Black, Grey and White-box Penetration Testing

At Oneleet, we tailor our approach to meet each client’s needs. We recognize that businesses vary in size, goals, and requirements, so we develop customized strategies for success.

Generally, there are three types of penetration testing scenarios. Let’s break it down:

White Box Penetration Testing

The tester possesses complete knowledge of the system’s source code, architecture, and network details. This scenario resembles an attacker with in-depth understanding of the system’s inner workings. Such an attacker could be a disgruntled employee, a contractor, or someone who has gained unauthorized access to sensitive internal information.

Gray Box Penetration Testing

The tester may have limited access to internal documentation or user credentials, which could be exploited by an attacker with some inside information or limited access to the system.

Note

This is the type of penetration testing we most often recommend to our clients, as it provides a balanced approach in terms breadth, and depth. However, depending on the company’s nature, product, and likely attack vectors, other types of penetration testing might be more relevant.

Black Box Penetration Testing

The tester, lacking prior knowledge of the system, adopts an external hacker’s perspective. The simulated attacker embodies a hacker attempting to breach the system from the outside. They employ techniques such as reconnaissance, social engineering, and vulnerability scanning to identify potential weaknesses.