Why is penetration testing necessary?

Most business decisions are ultimately based on the management of risk, whether it be threats from cyber attackers or the opportunities presented by new products or services. Penetration testing provides the technical foundation for assessing risk across IT systems and gives assurance to customers, investors and partners across the supply chain. You can learn more about penetration testing in our extensive guide. So, why is it necessary?

Pen testing also provides independent validation that your security defences are sufficiently resilient. Some of the benefits of penetration testing include:

The benefits of penetration testing

Identify vulnerabilities – Penetration testing reveals vulnerabilities in your systems, application configurations and infrastructure. It also identifies actions and habits of your staff that could lead to data breaches and malware infiltration. Pen testers try to exploit weaknesses enabling you to see what a hacker could do in the ‘real world’.

Our vulnerability assessment services

Test your cyber-security response – You should be able to detect attacks and respond rapidly. Once you detect a cyber-attack, you should start investigations immediately. Feedback from the test will tell you which actions should be taken to improve your defence.

Assurance in business continuity – Every cyber-attack will have a negative impact on your business. A pen test will reveal potential threats and help to ensure that your operations don’t suffer damage to costs and reputation. A good pen tester will give you a detailed report detailing your security weaknesses so you know what improvements to consider to improve your business’s cyber-security.

Maintaining compliance – Your legal compliance requirements may necessitate a level of penetration testing. The ISO 27001 standard requires all managers/system owners to conduct regular penetration tests and security reviews, with skilled third-party testers.

Maintain consumer and client trust – A cyber-attack or data breach can have a negative impact on the confidence and loyalty of your customers, suppliers and stakeholders. If your business is known for its systematic security audits and pen tests, you will maintain the trust and confidence of your customers and clients.​

To learn when you need a penetration test, read our article here. And if you want to know how to choose a good penetration testing provider, we have all the answers here.

Need Help?

If your organisation needs help running a penetration test on an application or infrastructure, we’re here to help. We can assess your environment and run a full penetration test. We can also advise you on any follow-up actions or remediations from our findings. Contact us for a friendly chat.