RSA: Pwnie Express Takes Penetration Testing on the Road

A massive data breach is one way a company might learn that its network security efforts have failed. Smarter administrators don't wait to get schooled by hackers. Instead, they bring in hired guns to run penetration tests. After patching any security holes found by the pen-tester, the network admin can rest easy, for a while at least.

Bringing in a pen-tester can be expensive, especially when long-distance travel is required. Pwnie Express, exhibiting at the RSA Conference, offers a novel solution. Just connect its Pwn Plug product to the network and the pen-tester can run all manner of tests from a remote location. A large corporation with in-house testing could simply ship the device to each branch office.

I'm not an expert penetration tester myself, so I can't fully interpret the device's promised capabilities. It certainly comes chock-full of tools. The company's site proclaims that the device is "preloaded with Ubuntu, Kismet, Aircrack-NG, WEPbuster, Karma, Metasploit, SET, Fasttrack, SSLstrip, nmap, dsniff, netcat, scapy, ettercap, medusa, & more!"

The Pwn Plug is designed for stealth, in more ways than one. The product is "Unpingable and no listening ports in stealth mode" and also includes stick-on decals that identify it as something innocuous like an air freshener or a power adapter.

The basic Pwn Plug simply plugs into the network via Ethernet. There's also a wireless version, a 3G/wireless version, and the Pwn Plug Elite which offers all modes of connection and adds the ability to bypass popular Network Access Control solutions. Prices range from $480 for the basic unit to $770 for the Elite.

While the company is very small, Pwn Plug is already making a splash in the market. Mark Hughes, Director of Marketing and Sales for Pwnie Express, reports that the Pwn Plug is currently deployed in "Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, the State Department and numerous fortune 50 enterprises... Pwnie Express is CCR registered, sole-source provider to the federal government and has export clearance to supply this patent-pending technology globally!"

Of course this technology could be misused. If you're responsible for security at your company, keep an eye out for anomalies like a plug-in air freshener attached to an Ethernet cable. You don't want your network pwned.

About Our Expert

Neil J. Rubenking

Principal Writer, Security

My Experience

When the IBM PC was new, I served as the president of the San Francisco PC User Group for three years. That’s how I met PCMag’s editorial team, who brought me on board in 1986. In the years since that fateful meeting, I’ve become PCMag’s expert on security, privacy, and identity protection, putting antivirus tools, security suites, and all kinds of security software through their paces.

Before my current security gig, I supplied PCMag readers with tips and solutions on using popular applications, operating systems, and programming languages in my "User to User" and "Ask Neil" columns, which began in 1990 and ran for almost 20 years. Along the way, I wrote more than 40 utility articles, as well as Delphi Programming for Dummies and six other books covering DOS, Windows, and programming. I also reviewed thousands of products of all kinds, ranging from early Sierra Online adventure games to AOL’s precursor Q-Link.

In the early 2000s, I turned my focus to security and the growing antivirus industry. After years of working with antivirus, I’m known throughout the security industry as an expert on evaluating antivirus tools. I serve as an advisory board member for the Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization (AMTSO), an international nonprofit group dedicated to coordinating and improving testing of anti-malware solutions.

The Technology I Use

Much of the testing I do, particularly testing with real-world ransomware, is just plain dangerous. To perform such tests safely, I sequester them inside virtual machines managed by VMWare Workstation. For cross-platform testing, I use a MacBook Air, a Google Pixel 4, and a 6th-generation iPad.

I rely on my Delphi coding skills to create and maintain small applications. These include programs to check whether an antivirus correctly handled the malware it detected, launch dangerous URLs and record the security program’s reaction, and analyze the malware that I collect for use in testing. I also wrote a tiny browser and text editor for use in testing security apps that have predefined reactions for known products.

I do my writing and research on a Dell OptiPlex desktop, relying on Microsoft Word (my fingers know all the shortcuts). Many of my articles include charts and analysis; Excel is my go-to for those. When work hours end, though, I escape the bounds of Microsoft and Windows. There’s an iPhone in my pocket, I relax with my oversized iPad, and my Kindle Oasis is always loaded with the best science fiction and fantasy.

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