Cyber security is one of the most discussed topics in the IT world. Just open the news and wait for information about the latest attack. Believe me, you won’t be waiting long. As a result, companies are more aware than ever that protecting themselves from attack is important. But how do you actually know if the security measures you’ve chosen are actually effective?
Even responsible companies that are trying to protect sensitive data and, as a result, customer trust are faced with the question: did we choose well? Does our IT person know what he is doing? Are there any major gaps in our defences?
This is where penetration testing comes in to provide answers.
What are penetration tests?
Simply put, they are simulated cyberattacks conducted by experts who try to uncover vulnerabilities in your company’s systems. These ethical hackers are designed to think like real attackers and try to overcome your protective measures.
Of course, the goal in this case is not to cause damage or steal data. But instead, to identify weaknesses before someone else, this time with nefarious intentions, discovers them and wants to steal the data.
How do penetration tests work?
Penetration testing can focus on different areas of the IT infrastructure. From web applications to networks, internal systems or even the human factor (social engineering).
We could divide a typical course into several phases:
- Planning and research: At the beginning, ethical hackers get to know the target, analyze its vulnerabilities and identify possible attack paths.
- Penetration: Subsequently, they already try to penetrate the system. They test various methods such as exploits, phishing or attempting to use stolen login credentials.
- Gaining access: If they are successful in penetrating, they may continue to the next level and try to gain access to sensitive data or administrative rights, for example.
- Analysis and Reporting: Once the test is complete, experts should prepare a detailed report on the vulnerabilities found. What they are, what damage they could cause and how to defend against them.
- Re-testing: After the recommended security measures have been implemented, sometimes one more test is performed to verify that all vulnerabilities have indeed been caught and removed.
Why would you want that?
You may be wondering why you should invest time and money in such an adventure. Here are three main reasons:
Prevention: It’s too late to find out you have a vulnerability in your system until it’s been exploited. It can be devastating or even fatal to a company. Penetration testing allows you to detect and fix problems before they happen, so you can easily prevent abuse. And that a pinch of prevention is better than a pound of cure was preached by the old classics.
Boosting trust: When you can show customers that you’ve done thorough security testing and are taking steps to protect their data, it greatly increases their trust in your business. Especially in some industries, the reputation of being a business partner with whom all data is safe is literally priceless.
Ensuring compliance: depending on the industry you operate in, you may be required to conduct regular security audits and tests. Following the adoption of the new Cyber Security Act under the European NIS2 Directive, the number of such entities will increase. Find out if you are one of them. Penetration testing can help you verify that you meet all the necessary standards and regulations. Or what you need to work on to comply.
Are penetration tests reliable and safe?
In principle, yes. However, the human factor still needs to be taken into account in the classical form. Even the most careful individual can overlook or fail to evaluate something. Or fail to access the latest information. A great way to avoid this problem is to have a dedicated tool that does all the checking on its own. Such as Pentera.
What is Pentera
This platform combines automated security validation, penetration testing and vulnerability management.
What does this mean in practice? Once launched, the software starts scanning the security of servers, applications, endpoint devices and the network, across all layers of protection. In the process, it evaluates the actual risk of the weaknesses found in relation to each other. For example, a specialist can test what happens when a vulnerability is removed to find the solution that is least challenging but delivers the best effect.
And other benefits? The specialist can operate the tool from anywhere. Nothing is installed anywhere, so you won’t even know that testing is in progress, there’s no risk of memory fullness or crashing servers, for example. And no one, not even an ethical hacker, can see any of your specific data. It remains safely protected.
As a comprehensive tool, Pentera then generates a detailed final report. It not only lists the vulnerabilities uncovered, but also recommendations for remediation.
Do you want to use a state-of-the-art tool to test whether your IT staff is protecting your cybersecurity well? Let us know. We are currently the only company in the Moravian-Silesian region that can offer you a cybersecurity consultation using Pentera. However, we are available to companies all over the country because Pentera works remotely.
