So you want to know just how secure your computer network is. You can't really tell until you perform a text which assesses your system's weaknesses and how these could be taken advantage of. Companies and personal users do these tests so they can narrow down their locus of problems regarding their systems and come up with possible ways to remedy whatever irregularities are spotted. In a way, these so-called "Penetration Tests" are synonymous to ethical hacking which aims to get into a system to see how it can be further strengthened and guarded against black hats.
Doing a penetration test will, of course, begin with a plan where goals are defined as well as the time limits for the achievement of those goals. Here, the major problems will be discussed, as well as the specific parts of the system that should be tested, when and how long the process will take. Basically, this is where the structure of the test to be performed will be mapped out, beginning with pinpointing the actual potential sources of problems and the approach that will be used to solve them using the penetration technique.
Once everything has been detailed out, the role of the ethical hacker will be defined. The person who will pretend to be a hacker will now put himself in the shoes of a black hat and will try to do things as a black hat would to a system that he plans on attacking. After this, the tester will now go through the system and see from which actual points a hacker might possibly attack. In other words, this is where vulnerabilities of such a system will be exposed.
The last step is for the tester to "hack" the system as though he was a real hacker with real objectives for doing the hacking. For example, the tester would try to dig as much information from the system as he can. By knowing how this is possible, he will be able to come up with counter measures that will make such an intrusion impossible.
After the test, a report will be submitted to the company and will detail whatever vulnerabilities have been discovered with the system as well as how to best remove these weak points by providing solutions. In other words, the main goal of a penetration test is to see where a hacker might be successful in hacking a computer network and provide solutions to make sure these weaknesses are fixed before a real hacker makes a go for them.
Prevention is still, of course, the main thing when it comes to avoiding hackers. Companies must make it a point to ensure that their employees only visit clean sites or, if this is not possible, web surfing other than those directly related to the job, should be prohibited. However, as one can never totally get rid of the threats of hacking, it would be wise to install a software that isolates such risks significantly.
An IP change software, which allows a computer to go online with its real IP address hidden, could be a very good option. When the IP is hidden, any computer can run around freely on the Internet without being targeted for hacking. Or the computer may be targeted but the hacker's efforts will simply be in vain because such computer won't really be accessible to him since it's using a fake IP.
