THREATNOIR
Subscribe
NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 · CA-8

Penetration Testing

US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) · cited in 25 of our lessons

Explanation

What it asks for. The organisation must conduct penetration testing on defined systems or components at a defined frequency.

In practice. Doing this well means a risk-based testing programme covering internet-facing services, critical applications and internal networks, using qualified testers with agreed rules of engagement, and retesting to confirm fixes. Auditors expect the test schedule, scope documents, reports and remediation tracking. CIS Control 18 covers penetration testing, and DORA requires threat-led penetration testing for certain financial entities. Cloud and identity configurations deserve testing alongside traditional infrastructure.

Common gaps. Scopes are often narrowed to avoid embarrassing findings, and remediation is not verified. Testing tends to focus on infrastructure while business logic in applications goes untested. Tests are also sometimes timed only around audits rather than after significant changes.

Open SP 800-53 at NIST
The official text
Conduct penetration testing [Assignment: organization-defined frequency] on [Assignment: organization-defined system(s) or system components]. Discussion: Penetration testing is a specialized type of assessment conducted on systems or individual system components to identify vulnerabilities that could be exploited by adversaries. Penetration testing goes beyond automated vulnerability scanning and is conducted by agents and teams with demonstrable skills and experience that include technical expertise in network, operating system, and/or application level security. Penetration testing can be used to validate vulnerabilities or determine the degree of penetration resistance of systems to adversaries within specified constraints. Such constraints include time, resources, and skills. Penetration testing attempts to duplicate the actions of adversaries and provides a more in-depth analysis of security- and privacy-related weaknesses or deficiencies. Penetration testing is especially important when organizations are transitioning from older technologies to newer technologies (e.g., transitioning from IPv4 to IPv6 network protocols). Organizations can use the results of vulnerability analyses to support penetration testing activities. Penetration testing can be conducted internally or externally on the hardware, software, or firmware components of a system and can exercise both physical and technical controls. A standard method for penetration testing includes a pretest analysis based on full knowledge of the system, pretest identification of potential vulnerabilities based on the pretest analysis, and testing designed to determine the exploitability of vulnerabilities. All parties agree to the rules of engagement before commencing penetration testing scenarios. Organizations correlate the rules of engagement for the penetration tests with the tools, techniques, and procedures that are anticipated to be employed by adversaries. Penetration testing may result in the exposure of information that is protected by laws or regulations, to individuals conducting the testing. Rules of engagement, contracts, or other appropriate mechanisms can be used to communicate expectations for how to protect this information. Risk assessments guide the decisions on the level of independence required for the personnel conducting penetration testing.

From NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5, a work of the US government in the public domain.

Lessons that cite it

Real incidents where this item mattered: the latest 12 of 25.