What is Penetration Testing?

This is a method used to assess how secure a website or network is, by simulating an attack on it. The test comprehensively reveals the vulnerabilities and the strengths of the website or network. This allows the owner to efficiently utilize security resources in the areas where they are needed the most.

Benefits

Can save reputation of the company

It is a common practice for businesses to maintain customer data, and if the security of their network or website is compromised; huge quantities of customer details could be accessed and manipulated. This could consequently ruin the reputation of a good company. Even just one incident in years could ruin the reputation built over a life time. Penetration testing allows companies to be aware of the potential threat and flaws in their system, and gives them a better chance of avoiding such problems.

Foreseeability

Once a company faces a security breach, the effects can be debilitating on the revenue and productivity of the business. Penetration testing allows the enterprise to foresee the security flaws that could cause a breach and identify the risks beforehand.

Accuracy

People often inquire on the need to get penetration testing. They suggest that there are many other methods which can be employed to assess vulnerabilities, for example; audits could assess security problems within the procedures and policies of the company. However, the advantage with penetration testing is that it’s much more accurate. Audits could reveal the problems that could potentially lead to a security breach, while penetration testing shows exactly how and which problems could be used to hack into the system.

Prioritization

Since penetration testing actually involves the simulation of a security breach, it’s much more efficient compared to other methods for determining security risks. By understanding how the hacker was actually able to penetrate the system, the company can prioritize its risks, and address the ones that could actually lead to a breach. This is efficient in terms of both, time and money.

 

Article written by Security Audit Systems on 3/12/2014