cyber security pen testing Archives

Financial and healthcare companies in Singapore manage enormous volumes of extremely sensitive data, ranging from personal identification to medical records and financial transactions, in today’s digital scenario. Cybersecurity penetration testing (pen testing) is now necessary to protect vital systems with the faster-than-ever evolution of cyberthreats. This blog examines the importance of cyber security pen testing, how to approach it, and the best practices adapted to the specific challenges encountered by companies in Singapore’s financial and healthcare industries. Why Cybersecurity Penetration Testing Matters for Singapore’s Financial & Healthcare Firms Let’s find out the best reasons why cybersecurity penetration testing is important for Singapore’s financial & healthcare firms: 1. Regulatory Compliance Under Technology Risk Management Guidelines, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) imposes stringent cybersecurity measures for financial institutions. One major requirement is cybersecurity pen testing. The Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) anticipate healthcare professionals to use strong cybersecurity measures that include regular ethical hacking. 2. Protection of Sensitive & Personally Identifiable Information (PII) Exposure of personal identifiable information (PII), medical records, or consumer financial information can result in significant reputational damage, regulatory fines, and erosion of public trust. 3. Rising Cyberthreat Landscape Cyber security threats have become more focused and complex, from sophisticated ransomware attacks aimed at hospitals to financial fraud scams. 4. Defense-in-Depth Strategy By simulating real-world attacks under regulated settings, cybersecurity penetration testing confirms layers of defense ranging from application security to perimeter firewalls. What Is a Cybersecurity Penetration Test? Ethical hackers who try to expose vulnerabilities regularly conduct a cybersecurity penetration test, a simulated cyberattack. Unlike vulnerability scanning, which automatically identifies flaws, penetration testing in cyber security uses a hands-on approach to bypass barriers and gain access to sensitive assets. Cybersecurity Pen tests can evaluate employee susceptibility to phishing, physical security, and other factors, either externally focused (e.g., compromising public-facing systems like web apps and VPN portals) or internally focused (e.g., gaining domain privilege or moving laterally once inside the corporate network). The Five Stages of Cybersecurity Penetration Testing A thorough penetration testing in cybersecurity process has a methodical approach: 1. Planning & Reconnaissance Define the scope (target systems, rules of engagement, timing), clearly outline collaboration with IT/security teams, and evaluate tolerable risks. Reconnaissance: Create a profile of the target environment using publicly accessible data, including DNS records, IP ranges, website footers, subdomains, open ports, email harvests, and others. 2. Scanning & Vulnerability Analysis Search for open ports, incorrectly configured services, out-of-date software, weak encryption, and other flaws using tools like Nmap, Nessus, or OpenVAS. 3. Exploitation Targeted phishing attacks or network protocol exploitation can all be included in exploitation. 4. Post-Exploitation & Privilege Escalation Following compromising a system, like an employee workstation, ethical hackers look at lateral mobility (e.g., exploiting trust relationships, discovering domain credentials) to raise permissions toward high-value assets such as servers storing PII or PHI. 5. Reporting Add a retesting plan and a remediation strategy. Find the right penetration testing companies in Singapore—free quick guide! Key Considerations for Singapore’s Financial & Healthcare Sectors Below are the key considerations for Singapore’s Financial & Healthcare Sectors 1. Data Protection & Privacy PDPC mandates “reasonable security plans” for companies to stop unauthorized access, collection, use, disclosure, copying, alteration, disposal, or other risks to personal information. Cybersecurity Penetration testing guarantees adherence to data protection best practices and helps to satisfy Principle 12 of the PDPA. 2. Supporting MAS & MOH Regulations MAS expects regulated entities to annually perform cybersecurity pen tests or after significant modifications to essential systems. MOH’s cybersecurity advice for healthcare providers also calls for regular evaluations, especially for systems processing patient data and medical equipment. 3. Legacy & Operational Technology (OT) Systems To guarantee system availability and patient safety, healthcare professionals may rely on legacy medical equipment difficult to patch. OT security issues must be included in cybersecurity penetration testing. 4. Cloud & Hybrid Environments Make sure cybersecurity pen testing includes cloud misconfigurations, weak API endpoints, and unsafe storage buckets as businesses move toward hybrid models using AWS, Azure, or GCP. 5. Third‑Party & Vendor Risk Financial and healthcare companies often partner with medical software companies, cloud providers, payment gateways, and fintech platforms. Supply-chain risk assessment must be part of cybersecurity pen testing. Pen‑Testing Methodology: Best Practices for Singaporean Firms 1. Define scope exhaustively Define asset inventory (IP ranges, domains, application endpoints) and surroundings (DEV, QA, PROD). For testing time, communication channels, and impact tolerances, set some rules of engagement. 2. Use Licensed Frameworks Align with international norms like OSSTMM, PTES, or NIST SP 800-115. For the financial and healthcare industries, include local considerations from MAS and PDPC to strengthen Cybersecurity for Financial Services. 3. Combine Manual & Automated Testing Use automated tools for preliminary scanning; however, count on competent ethical hackers to exploit corporate logic bypasses, chained vulnerabilities, or sophisticated scenarios. 4. Simulate Real‑World Threats Incorporate tests for spear‑phishing, password brute force, business email compromise (BEC), and insider threats. Use intelligence on active APT groups targeting healthcare and financial businesses. 5. Ensure Safe Execution Test during low-traffic windows to minimize company interruption. Use segmented settings for thorough exploitation. For healthcare systems, verify with clinical engineering teams to ensure no risks to patients or procedures. 6. Document Evidence & Provide Actionable Reports Each discovery should include screenshots, logs, time stamps, and correction recommendations. Classify according to risk level. Incorporate suggested compensating techniques and mitigating controls. 7. Retesting & Continuous Security Once fixes are implemented, arrange retests to confirm remediation. Harmonize cybersecurity pen testing with CI/CD cycles and significant infrastructure improvements. Think about purple teaming or bug bounty for ongoing awareness. Choosing the Right Pen-Testing Partner Here are the factors that will help you choose the right penetration testing services partner: 1. Deep Sector Expertise Choose a pentesting service provider aware of MAS and PDPC responsibilities. Their advisors ought to be familiar with financial systems, healthcare IT technologies, and medical device risk. 2. Certified Ethical Hackers Seek testers holding accepted certifications such as OSCP, CEH, CREST, or other recognized

What is Cyber Penetration Testing and Its Types

What is Cyber Penetration Testing – Types, Importance, Compliance

[email protected] / May 29, 2024

Cyber penetration testing is a security exercise where penetration testers find and exploit vulnerabilities in applications and networks with permission. Organizations appoint a cybersecurity penetration testing company to hack their systems to look for weaknesses that they could use to enhance their security posture. 75% of companies perform penetration tests for security and compliance needs. In this blog, we are going to learn more about cyber penetration testing, its different types, and how it helps with compliance requirements. Note that, penetration testing is an essential step in cybersecurity and businesses should conduct it regularly if they don’t want their applications to get hacked. What is Cyber Security Penetration Testing? The main goal of cyber security penetration testing is to find weak spots in a system’s defense systems before an attacker finds them and takes advantage of. It is like hiring a thief to steal from your company’s vault. If the thief succeeds, you will know which areas are the weakest and how to tighten your security. Cybersecurity pen testing is usually done on a company’s digital assets such as web apps, mobile apps, networks, cloud, APIs, etc. The end goal of doing penetration testing is to secure the business from unauthorized access, data breaches, financial loss, and overall cyberattacks. Penetration testers (a.k.a ethical hackers) are skilled and certified professionals who try to break into your system and check whether they can break in. If they succeed, then there is a vulnerability. If not, then the defense is strong. Through this process, the organization gains valuable information on its security defenses. Who Performs Penetration Tests? Usually, penetration tests are conducted by cybersecurity professionals, also called “ethical hackers, ” since they are hired to hack into a system with the organization’s permission. Typically, the task of a penetration test is given to a third-party security company, as it is best to have the test performed by someone who has little to no prior information about the target system. This is because, the testers will behave like actual attackers, following the same steps they would take. Additionally, they may expose weak spots missed by the developers who built the system. Many penetration testers or pen testers are experienced developers with advanced degrees and certifications for ethical hacking. Additionally, some testers are reformed criminal hackers who now use their skills to help fix security issues rather than exploit them. The best team to carry out a pen test is to hire a specialized penetration testing company. How Does Cyber Penetration Testing Work? In cyber penetration testing, ethical hackers use their skills to find and exploit vulnerabilities in the organization’s systems before real hackers do. They educate themselves on the latest technologies and their potential weaknesses. They mimic cybercriminals by copying their tactics, techniques, and procedures to penetrate systems, to root out IT vulnerabilities effectively. The idea behind cybersecurity pen testing is to find and patch vulnerabilities before attackers find and use them for their gain. Sometimes the pen testers use automated tools that expose the weaknesses in the operating systems, networks, applications, and clouds. But mostly, they use a more manual approach to conduct an in-depth analysis and find vulnerabilities missed by the tools. Penetration Testing Steps: Curious to see what a real cyber penetration test report looks like? Well, here’s your chance. Click the link below and download a sample report in seconds! Latest Penetration Testing Report Download How Often Should You Pen Test? Penetration testing should be conducted regularly – at least once a year – for better security and consistent IT operations. Conducting penetration testing once or even twice a year can help organizations keep their applications and networks safe from changing cyber threats. In addition, penetration testing is also done when the business needs to comply with industry regulations like GDPR, ISO 27001, SOC 2, HIPAA, etc. Additionally, businesses should conduct penetration testing when: What Should You Do After a Pen Test? Simply conducting a pen test to check it off the list is not enough for the betterment of your security. You also need to spend appropriate time and effort to use the results of the pen test. Here are 3 essential things you need to do after a pen test: 1. Review the Details of the Pen Test Report A pen test report generally consists of three things – vulnerabilities detected, impact of those vulnerabilities, and remediation methods. Additionally, the report shows how the infrastructure was exploited, helping organizations understand and address the root causes of security issues. 2. Create a Remediation Plan and Confirm with Retest The initial pen test report will highlight the security issues along with their remediation measures. Organizations should create a plan to follow those remediation orders based on the severity of the vulnerabilities. When the remediation is over, organizations should validate it by asking the testing team to retest the application. 3. Use the Pen Test Findings in your Long-term Security Strategy Pen tests often reveal the root causes of security issues that may require changes to your overall security strategy. Penetration testing is not a one-time thing, the true value of pen testing is to perform it regularly to reduce the risk of changing cyber threats. What Is the Difference Between Vulnerability Scans and Pen Tests? A vulnerability scan uses automated tools to find weaknesses in a system, but a pen test uses manual techniques to find weaknesses and attempts to exploit them. Aspect Vulnerability Scans Pen Tests Purpose Identify and report known vulnerabilities Simulate real-world attacks to find and exploit security weaknesses Analysis Depth Surface-level identification of vulnerabilities In-depth analysis and exploitation of vulnerabilities Tools Used Mostly uses automated tools Uses both automated tools and manual techniques Frequency Can be done regularly – once or twice a month Usually done once or twice a year Skill Required Requires high-level development and testing skills Requires high level development and testing skills Result Generates a list of potential vulnerabilities Provides a detailed report of vulnerabilities identified, their impact, and remediation recommendations

What is Security Testing and Why is it Important for Organizations

Cyber Crime

What is Security Testing and Why is it Important for Businesses?

[email protected] / February 7, 2024

As firms expand into the digital realm, they may confront unexpected risks. Threat actors will stop at nothing to make their moves, whether monetary, political, or social. It is increasingly important for organizations to pay attention to their cybersecurity posture and take proactive actions such as security testing to protect their most valuable digital assets from cybercriminals. For example, there were around 800 data breaches in 2023, involving more than 692,097,913 records, and Twitter compromised more than 220 million breached records (the greatest number of the year thus far). It just demonstrates that making cybersecurity a secondary priority will no longer suffice. It emphasizes the need for security testing to protect information. Let’s look at security testing and why practically every organization requires it. Security Testing: A Brief Overview Security testing determines if the software is subject to cyber assaults and assesses how malicious or unexpected inputs affect its functioning. It demonstrates that systems and information are secure and dependable and do not accept illegal inputs. Security testing in cyber security is an essential aspect of application testing focused on identifying and addressing security vulnerabilities in an application. It ensures the application is secure from cyber attacks, unauthorized access, and data breaches. This testing is a form of non-functional testing. In contrast to functional testing, which focuses on whether the program’s functionalities perform properly (“what” the software does), non-functional testing focuses on whether the application is built and configured appropriately (“how” it does it). The Goals of Security Testing Identify Assets: These are the things that must be protected, such as applications and business infrastructure. Recognize Vulnerabilities: These are the behaviors that can damage an asset or weaknesses in one or more assets that attackers can exploit. Identify Risk: Security testing is designed to assess the likelihood that certain threats or vulnerabilities will harm the organization. Risk is assessed by determining the degree of a vulnerability or threat and the likelihood and consequences of exploitation. Remediate Them: Security testing is more than simply a passive assessment of assets. It gives practical instructions for resolving detected vulnerabilities and can verify that they have been effectively repaired. Fundamentals of Security Testing: Security testing ensures that an organization’s systems, applications, and data adhere to the following security principles: Confidentiality: This entails limiting access to sensitive information controlled by a system. Integrity: This entails ensuring that data is consistent, accurate, and trustworthy throughout its lifespan and cannot be altered by unauthorized parties. Authentication: It is the process of protecting sensitive systems or data by verifying the identity of the person accessing them. Authorization: It ensures that sensitive systems or data are only accessed by authorized individuals based on their roles or permissions. Availability: It ensures that key systems or data are available to users when needed. Non-repudiation: This assures that data communicated or received cannot be rejected by sharing authentication information and a verifiable time stamp. Are you a business developing applications and need to secure them ASAP? This is the end of your search. Qualysec’s security expert consultants will teach you about security testing and how you can do it efficiently with the help of professionals. Talk to our Cybersecurity Expert to discuss your specific needs and how we can help your business. Schedule a Call Why Businesses Need to Do Cyber Security Testing? A comprehensive cyber security testing framework addresses validation at all tiers of an application. It begins with examining and evaluating the application’s infrastructure security before moving on to the network, database, and application exposure levels. Here are a few reasons why it’s important for businesses: 1. Hackers are Getting Advanced Technological breakthroughs have significantly impacted how individuals live, and businesses operate. However, malevolent groups have adapted to the changes, posing a threat to the commercial landscape’s cybersecurity. Despite advancements and advances in cybersecurity, hackers continue to adapt and develop new tactics to circumvent them. This has prompted businesses to implement tougher security measures in their business apps, as this is where most vulnerabilities may be exploited. 2. Improve Client Trust and Confidence Consumers are increasingly entrusting their sensitive data to their preferred retailers. Unfortunately, this exposes businesses to data breaches and other cyber dangers. In reality, about 1,243 security incidents compromised 5.1 billion pieces of information in 2021. If your organization lacks a strong cybersecurity system, customers may be unwilling to provide you with critical information. Application security helps reduce your clients’ concerns by ensuring you have taken the necessary precautions to safeguard their data. 3. Keeps your Firm Compliant with Security Standards Aside from creating client trust and confidence, application security testing allows you to remain compliant with security standards. Governments have been harsher in enforcing cybersecurity legislation such as HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and others, particularly for firms that handle sensitive consumer data. Integrating app security into your workflow is critical since failing to do so may expose your firm to cyber assaults. App security can also help you avoid penalties and costs for failing to fulfill security regulations. 4. Protect your Business from Cyber Threats Markets and sectors are constantly changing as the new digital era progresses. Today, internet transactions have become the standard, making it easier to collect client information. However, businesses and enterprises have grown increasingly vulnerable to dangerous hackers continually adapting to cybersecurity advancements. As a result, firms must have strong security testing strategies, including those for the commercial apps they utilize. 5. Identify Hidden Weaknesses Before Crooks Do Finding and exploiting previously unknown security holes before attackers can is critical for ensuring safety, which is why security updates are so prevalent in current apps. Security penetration testing can expose flaws in cybersecurity measures that were previously missed. A penetration test focuses on what is most likely to be exploited, allowing you to prioritize risk and allocate resources more efficiently. You’ll read more about pentesting in the below section. Read More: Security Testing vs Pen Testing The Key Differences What are the Types of Security Testing? Each form of security testing has a distinct strategy for detecting and mitigating possible risks. By concentrating on continuous security testing, businesses may maintain an ongoing awareness of their

cyber security pen testing

A Guide to Cybersecurity Penetration Testing for Financial and Healthcare Firms in Singapore

What is Cyber Penetration Testing – Types, Importance, Compliance

What is Security Testing and Why is it Important for Businesses?

Pabitra Kumar Sahoo

cyber security pen testing

A Guide to Cybersecurity Penetration Testing for Financial and Healthcare Firms in Singapore

What is Cyber Penetration Testing – Types, Importance, Compliance

What is Security Testing and Why is it Important for Businesses?

Pabitra Kumar Sahoo

Get In Touch

Get a quote

For Free Consultation

Pabitra Kumar Sahoo