cybersecurity penetration testing

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