Most Important Network Penetration Testing Checklist

Network Penetration Testing checklist determines vulnerabilities in the network posture by discovering Open ports, Troubleshooting live systems, and services, and grabbing system banners.

The pen-testing helps the administrator to close unused ports, additional services, Hide or Customize banners, Troubleshoot services and to calibrate firewall rules.

You should test in all ways to guarantee there is no security loophole.

Network penetration testing, also known as ethical hacking or white-hat hacking, is a systematic process of evaluating the security of a computer network infrastructure.

The goal of a network penetration test is to identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses in the network’s defenses that could potentially be exploited by malicious actors.

Let’s see how we conduct a step by step Network penetration testing by using some famous network scanners.

1. Host Discovery

Footprinting is the first and most important phase where one gathers information about their target system.

DNS footprinting helps to enumerate DNS records like (A, MX, NS, SRV, PTR, SOA, and CNAME) resolving to the target domain.

• A – A record is used to point the domain name such as gbhackers.com to the IP address of its hosting server.
•  MX – Records responsible for Email exchange.
• NS – NS records are to identify DNS servers responsible for the domain.
• SRV – Records to distinguish the service hosted on specific servers.
• PTR – Reverse DNS lookup, with the help of IP you can get domains associated with it.
• SOA – Start of record, it is nothing but the information in the DNS system about DNS Zone and other DNS records.
• CNAME – Cname record maps a domain name to another domain name.

We can detect live hosts, and accessible hosts in the target network by using network scanning tools such as Advanced IP scanner, NMAP, HPING3, and NESSUS.

Ping&Ping Sweep:

Whois Information 

To obtain Whois information and the name server of a website

1. http://whois.domaintools.com/
2. https://whois.icann.org/en

Traceroute

Network Diagonastic tool that displays route path and transit delay in packets

Online Tools

1. http://www.monitis.com/traceroute/
2. http://ping.eu/traceroute/

2. Port Scanning

Perform port scanning using tools such as Nmap, Hping3, Netscan tools, and Network monitor. These tools help us to probe a server or host on the target network for open ports.

Open ports are the gateway for attackers to enter and install malicious backdoor applications.

Online Tools

1. http://www.yougetsignal.com/
2. https://pentest-tools.com/information-gathering/find-subdomains-of-domain

3. Banner Grabbing/OS Fingerprinting

Perform banner Grabbing/OS fingerprinting such as Telnet, IDServe, and NMAP determines the operating system of the target host and the operating system.

Once you know the version and operating system of the target, you need to find the vulnerabilities and exploit them. Try to gain control over the system.

IDserve is another good tool for Banner Grabbing.

Online Tools

1. https://www.netcraft.com/
2. https://w3dt.net/tools/httprecon
3. https://www.shodan.io/

4. Scan for Vulnerabilities

Scan the network using Vulnerabilities using GIFLanguard, Nessus, Ratina CS, SAINT.

These tools help us in finding vulnerabilities in the target system and operating systems. With these steps, you can find loopholes in the target network system.

GFILanguard

It acts as a security consultant and offers patch Management, Vulnerability assessment, and network auditing services.

Nessus

Nessus is a vulnerability scanner tool that searches for bugs in the software and finds a specific way to violate the security of a software product.

• Data gathering.
• Host identification.
• Port scan.
• Plug-in selection.
• Reporting of data.

5. Draw Network Diagrams

Draw a network diagram about the organization that helps you to understand the logical connection path to the target host in the network.

The network diagram can be drawn by LANmanager, LANstate, Friendly pinger, and Network View.

6. Prepare Proxies

Proxies act as an intermediary between two networking devices. A proxy can protect the local network from outside access.

With proxy servers, we can anonymize web browsing and filter unwanted content such as ads and many others.

Proxies such as Proxifier, SSL Proxy, Proxy Finder..etc, to hide from being caught.

6. Document all Findings

The last and very important step is to document all the Findings from Penetration testing.

This document will help you in finding potential vulnerabilities in your network. Once you determine the Vulnerabilities you can plan counteractions accordingly.

You can download the rules and scope Worksheet here – Rules and Scope sheet 

Thus, penetration testing helps in assessing your network before it gets into real trouble that may cause severe loss in terms of value and finance.

Port Scanning

Enumeration

Scanning

Password Cracking

Sniffing

MiTM Attacks

Exploitation

You can follow us on Linkedin, Twitter, and Facebook for daily Cybersecurity updates also you can take the Best Cybersecurity courses online to keep yourself self-updated.

Also Read:

• Penetration testing Android Application checklist
• Penetration testing with your WordPress website
• Advanced ATM penetration testing methods
• Web Server Penetration Testing Checklist