In today’s time, when most businesses are online or functioning through the help of technology, web application vulnerabilities are a major thing. It is the perfect thing for the attackers as they are looking for loopholes that they can exploit and cause harm to businesses.
Business security is a must, and you can seek solutions through penetration testing. It is the process in which a network, computer system, or any web application is tested so that the vulnerabilities can be worked upon.
Need Of The Test
The penetration test helps in digging and identifying the potential vulnerabilities that can be misused by any malicious user so that there is no chance that they get to know about any such drawback.
The testing is done for the weaknesses; hence, the organizations must consider this testing to reduce risks. Cyberattacks have been increasing many folds, so businesses should be aware of the threat. With awareness, they can run these tests to avoid any future repercussions. The frequency of the tests is based on the risk assessment and the business’s organizational structure.
If you think data breach isn’t a big issue, discuss some related statistics. The data breach is a bigger problem than it seems; the consequences can be enormous, and businesses can take longer to recover from them. It is because the consequences are not only monetary but legal and reputational, too.
According to a study conducted by IBM, the data breach costs have risen to USD 4.24 million. These figures not only suggest growth but also indicate that it is the highest average total price in the history of this report for the last 17 years.
It is the most cost-effective way to reduce cyberattack risks that can harm the business and its functioning. You can know the effectiveness of the system’s security controls. Also, the businesses can plan on designing their security processes according, and they can see the controls becoming more effective with the implemented changes.
But, many business owners will think skipping the tests won’t make any difference. It is a notion that security can be maintained either way, and business owners tend to stick to this traditional approach only.
But testing is essential, and here’s why.
1. Prepare For The Forbidden Circumstances
If you look at the past figures related to data breaches of 2018, you will know that big companies like Facebook, Exactis, and Marriott International faced major hacks and breaches. So, the concerns are the same for all businesses, regardless of size.
Testing helps all the big, small, and medium businesses stay covered, especially in unforeseen situations. Also, you can engage in pen-testing to know about the threats and risks that ensure better preparation.
2. Securing The Infrastructure
The infrastructure of a business is by far an important asset for them, and hence, every step should be taken to ensure it. Testing infrastructure security is a crucial requirement, and there are many ways to do it.
This method of testing is the most-trusted and reliable source. You can use it to seek amazing results. Also, the testing process helps find the weak spots that can be a part of the application or the network that are the major targets of cyber criminals.
3. Reduce Risks
When you are continuously testing, you focus on various vulnerabilities that can harm the business in the future. But when you are catering to them timely, you reduce future risks. You should not delay as the testing and patching period takes time. Even critical vulnerabilities take about 100 days to be patched. The 100-day period does not involve the detecting period.
Hence, businesses should try and get the first-mover advantage with the test. It helps them to identify, patch, and fix the issues before internet criminals find and exploit them.
4. Trust And Efficiency
A business is known for its reputation, and that’s how its life is understood in a highly competitive market. Hence, business owners should do everything they can to maintain their goodwill and reputation in the market. If a business has a bad reputation, the consequences could be hard for the business.
If there is a simple leak in the business, the reputation is at stake, and also, if it is not represented correctly, the business can suffer hugely. It takes ages to build a reputation, but it can vanish in seconds, so testing is a must.
5. Security Measures And Awareness
A business deals in various kinds of products and services. It has employees and extends its services to various people across the globe. Hence, it is home to information from all the sources; hence, the data must be secured at all costs.
However, the risks of being attacked always prevail. The most common risk is when the employees take bribes and release this confidential information. Hence, you should always be prepared for the worst. Running the penetration test is a non-destructive way to bridge the gaps. These can be worked upon even before an attack occurs.
Testing Frequency
The first factor that should be considered while deciding the frequency of the test is your firm’s risk-taking ability. If there is no sensitive data in the network or any place connected to the official hardware, testing can be done once a month.
However, if you are running an e-commerce website that carries a piece of high-risk information, weekly testing is a must.
There are huge businesses that can test daily. Hence, the frequency is more of a personal choice, but the risk of data and the shortcomings of the leak are important factors that you should consider before running the tests.
Conclusion
A penetration test, pen testing, is an excellent security assessment technique curated to identify vulnerabilities and decode the target applications. The tests help reduce the risks to businesses, and also, they can comply with governmental regulations. You need not worry, as the tests can be performed on any required structures like computers, servers, routers, and laptops.
