The Pros and Cons of Siloed/Autonomous Pen Testing

There are different approaches to conducting a penetration test and this is blog one of a series in which we examine a few methods, help you identify the right fit for your organization, and look at how to mature the types of pen-tests you can effectively leverage to gain the most value.  In this blog, we’ll examine siloed or autonomous penetration, including both the pros and cons of this type of penetration testing

What is Penetration Testing?

So, what is penetration testing? How does it help organizations make better decisions and minimize potential security risks? Penetration testing is an important component of an overall information security strategy and program.  This type of activity is useful for identifying vulnerabilities in your environment, gaps within your security processes, and compliance risks, as well as evaluating new security tools, processes, and procedures

Siloed or Autonomous penetration testing is the traditional pen test, the point in time assessment, that’s been performed for a decade or more. This style of pen testing is where the tester or pentest team is working alone and using information they can discover as well as their professional experience to poke holes in a specific system. The defender ultimately receives specific information about the environment, and then they must determine what they do with that information.

Pros

This is the most popular penetration testing option, with some obvious benefits. When thinking about emulating a threat, typically threats are fairly opportunistic or over a more specific point in time. They may be dedicated and cover several weeks or months depending on the adversary, but most likely it won’t be continuously occurring year after year. It’s also much more consumable for most organizations.

This type of pen test also has a set of understood expectations. When someone requests a penetration test either to be performed or to see the results, they’re expecting a fairly monolithic PDF that has all of the results and the methodology.

Cons

The major con is that again, it’s based on a point in time. When you perform a penetration test, especially an annual one, that’s 365 days from when the initial assessment was conducted. So while you’re examining how to address vulnerabilities that were detected, your entire environment may have gone through dramatic change over that year period. You essentially are never addressing the present. It’s also a very rigid approach without much if any communication and with very specific results on a specific objective. Of course, the attacker in this scenario can be adaptive, where they’re trying to look at different vulnerabilities in different ways. However, it’s very much like winding up the toy and letting it go… it’s just going to continue in that direction. This is common in a siloed assessment.

A siloed or autonomous pentest is just one approach… before undergoing a pentest, it’s important to determine which approach is right for your organization and environment. The next blog in this series will look at Collaborative testing and highlight the pros and cons of such an approach.

The Final Word on Autonomous Penetration Testing

Autonomous penetration testing, including specialized approaches like autonomous red teaming, has its distinct pros and cons. One key benefit is the ability to probe specific systems or networks for a focused, thorough analysis. This autonomous approach ensures rigorous testing without the influence of other organizational biases.

However, it’s also important to consider the cons: these methods can lead to a segmented view of your organization’s security posture, potentially overlooking how different systems interact and how vulnerabilities may be exploited in a more interconnected scenario.

Additionally, the autonomous nature of siloed pen testing can sometimes result in inconsistencies in methodologies and findings, posing challenges in forming a cohesive defense strategy. As we explore the pros and cons of penetration testing, it becomes clear that while autonomous techniques like red teaming are valuable, they should be complemented with integrated security assessments to ensure a comprehensive understanding and protection of an organization’s digital landscape.

With that said, when balanced with collaborative, organization-wide security strategies, autonomous penetration testing services can be an extremely powerful tool in your arsenal. By embracing its strengths and mitigating its limitations, we can leverage the pros of penetration testing to fortify our defenses against ever-evolving cyber threats, ensuring a more secure and resilient digital environment.

Resources

On-Demand Webinar: Maximizing Value Through Pen Testing

White Paper: Examining Which Style Of Penetration Test Is The Best Fit For Your Organization