Physical Penetration Testing

Threats to your data don't only occur digitally, one needs to realize the relevance that physical penetration testing retains for their entities. A Pro-Vigil survey found that in 2021, the number of physical security failure incidents spiked by 28 percent.

What is the meaning of physical penetration testing?

Physical penetration testing involves scrutinizing physical security controls. Testers check the effectiveness of controls like surveillance cameras, fences, door locks, and security personnel. Testing teams execute simulated attacks to measure security assurance levels.

Why should business organizations go for physical penetration testing?

• Ensures compliance with regulations such as GLBA, PCI DSS, SOC 2, and ISO-27001
• Enables detection of physical security vulnerabilities
• Prevents asset infiltration through simulation of real-life scenarios
• Builds customer confidence through demonstrated security preparedness

What is the methodology pentesters employ for physical penetration tests?

Phase 1: Gathering information

Teams collect security details and employ an OSINT (open-source intelligence) process to find further publicly available information regarding the target area.

Phase 2: Covert observation

Testers assess premises, observe staff patterns, identify entry points, and photograph vulnerable regions.

Phase 3: Attacking plan and pretexting

Teams develop attack strategies and prepare personnel and equipment using gathered intelligence.

Phase 4: Exploitation and post-exploitation

This phase involves executing attacks. Methods include circumventing door locks, bypassing cameras or security alarms, tailgating, and copying user IDs. Post-exploitation involves penetrating further and collecting evidence.

Phase 5: Reporting

Teams document findings, recommend corrections, and present reports to clients.

What are the most frequent attacking vectors to carry out physical pentesting?

• Lock picking: Conventional locks and key systems are generally easy to break with just simple tricks and training.
• Social engineering employees to extract security details.
• Electromagnetic wave interception, requiring data encryption.
• Tailgating through secure entrances.
• Shoulder surfing to observe passwords or secrets.
• Dodging sensors and security cameras.

Overcome your company's cybersecurity and physical protection challenges with NaviSec!

NaviSec offers penetration testing services to help you find and fix physical security gaps before an attacker does. Contact our team to learn more.