The trend of cyberattacks has grown a lot in the past few years, and with the increasing need for online systems, it may increase even more in coming years. So, every company must secure its systems against such attacks, and penetration testing is an effective option.
Penetration testing (Pen-testing) tests your system by emulating cyber-attacks on the system, network and applications. Thus, you can see the vulnerabilities of your system. It can be automated or manual, but in either case, it shows the vulnerabilities of your IT infrastructure.
With cyberattacks becoming more frequent, a cost-effective solution is required, and penetration testing makes a great option. Here are some reasons why it is important today:
Penetration testing gives an insight into the channels in your IT infrastructure that have the highest risks. Using those insights, you can invest in newer security solutions, tools, and protocols to make your system secure. With Penetration testing, you can unveil the largest and even the smallest of weaknesses in your system that may cost you cyber-attacks.
With this testing, you can train the whole team at your organization to deal with cyber-attacks. They can learn how to handle break-ins from unauthorized and malicious entities. By testing different securities and unveiling risks, the test can be used as a drill for the team at your organization.
It is also helpful in detecting and preventing attacks and restricting intruders from your system.
With insights from penetration testing, you can get thorough reports with all the details about errors. These reports are beneficial for developers to update the system, network, OS, or app so that it becomes secure against attack. With reports, developers can also learn about security mistakes they must avoid in the future.
Your organization's reputation must be one of the most important things, and that's what most businesses focus on. It also helps build trust among customers. With testing, you can build your reputation by restricting unwanted activities against your system.
Remember that one piece of news about a data leak or vulnerability in your IT infrastructure can shatter the reputation and customer's trust in you.
An effective IT infrastructure consists of the following things:
· Hardware backend
· Network
· Operating System
· Application
Any weak spot in these layers or the connection between them can cost you your security. With pen testing, you can secure the whole network at all the weak spots so they cannot be exploited.
With several risk factors present at once, you cannot deal with them simultaneously. So, you need to know which one must be treated first.
In most cases, the highly vulnerable one needs to be secured first. With data, insights, and reports from the testing results, you can prioritize different risks and gradually increase system security.
Pen testing demonstrates the impact of cyber-attacks on your system so you can know which factors of your business will be affected and result in loss.
Combining security information and business insights, you can focus on primary business goals better while maintaining top-notch security and helping your business grow.
There are several testing types for increasing the security of an IT infrastructure, but penetration testing is among the most effective. It is because it replicates a cyber-attack and shows every vulnerability in the system. Although it is complicated and demanding, its efficiency and cost-effectiveness make it a great way to enhance your system's security.
