Importance of Security Penetration Testing for Businesses

One of the major risks businesses are facing worldwide is hackers exploiting vulnerabilities that exist in their IT infrastructure. As technology and interconnectivity are growing, the landscape of cyber threats is also growing. To avoid hackers getting inside your internal network and using it for their gain, businesses need to perform regular security penetration testing.

Penetration testing is where cybersecurity professionals use a hacker-style approach to find vulnerabilities that could lead to various cyberattacks. Cybercrimes have increased a whopping 600% since the beginning of the pandemic, which is why 85% of the US and European organizations have increased their penetration testing budgets.

In this blog, we will learn about security penetration testing, what are its types, and why it is important for businesses globally.

What is Security Penetration Testing?

Security penetration testing or pentesting is the process of strategically hacking into your system or network to identify as many vulnerabilities as possible. Cybersecurity professionals or ethical hackers perform these tests with the full authorization of the client.

Penetration testers use various tools and techniques to test the security measures of your IT infrastructure and check weak points through which real hackers can enter. After the testing, they generate a report on the vulnerabilities they found and the steps to fix them. In fact, in some cases, they offer advice to the developers in the fixing process.

Security testing services has been around since the 90s, but with the rise of connectivity recently, its need has grown exponentially. More and more businesses are conducting penetration testing as a major part of their cybersecurity.

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Importance of Security Testing Services

Protecting your organization and digital assets isn’t the only reason to conduct penetration testing. With regular pen tests, you can reduce cyber risk, protect customer data, satisfy client/stakeholder requirements, comply with industry regulations, and maintain the organization’s image and reputation. Security vulnerability testing is is essential for identifying and addressing potential weaknesses before they can be exploited by malicious actors.

Additionally, you should perform penetration testing if you:

• Suspect new security risks
• Develop or update a new company network or software
• Move your office or network, or relocate to a fully remote work environment
• Set up a new internal data storage location, or relocate existing data
• Were recently attacked by hackers
• Implement a new end-user policy or program
•  

Benefits of Conducting Regular Security Penetration Testing

As per a recent global survey, 93% of organizations have faced at least one data breach in the past 3 years. If this isn’t a reason to conduct penetration testing, here are a few compelling reasons:

Identify Vulnerabilities before Hackers

Hackers or cybercriminals are always looking for ways to get inside your system. In fact, if they find just one vulnerability in your security measures, they can use it for unauthorized access and data theft. Security vulnerability testing helps you discover these vulnerabilities before they get into the hands of a hacker. As a result, you can promptly fix them before any significant damage is done.

Comply with Industry Standards

Many industries have made it mandatory for businesses to conduct security testing to protect customer data. These regulations include HIPAA, PCI DSS, SOC 2, GDPR, etc. However, many businesses don’t comply with these regulations and face legal penalties with huge fines. By conducting penetration testing, organizations can achieve these compliances and avoid consequences.

Meet Shareholders/Client Needs

Recently, most shareholders and clients have been demanding security testing certificates before they conduct business with you. This is because they want to ensure that their data and information are safe with you. With a penetration testing certificate, you can assure them that you have successfully conducted security testing on your products or services and that it is safe to do business with you. Additionally, having a pentest certificate will also attract more leads and clients.

Maintain Customer Trust and Reputation

Customers are sharing their confidential information with your website, for example, personal and financial details, and expect it to be secure. With the pentest certificate, you can assure them that their data is safe, additionally attracting more customers.

Once your business reputation is hampered, it is very difficult to gain the same trust. Even a single data breach or a small cyberattack can significantly damage your reputation in the industry. So, protect your business reputation by conducting regular cyber security penetration testing on your digital assets.

Prevent Data Breaches and Financial Loss

Hackers or cyber criminals who hack into your system mainly have two motives – steal sensitive data or finances. Every day some or other company is getting hacked and facing severe losses. Penetration testing will help you discover weak points through which hackers can enter your system. By fixing these issues, you can prevent data and financial loss.

Want to conduct penetration testing to secure your business? Click the link below and book an appointment. Our experts will be there with you shortly!