Blurb: Business’ face an enormous task when it comes to keeping their IT systems secure from cyber-threats, because hackers are constantly refining their techniques to gain unauthorised systems access. By undergoing a penetration testing service of their networks, business’ will be able to review their systems from the perspective of a hacker, and attempt to gain unauthorised systems access through a simulated cyber-attack. Through this process, business’ will be able to identify a wide range of potential network vulnerabilities, and work at securing them, thus keeping their networks safe. This article provides an overview of this process.
There are three key factors an organisation must consider when developing an effective IT system, on which they will store confidential business data: the network must be designed so that the business can easily discover any and all cyber-threats attempting to gain unauthorised access, they need to develop processes so that they can defend their systems in the event of a cyber-attack, and they must be able to do something with this knowledge, through taking action to keep their networks secure. Companies can to successfully achieve all three goals through undergoing a thorough penetration testing service of their network, which is a simulated cyber-attack on their system which allows a business to identify potential weak points, and then protect them from hackers. This article will discuss the pen testing process, and how it helps business’ secure their confidential data.
Take a pre-emptive approach to network security
How safe do you think your business’ IT systems are? Although most business’ would employ basic security measures to protect their data, such as the use of firewalls and two-factor authentication logins, many hackers have an advanced skillset and can infiltrate IT systems using a range of techniques and tricks. Further, they only have to be successful on one occasion for your entire network to be compromised.
A pentest helps business’ adopt a preventative approach to cyber security, by having a group of IT professionals attempt to launch a simulated attack on a network, across a range of different scenarios, to discover any potential network vulnerabilities, ascertain the ways in which they could be exploited, and then work out what defensive measures could be implemented by the business to prevent this scenario from occurring.
By commissioning a pen test of their network, business’ will gain first-hand knowledge into any potential vulnerabilities within their system, the scope of damage that hackers could cause, and what the business can do to prevent this scenario from eventuating. Pen testing is also known as ethical hacking, and it helps business’ to achieve several goals, including:
- Helping the business to identify a wide range of potential vulnerabilities within their network, and understand the scope of damage that could be caused. Business’ may be aware of some potential vulnerabilities and want to gain a better understanding of the ways it could be exploited, and this ethical hacking process will allow them to do that. Further, the process will also help the business to identify any vulnerabilities that they were unaware of, and allow them to quickly fix them, thus ensuring their networks stay secure.
- Upholding the business’ reputation as a safe company to deal with. Companies that have fallen prey to cyber-threats often struggle to rebuild their reputation in the aftermath, as people feel reluctant to do business with them. By undergoing penetration testing services, business’ are demonstrating a commitment to data security, which makes both existing and potential customers more likely to work with them in the future.
- Keep costs down through preventative action. Some business’ may be wondering what the cost of pen testing services are, and while the answer depends upon a range of factors, including the size of their network and the scope of tests needing to be conducted, one thing is clear: undergoing pen testing services will be cheaper for business’ than dealing with the costs and downtime incurred through an actual network breach. Through this process, business’ are ensuring they do not have to allocate significant time, effort and money into repairing the system after an actual network breach.
By undergoing penetration testing services, business’ are approaching the issue of effective network security from a unique perspective – that of a hacker. By commissioning a team of IT professionals who can think and act like hackers, business’ will be able to ascertain a wide range of potential network vulnerabilities that would have otherwise gone undetected, and take preventative action to keep their networks safe.
Please click here to read more about the penetration testing process for business’, what they can expect from it, how it benefits them, and the various types of pen tests available.
