Introduction
A penetration test is a method of security testing that can help you identify vulnerabilities and prevent hackers from stealing your business's data. Penetration testing is a critical part of any cybersecurity strategy, but many businesses don't even know that it exists—let alone how to get started with one. In this article, we'll cover everything you need to know about penetration tests, including what they are and the different types available. We'll also explain why it's important for your business to run a penetration test as well as share tips on how to protect yourself from cyberattacks in the future!
What is penetration testing?
Penetration testing, or pen testing for short, is a method of evaluating the security of an information system by simulating an attack from a hacker. A penetration tester will try to find vulnerabilities in a system and then attempt to exploit those vulnerabilities using the tools available to them. While this may sound like they are breaking into a system and stealing data and information, that's not necessarily what happens during most tests. The objective is usually just to gain access to places where you wouldn't normally have access so that you can see if it's possible for someone else (like your competition) who doesn't have your best interests at heart could do something malicious with the same access level as you do on a regular basis.
Types of tests
- Network Penetration Testing
- Application Penetration Testing
- Physical Penetration Testing
- Social Engineering Pen-Testing (People are your biggest security weakness, so let's break them!)
- Vulnerability Assessments (VA)
The importance of a penetration test
A penetration test is a method of testing the security of an information system. It is used to evaluate the extent to which a network, system or application is protected from malicious attack. A penetration test will identify any weaknesses in the system and help you identify risks that could cause you serious problems if they were exploited by an attacker.
A penetration test can prevent your business from falling victim to cybercrime. If someone gains access to your systems using malicious software (malware), it could cost you thousands or even millions of dollars in lost time and money as well as damaged reputation. You might not realize that this kind of breach has happened until months later when you notice suspicious payments coming out of your account, but by then it may be too late for them to get their money back!
If you think about it logically, there are many benefits for businesses deciding whether or not they should invest in ethical hacking services:
Benefits of a penetration test
- Identify vulnerabilities in your network.
- Prioritize your security efforts.
- Understand the threats faced by your business.
- Understand the risks associated with your business and how to mitigate them.
- Determine what would happen if you were hacked, so you can prioritize remediation plans accordingly before it's too late!
Steps to take to secure your business
- Make sure that you have antivirus software or endpoint detection and response software installed on all of your devices
- Train all employees on phishing attacks
- Put together a plan for recovering from attacks as quickly as possible, so you can resume operations without too much delay or loss of revenue due to downtime.
- Perform regular penetration tests and vulnerability assessments
The first step in conducting a penetration test is defining what you want to test: Is there a particular function on your website that needs protecting? Do you want to know if someone could gain access to customer information through one of the back-end databases? Are there any open ports on your firewall or router that shouldn't be there? Once you've established what exactly needs protecting, it's time for the pen tester (the person who will perform the penetration test) to get down to business. Brackish can help you define what needs tested, if you have any questions.
Conclusion
Hopefully, we’ve convinced you that a penetration test is an essential part of your cybersecurity strategy. Penetration testing can help identify vulnerabilities in your network so that you can secure your business before it gets compromised. If there are any gaps in your security, the good news is that there are many ways we can help address them!
Please contact us today, if you're are interested in a free quote or help in deciding if you need a test.