Penetration testing isn’t something that most people in an organization look forward too, as a third-party service comes in to find issues the in-house team has created regarding security for their network and sensitive information. While this is true, the process isn’t something that should be skipped. In fact, penetration testing offers an array of benefits, with some of the most appealing found here.
Ability to Reveal Vulnerabilities
Quality penetration testing services are used to find existing weaknesses in an organization’s system or in the application configurations and the network infrastructure. Even the habits and actions of staff members may result in data breaches or malicious infiltration. All these factors are evaluated during the penetration testing process.
At the end of the testing, the company providing the services will provide a report that lets the business or organization owner know where the most significant security vulnerabilities lie. This also lets them know what hardware and software improvements need to be made to improve overall security.
Discover Real Risks
Penetration testers are going to work to identify any vulnerabilities present. What that means is that they are trying to recreate what an attacker may do in the “real world.” They may access sensitive data while executing operating system commands. However, they may also let a business owner know that a vulnerability that may seem like a high risk isn’t a problem because it is too complicated to exploit. Only experts can perform those processes.
Test the Defense Capabilities of the Existing Cybersecurity
It’s important to be able to detect attacks and respond on time and properly. Once an intrusion is found, investigations should begin to find and block any intruders. It doesn’t matter if they are malicious or experts who are testing the effectiveness of the existing protection strategy. The feedback received from the pen test will let a company know what actions can be taken to help improve the defense.
Ensure Business Continuity
To ensure a business’s operations always remain up and running, it’s necessary to ensure network availability 24 hours a day, seven days a week to ensure resources can be accessed. Every disruption that occurs can have a negative impact on the business. With penetration testing, it’s possible to find and fix possible threats to help make sure the operations don’t suffer from unexpected or unplanned downtime or any loss of accessibility. In this regard, penetration testing is like a business continuity audit.
Get an Expert’s Opinion
When issues are found by someone in an organization, management may not be too motivated to act. However, a report from a third-party expert usually has a much bigger impact on management and can lead to the allocation of more funds.
Penetration testing is something that all businesses should invest in to find the issues that are present. Being informed and knowing what to expect are the best ways to ensure the desired outcome is achieved. Don’t underestimate the benefits offered by these tests for organizations regardless of industry or size.