SAINTCON 2023 - Ian Briley - Getting the Most Out of Your Web Application Pentest

Learn how to get the most out of your web application pentest through effective communication with clients, identifying vulnerabilities, and providing comprehensive reports and recommendations.

Key takeaways
  • Effective communication is crucial in web application penetration testing, especially when working with clients.
  • Active communication channels and instant feedback are essential for a successful test.
  • Understanding the application’s functionality and scope is key to identifying potential vulnerabilities.
  • Testers should strive to understand the application’s architecture, including its controllers, models, and views.
  • Communication should be a two-way street, with testers asking questions and clients providing information.
  • Avoiding hard-coded credentials and having a staging environment that reflects production are important best practices.
  • The role of testing includes not only identifying vulnerabilities but also educating clients on how to fix them.
  • The ultimate goal of a pen test is to provide a comprehensive report detailing the findings and recommendations.
  • Testers should be prepared to ask questions and have open communication with clients throughout the testing process.
  • Effective communication can help minimize risk and maximize the effectiveness of a pen test.
  • Red Siege offers a Discord server for communication and question-asking.
  • Not all reports will be perfect, but providing a list of findings with explanations can help clients better understand the results.
  • Code reviews and testing can be helpful for identifying vulnerabilities and improving the overall security of an application.
  • Testers should strive to be transparent and provide clear explanations for their findings and recommendations.
  • Pen testing is a complex process that requires effective communication and understanding of the application being tested.
  • The importance of clear and transparent communication cannot be overstated in the context of pen testing.
  • Finally, testers should be willing to ask questions and have open communication with clients to ensure a successful test.