An Organization’s Guide to Penetration Testing

Integrating a security program in your organization is made up of various parts to defend your business against varied digital threats. Modern security programs involve the implementation of multiple security resources such as file integrity monitoring (FIM), security configuration management (SCM), log management, and vulnerability management tools, amongst others. While these resources make sense to bolster enterprise security, they usually are a large investment. This means not being able to measure the effectiveness of these security tools means leaving money on the table. This is where penetrating testing compamy/service providers come in.

What is a Penetration Test?

A penetration test, or a pen test, is a simulated attack that is carried out on a network, web applications, and the complete IT infrastructure of an organization, including all personnel and other mediums or systems that may have potential vulnerabilities. The sole purpose of penetrating testing is to identify all vulnerabilities that could be exploited by cyber attackers. This is carried out so that any existing risks or weaknesses can be identified and mitigated.

With penetration testing, a company hires security professionals who work as ethical hackers who can emulate real cyber attacks on the organization. By identifying potential weaknesses that can be exploited in the IT infrastructure of an organization, penetration testing can help organizations prevent having to pay heavy amounts to malicious hackers as ransom for the return of their data, or the worst-case scenario where your data is leaked out and available on the dark web.

Types of Penetrating Testing

After the completion of a pen test, you can expect to receive a thorough and detailed report which will outline the areas that are an immediate threat to the security of your organization, along with other potentially lethal weaknesses that need to be mitigated. Having clear and actionable information on security vulnerabilities makes it easier for organizations to stay safe from security threats.

Along with using the latest pen testing tools and techniques, hiring the right pen test companies will also ensure organizations are able to adopt an efficient remediation process. There are three different types of penetration testing that are used by businesses;

· Black Box Pen Tests – In this type of pen testing, the testing professional will be more focused on the outcome irrespective of the coding that’s used.

· White Box Pen Tests – In this type of penetration testing, the tester is going to be provided with all the information they need on the operating system, source code, schema structure,and IP address used by an organization, which ensures a more thorough test for potential vulnerabilities.

· Grey Box Pen Tests – This type of pen test is also known as a translucent box test, where the professional testing company is going to be provided with partial data on the system, such as login credentials, etc. This type of penetration testing is great to find out the level of access that can be granted to privileged users and possible security concerns that are involved with granting said privileged user access.

The spectrum of knowledge in pen testing makes different methodologies of testing ideal for different scenarios. The major tradeoffs when it comes to comparing black box, white box, and gray box pen testing is the level of accuracy of the test along with the efficiency, coverage, and speed at which the penetration tests are carried out. Hiring the right penetration testing service provider will ensure that you can customized pen testing based on the client’s size and budget.

Discovering and Mitigating Gaps in Compliance

While the benefits of penetration testing are, for the most part, based on true security engineering, it could also be used as an auditing tool for an organization. As in, experienced penetration testers often times breach a perimeter due to an employee’s failure to identify the fix all the machine patches, or because, at some point in time, a non-compliant machine was added to the mix as a temporary fix and became a crucial resource.

In a heavily regulated business environment, we live in today, forward-thinking organizations are always trying to find better ways to assess their compliance posture to keep them safe from fines and penalties. Many penetration testing services offer system auditing and security components as part of their pen testing solutions.

Ensure Business Continuity

Carrying out penetration testing at regular intervals ensures a reduction in network downtime. Carrying out penetrating testing at least twice a year can lead to maximum network and a conveniently recoverable system downtime. Hiring the best penetration testing company will help advise you on the frequency of the pen testing that needs to be carried out in your organization, along with the security measures you need to invest in to safeguard your business against cyber attacks.

Finding the Right Penetration Testing Company

When choosing the right penetration testing company for your business, it is important to have a clear goal and understanding of expectations in mind. It should also be noted that larger penetration testing companies may turn away small-scale projects, which is why you will need to explore and compare various penetration testing companies before you can make a decision.

Ending Note

Large security breaches are fast becoming the norm, with cyber attacks using increasingly sophisticated tools and methods to steal sensitive data. Having the right combination of security protocols alone is not enough. This is why organizations, regardless of their size, need to invest in companies that provide efficient and reliable penetration testing to stay safe from the growing number of cyber risks.

With high-profile cyber attacks dominating the news, there’s been a sharp rise in third-party pen testing service providers. While that’s a good thing considering the alarming need for robust security against data breaches, it makes it harder for companies to find the right penetration service provider that suits their requirements and budget.

If you’re looking for the best penetration testing companies in the US, then you’re in good company. Cyber Pal offers a comprehensive list of pen test solutions providers in your area along with a thorough comparison of the tools, products, and additional services that they provide to ensure you get the best service possible. You can find and compare some of the best cyber security vendors on the planet using a powerful aggregator service like Cyberpal for Top Endpoint Security Solutions, Top 10 Endpoint Security Solutions, Best Endpoint Protection 2021 UK, Top 10 SIEM Solutions 2021 UK, Penetration Testing Company UK, Network Security, IT Cyber Security, Information Security, Infosec and Top Cybersecurity Consulting Companies UK, USA, Canada, Australia and Uae.