How Penetration Testing Can Help Your Business

If you fall victim to hacking attack today, how would the hackers go about it? Would they try to find vulnerabilities in your network and infrastructure? You need to do what you can to answer the questions surrounding the strength of your existing network and infrastructure so you don’t have to deal with potential hacks. This month, we will talk about one really great way to find out where your security is light: by getting a penetration test completed on your business’ IT.

The Penetration Test

The penetration test is basically a controlled hack completed by a security professional that tries to find potential vulnerabilities. Your IT is a vast series of connected pieces of software and hardware. Any one of these applications or machines can have outdated components or holes that can allow hackers to squeeze into your technology and then wreak havoc. 

A penetration tester will do exactly what a hacker would do and is generally trying to get specific knowledge about the strength of your network defenses. This is called “ethical hacking”.
You might discover during the test that a system you thought was impervious is not-so-safe after all. Penetration tests are imperative because it is much easier to prevent data breaches than it is to respond to them—as is the case with technology problems in general. It’s better to keep them from becoming problems in the first place by taking preventative action before that can ever happen.

Penetration Testing is More Than a Vulnerability Assessment

Sure, the main reason to get a penetration test on your network is to find vulnerabilities, but it offers a lot more information than just your potential vulnerabilities. When you have a penetration test done, it puts stress on your system to see how it responds under pressure. Let’s take a look at three types of penetration tests and what they do for your business:

• Black box testing - The tester goes in blind. They know nothing about the network or what to target. This type of testing might be used if there are no specific problems that need to be addressed.
• White box testing - The tester goes in with full understanding of the network, often looking for specific problems that need to be addressed.
• Gray box testing - The tester has partial knowledge of the network. In other words, they don’t have the whole picture, but they have some of it.

Depending on the results of the test, a report can be generated detailing just how far along the simulated data breach got, what was stolen, and so on. It is then up to the business to course-correct, taking all of the appropriate measures to ensure that the attack cannot happen for real.

Reach Out to Macro Systems Today!

Macro Systems knows that cybersecurity can be a challenge for small businesses, especially those with limited resources at their disposal. This is why we offer comprehensive IT solutions, chief among them cybersecurity, to aid you in your mission. We want to make it as easy as possible for your business to operate in an efficient and safe manner. To this end, we can help you with building robust cybersecurity, including scheduling your business for a penetration test. 

To learn more about what Macro Systems can do for your business, give us a call today at 703-359-9211.