The Cyber security posture of organisations has never been more important than it is today. Next-generation cyber security threats, advanced skills and evolved attack vectors in use by cyber criminals are compelling organisations globally to go beyond their traditional security boundaries to cope with these advanced security risks.
Penetration testing is the key step that organisations need to take to bridge the security gaps in their business infrastructures while strengthening their defences against modern cyber threats
What is Penetration testing?
Penetration testing, IT penetration testing, security penetration testing, and pen testing are some of the common interchangeable terms used to describe the process where organizations hire third-party ethical hackers or leverage in-house security expertise to systematically break into the organisational security systems.
Penetration testing is usually carried out by security experts who act like hackers and use a wide range of modern hacking tools and advanced techniques to breach the security of an organisation’s digital infrastructure. The primary reason why penetration tests are conducted by organisations is to find security vulnerabilities in their system infrastructure.
The identification of these security weaknesses allows organisations to remediate them before they are exploited by hackers – ultimately improving the business resilience, supporting business goals and improving the overall cyber security posture of the organisation.
Security benefits of penetration testing
After suffering some form of a cyberattack, nearly 60% of companies go out of business. Todays’ hostile cyberspace can expose your business to a legion of internal and external digital security risks. A single security flaw present in your digital systems, your processes, or applications can put your business at risk of a security breach, potentially resulting in complications like; data loss, unauthorised access, hardware damage, business interruptions, malware infection, and the list goes on.
Regular security penetration testing not only lowers the risks of such security complications but also strengthens the overall business infrastructure and maximises business workflow and productivity. Below are the top 5 benefits that your organisation can expect from regular pen-testing.
1 – Endpoint Security
Regular security pen testing can allow your organization to find all the critical security vulnerabilities in your IT infrastructure and digital assets. An effective penetration testing exercise includes critical analysis of organizational servers, web apps, wireless networks, intranets, network devices, mobile devices, and any other entry points. In-depth security testing of all the organizational endpoints enables you to strengthen your weak areas and reduce the chances of security breaches caused by a vulnerable endpoint or service.
2 – Protection Against Modern Security Threats
Companies that rely on traditional security measures are more likely to witness security intrusions as compared to organizations that continuously monitor, test, improve, innovate, and upgrade their cybersecurity parameters. Modern attack vectors of cybercriminals leverage the latest technologies and tools that mask their activity whilst the exploit vulnerabilities.
Penetration testing enables your organization to test the deployed security parameters against modern security attack vectors and techniques to identify weaknesses and provide clear guidance for improving the efficacy of the deployed security measures.
3 – Business Continuity
Business disruptions due to a security breach can result in revenue loss, loss of customers trust, tarnish your reputation, recovery costs, and potentially ongoing complications. Security professionals understand that a business disruption will occur when the Confidentiality, Integrity, or Availability of your data is compromised or lost. Security pen-testing aims to provide your organisation assurance that these three crucial elements, “the CIA triad” are properly protected.
Pen-testing allows your organization to determine immediate priorities, allocate security budget most effectively, and to provide guidance to ensure that your business is well positioned to avoid security breaches.
4 – Compliance with Security Standards and Regulations
Organizations throughout the globe strive to comply with security standards and regulations such as PCI, HIPAA, FISMA, and ISO 27001 in order to attain more business opportunities, brand recognition, credibility, and other benefits. By performing pen testing on a regular basis, your organization can improve your compliance rating with applicable standards and avoid the penalties and increased audit requirements that are associated with non-compliance.
5 – Maturing your business infrastructure
Correctly securing your infrastructure and aligning your security practices will lower the chances of security intrusions and increase the overall business efficiency and profitability. Pen testing provides a snapshot of your organisation’s current security posture – enabling your organisation to validate your current security capabilities. Maintaining currency with the latest security requirements supports business agility and is essential for successful operations in the increasingly complex, inter-connected digital business environment.
Only then can you confidently commit to maximising business potential and gain a competitive edge over your competitors in the market.
In conclusion: systems accepting customer connections involve some exposure to internet-based security threats. These threats and attack vectors are continually evolving and are increasingly exploited by savvy cyber criminals. One of the best ways for your organisation to avoid security incidents is to continuously test, monitor, update and improve the security posture by having a professional team conduct regular pen testing activities.
Regular security penetrating testing serves as a foundation for business continuity, compliance, sustainability, and growth. Investment can continue with confidence and success will follow now that you have independent assurance that you have implemented a mature, secure system infrastructure.
Get in touch with our Offensive Cyber Security Professionals at Intrix Cyber Security today, and we can begin the journey of identifying and strengthening your organisation’s cyber security policies and procedures.
