Dan SmithBy now, you likely know about network assessments and how they can help you evaluate your network as a whole. You might have also heard about penetration testing. However, the wide variation between different penetration testing services can make the specifics of the service ambiguous.
To simplify penetration testing, here’s an overview of what to expect, what results will indicate, and who these services are best for.
What Does a Penetration Test Tell You?
Network penetration testing is a type of white hat hacking, or ethical hacking. It is designed to simulate how real-world cyber criminals might try to breach your network. Through these simulated attacks, cybersecurity professionals can uncover gaps in your cybersecurity protections.
When you’re looking at different penetration testing companies, it’s important to note that these services can vary quite a bit. Some services consist of simplistic scans with a penetration testing tool, which won’t give you any actionable insights to remediate issues found.
Penetration testers should provide you with dissected, actionable insights to help you bolster your strategy. That’s why finding a reputable service provider is key in optimizing your cybersecurity.
What Industries Are Pen Tests Best for?
Penetration testing services might be for you if you have a large-to-medium-sized company, if you deal with sensitive data, or if you’re required by industry regulations to have them performed on a semi-regular basis to achieve compliance.
Industries best suited to this service include:
- Manufacturing
- Healthcare
- Legal
- Financial businesses
These are the most common industries that need penetration testing and robust cybersecurity protections, due to the legally-protected data they deal with. Hackers know personally identifiable health, legal, and financial data are valuable enough for businesses to give into their demands in the event of an attack.
Even if you’re not within these industries, if you handle sensitive information, your business could be at risk of a devastating attack. That’s why experts recommend getting ahead of hackers by investing in ethical hacking services.
What Types of Penetration Tests Are Available?
There are five main types of penetration tests available. These include:
- Internal and external penetration tests
- Purple team
- Assumed breach
- Payload & delivery
- Red team testing
Red and blue teams typically refer to your penetration testers simulating hackers that work in tandem with your internal IT team respectively to identify security gaps.
These various tests are designed to mimic how hackers might try to breach your network, whether it be through stolen credentials (assumed breach), malware downloads (payload & delivery) or the latest cybercrime methods (internal/external and red team).
How & When to Get a Penetration Test Done
Penetration testing is a crucial way to test your IT security strategy. This is a great option if you work with a managed IT provider, as it will test out the tools and practices they’ve implemented.
These tests should be completed every couple of years to ensure your network remains secure. Cybercrime advances rapidly, so you should follow suit by continuously monitoring and testing your cybersecurity tools.
Cybersecurity doesn’t have to be a stressful undertaking. A managed security provider is a great resource not only for finding quality penetration testing vendors, but for optimizing and securing your network from a holistic standpoint.
