A breach can damage your business’s reputation quickly. The current statistic is that 60 percent of companies breached go out of business. Performing Penetration tests regularly can help to preserve the important information entrusted in you daily.
Why you need Pen Testing
Penetration testing is the process of testing network hardware, software, and web apps by a certified, ethical hacker for system vulnerabilities. The objective of these tests is to find weaknesses in your systems and infrastructure. Finding these vulnerabilities and exploitable flaws before a hacker does is so important in the protection of your data. A breach can damage your business’s reputation quickly. The current statistic is that 60 percent of companies breached go out of business.
In the case of web application penetration testing, the software being tested is a web application stored on a hosted server or any front facing web server on your network like OWA or VPN. Web applications are obviously easy targets for hackers and therefore it is imperative these web applications are frequently tested. Penetration testing cannot stop every attack however, it finds the low hanging fruit and known exploits available.
Types of testing:
- Contact Form Testing
- Proxy Server(s) Testing
- Spam Email Filter Testing
- Network Firewall Testing
- Security Vulnerability Testing
- Credential Encryption Testing
- Cookie Testing
- Testing for Open Ports
- Application Login Page Testing
- Error Message Testing
- HTTP Method(s) Testing
- Username and Password Testing
- File Scanning
- SQL Injection Testing
- XSS Testing
- Access Permission Testing
- User Session Testing
- Brute Force Attack Testing
- DoS (Denial of Service) Attack Testing
- Directory Browsing
What is it for?
Identify Potential Risks – Performing penetration tests yearly or after a hardware/software change allows your organization to assess web applications, internal, and external network security. It helps you to understand what security controls are needed to have a level of protection your organization needs to secure the information of your customers, employees and assets. Prioritizing the risks found give your organization an advantage in finding, remediating, and preventing the risks from a potential malicious attack.
Prevent Hackers from Accessing Your Systems – Penetration tests are performed ethically but use the same tools and tactics a real hacker would. Performing penetration tests helps your organization be proactive in your real-world approach of evaluating your IT security and infrastructure. The process starts with information gathering, to create effective social engineering campaigns and scanning and enumerating the infrastructure. Once these phases are completed, the attack phase includes all the gathered information to attack the vulnerabilities found using exploits and custom-made scripts. By uncovering these holes in your security, it gives you the chance to remediate any shortcomings before an actual attack occurs.
Evaluate your Environment – Continuing to evaluate the security posture within your organization’s environment is a great way to maintain a competitive advantage against other organizations in your industry. It not only demonstrates to your clients that information security and compliance are most important for your organization, but also that you’re dedicated to continued security.
Avoiding Data Breaches and Loss of Business Operations – Recovering from the aftermath of a data breach can be very expensive, especially if you do not have the right cyber policies in place. Legal fees, technology remediation, customer protection programs, loss of sales, and loss of confidence from your clients can cost organizations monetarily, leading them to go out of business. A data breach in the US costs approximately $160 per record containing sensitive information. Regularly scheduled penetration tests are a practical way to stay on top of your security helping prevent financial loss and protecting your brand and reputation.
Comply with Industry Standards and Regulations – Penetration tests help address the compliance and security obligations that are mandated by industry standards and regulations such as SEC, FINRA, FTC, PCI, HIPAA, FISMA, and ISO 27001. Having these tests performed regularly helps to demonstrate due diligence on your part as well as your dedication to information security. Being compliant goes a long way with your company and your clients.