What Is Pen Testing and How Can It Benefit Your Business?

Did you know that 64% of companies have experienced at least 1 cyberattack? Considering that there’s a new attack every 39 seconds, it’s no wonder why most businesses have suffered from one before!

This is why it’s important to keep up with cybersecurity and carry out things like penetration testing (or pen testing).

So what is pen testing and how can it help your business? Read on to find out!

What Is Pen Testing?

Pen testing (also known as “white-hat hacking” or “ethical hacking”) is where you simulate a cyberattack on your digital networks. The purpose of doing so is to find out what weaknesses and vulnerabilities are present.

There are several types that can be carried out:

• Open-box: hacker has some information beforehand, workers know
• Closed-box: hacker has no information beforehand, workers know
• Covert: workers do not know
• External: external-facing tech is tested (website and external network servers)
• Internal: internal network is tested

The type of pen testing you conduct on your business will depend on what you hope to achieve. It’s not uncommon to select several to carry out.

Pen Test Phases

When you have IT network penetration testing experts carry out pen testing, you can expect these phases:

• Planning
• Scanning
• Gaining access
• Maintaining access
• Analysis

The pen test methodology is pretty much identical across various experts.

How Can Pen Testing Help Your Business?

One of the best benefits of pen testing is it’s carried out by actual hackers. Many used to be criminals but are now ethical hackers who offer their knowledge and expertise to help you improve your cybersecurity.

When you have a pro try to get into your networks, this can help you realize vulnerabilities you never knew were present. From there, they can help you develop a better security plan to plug up any holes.

Pen testing can also help you see if your employees are prepared for a potential attack. If their responses aren’t adequate, then the pen testing experts can help you come up with a new protocol that’ll address data breaches efficiently. This is crucial, as recovery after a successful attack often depends on quick response times.

In the end, the biggest way pen testing can help your business is that it can help you stay open. The reality is, many companies go out of business within half a year after a successful cyberattack. So by investing some money in pen testing, you can avoid such a fate and keep yours running for years to come.

Pen Test Your Company

So what is pen testing? It’s simulating cyberattacks so you can find out where your company’s weaknesses are. It’s a vital part of strengthening your cybersecurity since it allows you to see what could realistically happen should a hacker target your business.

So don’t skip out on pen testing, and make sure to do it regularly. It could literally save your company!

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