Black Box vs. White Box

Two Levels of Testing

Penetration tests can be conducted in several ways: 

The most common difference is the amount of knowledge of the implementation details of the system being tested that are available to the testers. Black box testing assumes no prior knowledge of the infrastructure to be tested. The testers must first determine the location and extent of the systems before commencing their analysis. At the other end of the spectrum, white box testing provides the testers with complete knowledge of the infrastructure to be tested, often including network diagrams, source code, and IP addressing information. There are also several variations in between, known as grey box tests.

Penetration tests may also be described as "full disclosure", "partial disclosure" or "blind" tests based on the amount of information provided to the testing party.

Black box testing simulates an attack from someone who is unfamiliar with the system.

White box testing simulates what might happen during an "inside job" or after a "leak" of sensitive information, where the attacker has access to source code, network layouts, and possibly even some passwords.