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While the number of organizations that have suffered a cyber attack goes up, the clock for when it’s your turn is ticking down. In fact, it’s likely that your clock has already run out, you just haven’t noticed it yet.
As each day passes, hacking is becoming a more automated process, allowing unskilled computer users to become successful cyber criminals. The effort required to download hacking software and get it up and running is worryingly low.
An effective form of defense against these automated cyber attacks is regular penetration testing. An organization that conducts regular penetration tests stands a much larger chance of blocking cyber attacks due to their knowledge of vulnerabilities.
Uncover Hidden System Vulnerabilities Before the Criminals Do
The most surefire way to measure your security level is by studying how it can be hacked. A penetration test offers an ability to safely test your system’s resistance to external hacking attempts. It models the actions of a potential intruder by trying to exploit the vulnerabilities caused by code mistakes, software bugs, insecure settings, service configuration errors and/or operational weaknesses.
The major difference between a penetration test and a real hacking experience rests in its safe and controlled manner. It simulates a real attack scenario and exploits the vulnerabilities only to showcase the potential harm of a malicious hacking attempt. Moreover, the client company can pre-define the scope and timing of a penetration test and is informed beforehand about any active exploitation of vulnerabilities in its IT infrastructure.
Organizations usually conduct penetration tests right after the deployment of new infrastructure and applications or after the introduction of major changes to their infrastructure (e.g. changes in firewall rules, firmware updates, patches and software upgrades). This service can help them identify and validate potential security loopholes in their IT systems before cyber criminals can make use of them and successfully bring new products to the market.
Preserve Non-Profits Image and Customer Loyalty
Security attacks may compromise your sensitive data, which leads to the loss of trusted customers and serious reputational damages. Penetration testing can help you avoid costly security breaches that put your organization’s reputation and customers’ loyalty at stake. Moreover, a pen test may grow in time and complexity if the system requires an additional scope. It may be also conducted in combination with vulnerability scanning to provide even more meaningful insights on vulnerabilities and potential breach points in your IT infrastructure.
Hacking has now become an automated process
Hacking tools have grown in popularity and a catalogue of exploitable vulnerabilities is readily available online. Such tools permit even novice hackers to gain access to complex exploits for opportunistic attacks.
COMPLY WITH SECURITY REGULATIONS
Pen testing will help protect your assets from potential hackers and keep you safe online. Regular pen tests follow standards such as PCI, HIPAA and ISO 27001. Following these standards will help you avoid fines. Moreover, it is advisable to stage regular penetration tests and security audits by taking the services, professional security analysts.
