There is a huge number of cyber threats that could potentially hurt your business. As a result, a cybersecurity method called penetration testing became one of the top priorities of many business owners. And while you might feel tempted to rely on anti-virus software, they simply might not be enough to keep you safe.
If you or your employees are active on the Internet, you should seriously consider boosting the security of the systems that you use before it is too late. To make it easier for you, we prepared a short article about penetration testing and its benefits. Check it out!
What Is Penetration Testing?
According to the cybersecurity experts from Bulletproof, penetration testing is a reliable cybersecurity method that is used to better protect businesses and individuals from a huge number of cyber threats. But what is this method all about?
In short, a cybersecurity expert will try to infiltrate the systems that you use in order to identify their weaknesses. That way, you will have an opportunity to take care of them before they get exploited by a real attacker. Quite convenient, right?
What Does Penetration Testing Entail?
Most importantly, penetration testing allows you to determine what the cybersecurity measures that you have already started using are lacking, as well as help you make improvements when it comes to your internal policies and your business contingency plan.
In most cases, the cybersecurity expert that you hired will give you a detailed report that contains the information that you might need. That way, you will be able to start looking for the right solutions and implement security measures that are far more effective.
On top of that, it might be an excellent opportunity to invest in educating your staff members on the topic of cybersecurity. For example, you might want to organize a series of workshops that will teach them how to avoid phishing attacks or recognize malicious websites. And while it might be quite costly, it can really go a long way if you do it right.
Lastly, a penetration test will allow you to assess the skills of the people who are in charge of your cybersecurity systems and any anti-virus software that you decided to use. Moreover, if you have not managed to hire a cybersecurity expert yet, it might prove to be the perfect time to do so!
What Are the Benefits of Penetration Testing?
Penetration testing has numerous benefits! First of all, the knowledge that external vendors, business partners, or employees do not pose a risk to the cybersecurity of your company will give you peace of mind.
Second of all, penetration testing will give you a better understanding of your potential weaknesses. As a result, you can educate your staff members about cybersecurity risks and the way in which they can protect data and prevent cybercrime.
It is also worth mentioning that staff members who do not understand cybersecurity risks or do not take them seriously can cause serious problems later down the road. Once they have access to important data, they become an easy target for hackers.
Taking this into consideration, you should pay a lot of attention to such staff members and make sure that they understand why cybersecurity is so important to you.
You should understand that every cyberattack on your company has a negative impact on your products and services.
Reputation damage can be devastating — Yahoo lost $350 million of the value of the company after a data breach in 2014. Yahoo had all resources to support themselves at that difficult time, but obviously, not all companies have the same opportunities.
If you don’t want to lose the trust of your customers, hire a professional penetration tester who will help you prevent a data breach.
Types of Penetration Testing
When looking for the right pen test, you need to take the following factors into account: the company’s goals, budget, and compliance regulations.
The most popular testing types are network, wireless, web application, and mobile application penetration testing. A certificated penetration tester can help you decide which pen test would be the best for your business.
To determine the type of pen test needed for your business, the specialist will first gather the necessary information. During the initial stage, you will be asked about the primary and secondary assets, and prominent threats.
The Bottom Line
It’s important to ensure that penetration testing is conducted regularly. Experts recommend doing it at least once a year if there are no major changes in your systems. In case you want to add some applications, establish new networks, or implement upgrades, it’s necessary to do the penetration testing right away.
No matter how small your organization is, you still need to provide security training for your employees, verify the security of all the systems, and prepare for a cyber attack.