Predicting the Unpredictable: 4 benefits of PEN testing

Prevention, not cure: Detecting potential threats

Put simply, PEN testing, otherwise known as ethical hacking, is a comprehensive assessment taken out with the aim of first identifying, and then remedying, vulnerabilities within your systems. By interrogating your systems and exploiting your infrastructure safely, PEN testing effectively ensures that your systems are best prepared for unexpected attacks.  This method of testing gives organisations the chance to see into a hacker’s mind, viewing your systems from a different perspective that will ensure your infrastructure is watertight. By implementing regular PEN testing into your security system, you will gain insight into any potential weaknesses in your infrastructure, allowing you to predict which elements of your software are most likely to be taken advantage of by hackers.

Additionally, PEN testing is carried out by ethical hackers who stay on top of emerging trends in the tech world, and the potential threats they could lead to. Because of this, not only will PEN testing give you a clear idea of the ways your infrastructure could become compromised, it will also ensure you receive expert advice regarding the very latest trends affecting the digital world.

Safeguarding your reputation: Avoiding data loss

When it comes to future proofing your infrastructure, perhaps the most crucial element of PEN testing is the business continuity it can help you achieve. The more comprehensive your security strategy, the better you will be able to prevent cyber attacks that won’t only affect your data security but have the potential to damage your business’s reputation. Think about how much your business relies on digital information every day. If your systems go down for even a morning, the business lost and the lack of communication could be devastating, leaving you with no means of reassuring your clients that their data is protected. By preventing vulnerabilities before they can create further issues, PEN testing can act to reinforce the message that you are taking consistent measures to protect your clients’ data, ensuring they continue to trust you with both their information and their custom. This is particularly vital  in a post GDPR world: find out more about protecting your reputation through data security here. 

Cost effectiveness: Reducing costs down the line

The average cost of a malware attack on a company is $2.4 million: it’s safe to say that clearing up the mess left behind by a cyber incident is a lot more time-consuming and financially draining to deal with than putting measures in place to prevent the incident from happening. That’s where PEN testing comes in. Because of it’s rigorous process, that leaves no vulnerability unnoticed, PEN testing is a great investment when it comes to securing the continuity of your infrastructure. Rather than spending further down the line after the event of a data breach, PEN testing will help you avoid a potential data disaster and the financial implications that come with it.

Too good to be true? Unrealistic testing environments

While PEN testing is an incredibly useful method of seeking out the vulnerabilities in your systems, the unpredictability of human nature means that it’s impossible to be prepared for every single cyber attack that comes your way. With time to think about your actions and reactions before a pre-planned intrusion, automated PEN testing doesn’t always give the most realistic impression of your security measures at any given point in time. However, as long as you have an awareness of this, PEN testing is still one of the best ways of predicting cyber attacker’s steps. It’s easy to overcome this issue, too –  simply conducting your PEN testing without giving your team warning will show you how your infrastructure and your team would react if a hack was actually taking place. This style of PEN testing will, therefore, allow you to view your systems as they would be seen by a hacker or malicious software; detecting weaknesses in your software in this way equips you with a much more realistic testing environment to work within. Ultimately, the added stability and confidence in your infrastructure that PEN testing gives you means that in the long run, it is a crucial tool to have when it comes to establishing your business continuity.

Don’t let your security systems take a backseat. At CIS, our experienced team will support your security strategy with only the best solutions, like PEN testing, in the digital tech world. Contact us to revolutionise your security measures.