What are the differences in Perspective?

While the terms “black box,” “white box,” and “grey box” are more commonly associated with penetration testing, they can be applied to vulnerability assessments to describe the level of information and access granted to the testing team.

The choice of which type of testing or assessment to use depends on factors such as the organization’s goals, the desired level of realism, and the specific security concerns that need to be addressed. Both vulnerability assessments and penetration testing play crucial roles in identifying and addressing security weaknesses in an organization’s infrastructure and each different perspective has its own advantages and disadvantages.

White Box Engagement

In this type of test, the penetration tester has full knowledge of the target system’s internal workings, including source code, network diagrams, and credentials. White box testing is often used when an organization wants to conduct a comprehensive security review of a system or application, as it allows the tester to identify potential vulnerabilities from both an external and internal perspective.

Grey Box
Engagement

In this type of test, the penetration tester has partial knowledge of the target system’s internal workings, such as network topology or application architecture, but not full access to source code or credentials. Grey box testing is often used when an organization wants to simulate a realistic attack scenario, as it allows the tester to combine knowledge gained from external reconnaissance with internal knowledge to identify potential vulnerabilities.

Black Box Engagement

In this type of test, the penetration tester has no knowledge of the target system’s internal workings, and must rely on external reconnaissance techniques to identify potential vulnerabilities. Black box testing is often used when an organization wants to test their system’s resilience against an attacker with no prior knowledge, or to comply with regulatory requirements for independent security assessments.

Learn how these perspectives apply to