Organizations conduct penetration tests for a crucial reason: to identify vulnerabilities before malicious attackers do. This proactive approach puts your security systems to the test, simulating real-world cyber attacks to see if your security framework can withstand a breach.
For small businesses, this is especially vital, as they are frequent targets of threat actors. In fact, over 87% of all critical and dangerous penetration test findings are discovered in businesses with fewer than 200 employees.
But jumping into a penetration test without a clear understanding can waste valuable resources or leave critical risks unaddressed.
This blog post will cover everything you need to know about the penetration testing scope, including what it entails, how to define it effectively, and how a well-defined scope maximizes your return on investment while protecting your business.
The scope of a penetration test defines the specific systems, networks, applications, and components that will be included in the security assessment, along with the boundaries and rules of engagement.
It’s one of the first and most critical phases of any pentest engagement. Without a clearly defined scope, tests may miss key risks, waste resources on irrelevant systems, or even inadvertently disrupt your operations.
Defining your penetration testing scope is important for several reasons:
By meticulously building out this scope, you can determine the most suitable type of pentest for your objectives, as well as project the associated costs and timeline of the engagement.
When defining your penetration testing scope, it's helpful to understand the different approaches:
Simulates an attack from someone with no prior knowledge of your systems.
The ethical hackers have full knowledge of your systems, including source code, network diagrams, and credentials.
A hybrid approach where the testers have some limited knowledge of the internal systems.
Just as important as defining what’s in scope is clarifying what remains Out Of Scope (OOS). While this differs for each engagement, examples of items often excluded might include:
Clearly defining these OOS items helps prevent specific areas or assets from being included in testing, thereby avoiding operational disruption or downtime. This is crucial for maintaining business continuity while still getting a robust security assessment.
When defining your penetration testing scope, there are several crucial factors to keep in mind to avoid common pitfalls. The most frequent issues include a scope that is either too broad or too narrow, unclear objectives, or a failure to account for third-party risks.
To maximize the effectiveness of your cybersecurity penetration testing, ensure you keep the following top of mind:
Failing to define your penetration testing scope properly can lead to significant risks for your organization, for example:
By not clearly defining your scope, you run the risk of conducting a pentest that doesn’t adequately address the areas of your framework that genuinely need to be tested.
This could mean parts of your network are left untested, posing potential security risks that could be exploited by an online hacker. If a penetration test is inadequate or under-budgeted, your company may become incapable of properly defending itself from a real attack, wasting time and resources that could have been used more effectively.
Conversely, an overly broad scope can lead to budget constraints. Annual penetration tests often don't take place due to budgeting issues or concerns. In fact, one-third of businesses claim cost as the reason they don't run the tests more frequently.
You deserve the best penetration testing services that don’t cost more than you’re capable of spending. Make sure your company isn’t overspending as a result of a poorly estimated scope.
Defining the scope of a penetration test accurately lays down the groundwork for pentesters to begin their work. By taking the time to properly set these parameters, you can expect to:
Scoping a pentest effectively demands that you work with the right penetration testing provider, a team who has the experience and your best interest in mind.
At Mitnick Security, not only do we have The Global Ghost Team™ — our elite team composed of some of the world’s finest and most experienced cybersecurity consultants — we also work with you every step of the way during a penetration test to ensure you receive practical recommendations to improve your security posture.
Take our Pentesting Readiness Assessment to uncover the approach that fits your environment.