External penetration testing is a type of security testing that focuses on uncovering vulnerabilities in systems and networks external to the organization being tested. This includes any systems that are not managed by the company conducting the test, such as systems owned by customers or partners. External penetration testing can be used to assess the security of systems belonging to third-party vendors, as well as those operated by the company itself.

One of the main benefits of using external penetration testing is that it allows companies to monitor their systems outside of their own control. This can give them a better understanding of how their systems are being used and compromised by malicious actors.Visit here to know more about External penetration testing.

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External penetration testing can be performed manually or in automated mode. The main difference between the two is that manual tests are usually more comprehensive and involve more analysis and investigation. Automated tests, on the other hand, are faster and easier to carry out but may not be as thorough.

External penetration testing is a critical step in any cybersecurity program. The different types of attacks used in EPT can be classified into five main groups: web application attacks, network attacks, etc.

Web application attacks involve exploiting vulnerabilities in web applications to gain access to sensitive information or to carry out theft or sabotage. These vulnerabilities can be found in the application's code or deployed through third-party libraries and services.

Network attacks involve penetrating the perimeter of a network to gain access to systems and data. Techniques include scanning for hosts and services vulnerable to attack, exploiting vulnerabilities found on target machines, and using protocols such as SMB and INF to spread malware throughout a network.