If you are a small business owner, you might think that penetration testing, or pentesting for short, is something that only big corporations or government agencies need to worry about. After all, why would hackers bother with your small website or network when they can target more lucrative and high-profile victims?

Well, think again. Small businesses were disproportionately targeted in 2023, facing a significant share of cyberattacks despite their limited resources and the average cost of a breach for them is $3.86 million. That's a lot of money that could be better spent on growing your business, rather than recovering from a cyberattack.

Penetration testing is a proactive and effective way to improve your cybersecurity and compliance. It involves simulating a real-world cyberattack on your IT systems, networks, or applications, to identify and exploit vulnerabilities. By doing so, you can discover and fix security gaps before hackers find and abuse them and avoid costly and damaging consequences.

But not all penetration tests are created equal. Depending on your goals, scope, budget, and time, you may need to choose from different types of pentesting. In this blog post, we will explain the main types of pentesting, their benefits and drawbacks, and how to decide which one is right for you.

The Main Types of Penetration Testing

There are many ways to classify penetration testing, but one of the most common and useful ways is based on the amount of information and access given to the pentester (the person or team conducting the pentest). Based on this criterion, there are three main types of pentesting: black box, white box, and gray box.

Black Box Pentesting

Black box penetration testing is the most realistic and challenging type of penetration testing. It simulates a scenario where the pentester has no prior knowledge or access to the target system, network, or application. The pentester must rely on their own skills, tools, and techniques, to gather information, find vulnerabilities, and exploit them.

The main benefit of black box penetration testing is that it mimics the perspective and approach of a real hacker, and reveals how your system would fare against a real cyberattack. It can also uncover unknown or hidden vulnerabilities that may not be detected by other methods.

The main drawback of black box pentesting is that it is time-consuming, expensive, and unpredictable. It can take a lot of trial and error and may not cover the entire scope or depth of the target. It can also cause more disruption or damage to the system, especially if the pentester is not careful or ethical.

White Box Pentesting

White box penetration testing is the opposite of black box penetration testing. It simulates a scenario where the pentester has full knowledge and access to the target system, network, or application. The pentester is given all the relevant information, such as source code, architecture diagrams, credentials, and documentation, to conduct the pentest.

The main benefit of white box pentesting is that it is comprehensive, thorough, and efficient. It can cover the entire scope and depth of the target and find more vulnerabilities in less time. It can also cause less disruption or damage to the system, as the pentester can plan and execute the pentest more carefully and ethically.

The main drawback of white box pentesting is that it is less realistic and challenging than black box pentesting. It does not mimic the perspective and approach of a real hacker and may not reveal how your system would fare against a real cyberattack. It can also introduce bias or complacency, as the pentester may rely too much on the given information and miss some vulnerabilities that are not obvious or documented.

Gray Box Penetration Testing

Gray box penetration testing is a hybrid of black box and white box pentesting. It simulates a scenario where the pentester has some knowledge and access to the target system, network, or application, but not all. The pentester is given some relevant information, such as user credentials, API keys, or configuration files, to conduct the pentest.

The main benefit of gray box pentesting is that it balances realism and comprehensiveness. It can mimic the perspective and approach of a real hacker, while also covering a wider scope and depth of the target. It can also balance the time, cost, and risk of the pentest, as the pentester can leverage the given information, while also using their own skills, tools, and techniques.

The main drawback of gray box penetration testing is that it is not as realistic as black box pentesting, nor as thorough as white box pentesting. It may not reveal all the vulnerabilities that a real hacker or a full access pentester could find and may leave some gaps or blind spots in the penetration test.

How to Choose the Right Type of Penetration Testing for Your Business

As you can see, each type of penetration testing has its pros and cons, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. The best type of pentesting for your business depends on several factors, such as:

• Your goals: What are the objectives and outcomes of the penetration test? Do you want to test your system against a real hacker, or a full access pentester? Do you want to find as many vulnerabilities as possible, or focus on the most critical ones?
• Your scope: What are the systems, networks, or applications that you want to pentest? How complex, large, or sensitive are they? How much information and access do you have or want to share with the pentester?
• Your budget: How much money do you have or want to spend on the pentest? How do you measure the return on investment of the pentest? How do you balance the cost and quality of the pentest?
• Your time: How much time do you have or want to allocate for the pentest? How do you balance the speed and thoroughness of the pentest? How do you manage the pentest schedule and deadlines?

To help you decide, here are some general guidelines and recommendations:

• If you want to test your system against a real hacker, and you have a large or complex system, and you have a high budget and time, you should choose black box pentesting.
• If you want to find as many vulnerabilities as possible, and you have a small or simple system, and you have a low budget and time, you should choose white box pentesting.
• If you want to balance realism and comprehensiveness, and you have a medium or mixed system, and you have a moderate budget and time, you should choose gray box pentesting.

Of course, these are not hard and fast rules, and you may need to adjust them according to your specific situation and needs. The best way to choose the right type of penetration testing for your business is to consult with a professional and experienced pentest provider, who can assess your system, understand your goals, and recommend the best penetration test solution for you.

Conclusion

Penetration testing is a vital and valuable practice for small businesses to improve their cybersecurity and compliance. However, pentesting is not a simple or straightforward process, and it requires proper planning and execution to ensure its effectiveness and success.

One of the most important decisions you need to make when planning a pentest is the type of pentesting. There are three main types of pentesting: black box, white box, and gray box, each with its own benefits and drawbacks.

The best type of penetration testing for your business depends on several factors, such as your goals, scope, budget, and time. You should weigh the pros and cons of each type of pentesting and consult with a professional and experienced pentest provider to choose the best pentest solution for you.

If you need help with pentesting or other cybersecurity services, please contact us today. We are a trusted and experienced penetration test provider that can help you secure your IT system and achieve your business goals.