Pen Test Tool

Pen tests are a critical part of cyber security, and to be successful, a pen tester needs quality threat intelligence and a way to identify threat exposures quickly. Threat intelligence is an important pen test tool. It’s able to provide vital guidance to pen testers, so that they can identify and prioritize the most critical vulnerabilities in your system. 

How Does Flare Contribute to your Pen Test Toolbox? 

How does Flare’s tool help pen testers? 

Pen testers don’t go in knowing nothing. They rely on threat intelligence to identify and prioritize the vulnerabilities that need to be tested. Threat intelligence helps testers learn about current and potential threats, understand the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) used by attackers and to create realistic attack scenarios. By using strong threat data, pen testers are able to mimic real cybercriminals’ behavior to test your defenses.

What are the key benefits of Flare’s solution?

• Automated threat intelligence: Flare’s TEM solution scans the clear and dark web, as well as Telegram channels to find leaks and vulnerabilities before cyber criminals do.
• A proactive security stance: By actively seeking out vulnerabilities, you can catch breaches and accidental data exposures early.
• Continuous monitoring of digital assets:  Automated cybersecurity risk management software gives you 24/7 coverage of your assets, so you will know as soon as a vulnerability is discovered without having to scan manually.
• Visibility into the deep and dark web: Flare’s monitoring solution scans parts of the internet that aren’t searchable to find leaks before an attack happens. 
• Transparency and trustworthiness: Flare’s Threat Flow presents timely, relevant, and trustworthy summaries of threat actor chatter on the dark web, enabling scaled research and reporting for security teams.

Understanding Pen Test Tools

What is pen testing?

Penetration tests, or pen tests, are simulated cyberattacks against an organization’s systems, networks, or applications. Pen tests are performed to identify security vulnerabilities that could be exploited by malicious actors, and fix those vulnerabilities. They might be conducted by outside experts or by your in-house team.

Are pen tests and red teaming the same? 

Pen tests and red teaming are similar in that they take an offensive approach to security, but there are differences between the two exercises. For example, pen testing is usually a more targeted exercise, focusing on known vulnerabilities. Red team tests are broader, testing known and seeking zero-day vulnerabilities.

What are pen test tools?

A pen test tool is any software used by security professionals to evaluate the security of an organization’s IT infrastructure. These tools help identify vulnerabilities, weaknesses, and security gaps that could be exploited by malicious actors. Although every pen tester has their own favorite tools, typically they use tools that focus on finding attack vectors, cracking passwords and mapping networks. 

Why are pen test tools important? 

• Proactive security: They allow organizations to identify and fix vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them.
• Compliance: Regular penetration testing is often required for compliance with various industry standards and regulations, such as PCI DSS, and HIPAA.
• Risk management: Pen test tools help in assessing the risk associated with vulnerabilities and prioritizing remediation efforts.
• Improved security posture: By continuously testing and improving security measures, organizations can significantly enhance their overall security posture.

Why is it Important to Invest in Pen Test Tools? 

Why do you need pen test tools in today’s cybersecurity landscape?

Knowing the threats to your organization is an important part of a strong cybersecurity strategy, but threats are constantly changing, and pen testers don’t necessarily know where all your vulnerabilities are. Threat intelligence guides pen testers by providing the data they need to make sure your defenses are ready for an attack. 

How can a pen test benefit your organization?

Penetration tests can help your organization understand its security vulnerabilities, prioritize remediation efforts, and enhance its overall security posture, ultimately reducing the risk of cyber attacks and improving resilience against potential threats. By categorizing vulnerabilities based on their severity, a test helps the organization prioritize remediation efforts, focusing on the most critical issues first.

How does threat intelligence help with pen testing? 

Threat intelligence guides pen testers, pointing them toward vulnerabilities that need to be tested and allowing them to customize scenarios for an organization’s specific needs. This might involve imitating a previous attack, or emulating a trend among attackers. Threat intelligence also adds context to the vulnerabilities identified during pen testing by linking them to known threat actors, attack patterns, and the potential impact on an organization. 

What are the types of threat intelligence? 

Threat intelligence typically falls into four categories: 

• Strategic threat intelligence: Strategic threat intelligence provides high-level information that senior leadership can use to make decisions about security, summarizing information about potential threats, trends, and their business impact.
• Tactical threat intelligence: Information about the specific tactic, techniques and procedures (TTPs) being used by threat actors. Security teams use tactical threat intelligence to prevent cyberattacks by gaining visibility into the organization’s attack surface, including information about compromised credentials or infected devices.
• Technical threat intelligence: Alerts an organization when an attack is underway and helps block the attack. Security teams use technical threat intelligence to monitor for new threats or investigate a security incident. 
• Operational threat intelligence: Operational threat intelligence gives security teams actionable information relating to threat actors’ nature, motive, timing, and methods that help them prevent or proactively detect an attack. It is often used to anticipate future attacks.

Pen Test Tools and Flare

Flare provides the leading Threat Exposure Management (TEM) solution for organizations. Our technology constantly scans the online world, including the clear & dark web, to discover unknown events, automatically prioritize risks, and deliver actionable intelligence you can use instantly to improve security. Monitor threat intelligence unique to your organization with Flare. 

Our solution integrates into your security program in 30 minutes to provide your team with actionable intelligence and automated remediation for high-risk exposure. See it yourself with our free trial.