Penetration Testing What Is It and Does My Business Need It
What is penetration testing?
Many consider penetration testing one of the best ethical hacking methods. These people use it to fight cyber attacks. Its benefits fuel the global market, likely reaching $3.1 billion by 2021.
How exactly does penetration testing for business work? Read on and discover its value today.
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What Is Penetration Testing?
Penetration testing is a security process to test your computer system applications. For this reason, it simulates a cyberattack against it. It aims to discover weaknesses and other security issues.
Hackers breach one business every 39 seconds. Because of this, cybercrime costs trillions of dollars of losses for all companies. Using the best penetration testing method can protect your business from cybercrimes.
Penetration testers use manual or automated technologies. Some prefer individual applications, while others use IP address ranges.
These experts can also use one of the five primary types of pen tests. Each type gives hackers a specific access level to your system. These include:
- Targeted testing
- External testing
- Internal testing
- Blind testing
- Double-blind testing
These also involve five stages. The first defines the goals of the test. It’s where testers learn about the mail server, network, and domain names.
The second stage is scanning. Testers will understand how the application responds to different attacks during this juncture. The next step involves accessing the system to reveal its vulnerabilities.
After that, they maintain access. This stage determines if the vulnerability can stay long enough for hackers to steal data.
The last stage is all about analyzing the test results. The penetration testing company will report on all relevant metrics. These include specific weaknesses, accessed data, and the amount of time the tester remained undetected.
The Benefits of Penetration Testing
Pen testing helps ensure your business avoids total failure. Breaches can cause downtime and affect your business flow. Identifying the weaknesses will keep you ahead of hackers.
This test also boosts your company’s compliance. Businesses accepting online credit card payments must do pen-testing exercises every year. For this reason, you must adhere to industry regulations.
Your in-house IT and security teams will also receive crisis training through this test. Understanding it enables them to identify breaches faster. As a result, they can swiftly react to avert the attacks.
Trusted testers like Biztec offer comprehensive pen testing services. They can also give sound advice about penetration testing. In turn, your security team will get a third-party opinion, helping you make better decisions.
Lastly, your clients will see how much you value data security. It will help develop trust and goodwill for your brand.
Increase Your Tech Knowledge Now
We hope you now know the answer to the question, “what is penetration testing?” Use the information to strengthen your computer system’s security. You can protect valuable data and prevent the costly impact of cyber attacks.
Are you looking to enrich your business? If so, learn more about tech and software by reading our other articles. We discuss topics to protect your investments and more.