operacional, base de dados, aplicativos e topologia de rede

Defining the scope and goals of a penetration testing project is crucial for its success. It sets the direction, boundaries, and expectations for the entire team involved. Additionally, clear communication ensures that everyone understands their roles and responsibilities, leading to a more efficient and effective testing process. Moreover, having well-defined goals allows you to measure the impact and effectiveness of the test, enabling you to improve your security posture and better protect your organization against cyber threats.

Well before starting penetration testing we first have to talk with dev team,tech and product owner of that application and gather all the relevant information. We have to understand scope of the test and any prerequisite if needed (like test account,credentials,access) to that team owner.

As leading cybersecurity pro, before you dive into testing, you've got to lay down game plan. Figure out what you're testing – systems, networks, apps & data – & set rules straight. Be clear about what's in, what's out, & how you're playing. Your goals? Well, they're like your targets – find weak spots, dig in, report findings, & maybe drop a few tips. Having crystal-clear plan means your team knows exactly where to focus, what's off-limits, & whether you hit the jackpot. Regular reviews help see what's working & what can be done better, creating cycle of improvement. For having roadmap for successful cyber-adventure, Consider factors like team morale, adapting to new challenges ensure well-rounded approach to keep team cohesive & effective

Clearly outline what systems, networks, and assets will be tested, including the extent of the tests and any off-limits areas to avoid any unintended disruptions. Set clear objectives for what the penetration tests aim to achieve, such as identifying vulnerabilities, testing incident response capabilities, or assessing compliance with specific security standards. This clarity helps focus the team's efforts and sets a common understanding of the project's boundaries and expectations.

Select the tools and techniques that best fit the defined scope and goals. This might include a mix of automated tools and manual testing techniques, depending on the complexity and nature of your environment. Ensure that all team members are trained and comfortable with the chosen tools, and that they understand the methodologies to be applied, such as black box, white box, or grey box testing.

Selecting tools and methods isn't just a technical decision; it's a strategic one. It's important to consider not only the effectiveness of the tools but also their integration into broader security practices. You can encourage your team to engage in continuous learning and certification paths to stay updated with the latest tools that integrate with continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines, enhancing the agility of security practices. Furthermore, fostering a culture of tool and method-sharing sessions within the team can ensure the cross-pollination of skills and a homogeneous understanding of the toolset's capabilities.

First figure out what kind of penetration testing we have to perform like white box,black box or grey box. Accordingly prepare configuration of tools like Burp suite,nmap,kali linux,metasploit etc. also if company has a vulnerability manager tool than give training to the dev team on that and onboard apps on that,configure the scan and share the report across the team.

Acredito que isso depende de quem está fazendo o teste. Desde que seja bem elaborado os relatórios e n?o prejudique o funcionamento do que se esteja testando, a ferramenta que vai ser usada é melhor ficar a critério do especialista. Ferramentas diferentes podem alcan?ar resultados diferentes, mas seu uso e métodos dependem exclusivamente do especialista.

Selecting the appropriate tools and methods is crucial to align your penetration testing team's efforts. Tools encompass the software or hardware utilized for tasks like scanning, enumeration, exploitation, and reporting, while methods comprise the testing approaches, such as black box, white box, or gray box, and manual, automated, or hybrid techniques. The chosen tools and methods must match the test's scope, goals, team skills, and project resources. Familiarity and compatibility among team members with these tools and methods are imperative for efficiency, effectiveness, and consistency, preventing confusion, duplication, or errors in testing.

Give roles and responsibilities to all the team members who are going to work on whole penetration testing project. Also create tickets for each of the communication to track all the things.

Define clear roles for each team member, ensuring that everyone knows their tasks and how they contribute to the overall goals. This might include roles like lead tester, report analyst, tool specialist, and client liaison. Clear responsibilities help prevent overlap and ensure comprehensive coverage of the testing scope.

When establishing roles and responsibilities, consider leveraging a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) model. This could empower team members to take on roles and tasks dynamically, based on real-time needs and individual expertise, enhancing flexibility and efficiency. This forward-thinking model would represent a significant evolution from the rigid structures that currently dominate the industry.

Com as tarefas divididas, o foco do especialista melhora, pois n?o fica t?o extenso a análise e busca de possíveis vulnerabilidades. Claro que é necessário avaliar o conhecimento do especialista para que ele seja colocado nas melhores tarefas que lhe permite extrair o máximo de proveito.

Defining clear roles and responsibilities is essential for a cohesive penetration testing team. Roles, like lead tester, tester, analyst, or report writer, outline the functions of each member, while responsibilities detail their duties, such as planning, executing, documenting, or communicating. Assign roles based on team members' skills and distribute responsibilities to ensure workload balance and accountability. Clear communication of these roles and responsibilities fosters collaboration, minimizes conflicts, and avoids gaps or overlaps in tasks. This ensures that the team operates efficiently and harmoniously toward achieving the test objectives.

Elevate communication with the integration of machine learning algorithms that can analyze the communication patterns within the team, identify bottlenecks, and suggest improvements. This approach can transform how team members interact with each other, moving from frequent communication to optimized communication.

Frequent and effective communication is key to keeping a penetration testing team on the same page. An example I've seen is setting up regular team meetings to discuss progress, challenges, and next steps. This ensures everyone is informed and working towards the same goals.

Take frequent/weekly standup up updates call to check the progress and blockers. Also developer team can clear their doubts on that call. Make a proper SLA plan for mitigation of the reported vulnerabilities and discuss it on call. So communication is a very essential part of this activity.

Regular meetings and updates are essential to keep everyone informed of progress, findings, and any obstacles encountered. Utilize collaboration tools such as chat applications, email, and project management software to share information and updates. Establish a protocol for escalating critical issues to ensure they are addressed promptly.

Communication is especially important in this remote digital age where teams are spread across various locations, and often have never met in person. You can never overcommunicate!

Post-test review and improvement are essential for optimizing your penetration testing team's effectiveness. Celebrate successes and address challenges through constructive evaluation of strengths and weaknesses. Reflect on experiences and lessons learned to refine methods, tools, and processes for future tests. Utilize debriefings, surveys, or metrics to gather feedback and insights. Foster a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement to enhance team performance and ensure alignment with objectives. Regularly revisit and adapt strategies based on evolving needs and lessons from each test.

Improve the existing process to optimise it. Try to automate the process and use the trending tools for better testing. Reporting should be good so that development team can understand easily all the vulnerabilities. Make screenshots and videos for better learning.

After each penetration testing cycle, conduct a debriefing session to discuss what was successful and what could be improved. This should include a review of the testing process, the effectiveness of the tools and methods used, and the team's performance in roles and responsibilities. Use these insights to refine your approach for future tests.

Some effective ways : Clearly define the objectives and scope of penetration testing engagement Detailed rules of engagement Regular team meetings Effective communication channels Documented process and procedures Training and skill development

Penetration testing is a very important process and activity to keep secure the application. But before starting this we have to do all the steps properly, also communicating with dev team is more important since they are only who are going to mitigate it.

Making sure everyone in your cybersecurity testing team is on same page involves more than just setting goals, picking tools, assigning roles, communicating well, & reviewing progress. Everyone has right skills, keeps learning, & brings different strengths to team. Regular training & sharing what you know about threats help team stay sharp. Create friendly environment where people can talk openly, reporting structures are clear, & everyone knows what to do in case something goes wrong adds another security layer. Bringing in outside experts, testing different scenarios, & using automation for routine tasks, Keeping an eye on changes in world, following rules, suprise drills, & having clear process when things get serious are important .

Beyond the technical and procedural aspects, fostering a culture of continuous learning and ethical conduct within your team is essential. Encourage team members to stay updated on the latest cybersecurity threats, trends, and testing methodologies. Provide opportunities for professional development through training, certifications, and attending industry conferences. Emphasizing ethical hacking principles and ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements is also crucial to maintain the integrity of your penetration testing efforts.