What is penetration testing and why do you need it?
Penetration Testing is a way to check if your security level or defenses are strong enough not to let anyone or anything come in without proper authorization. This is like throwing a party that’s exclusive to VIPs. You don’t want just anyone not listed to gatecrash and ruin all the preparation and exclusivity of the event.
This goes the same way with your computers and data. Penetration tests allow organizations to assess their cyber security posture based on realistic attack scenarios, enabling them to address issues that would be overlooked if they followed a defensive approach.
Why is it important to do Penetration Testing?
Many companies conduct penetration testing to maintain compliance with their established security practices. This proactive approach allows organizations to anticipate potential security breaches by evaluating the effectiveness of their security measures. You’ve already taken important steps to secure your data and devices. Now, by subjecting these security measures to testing, you can assess their strength in safeguarding your assets.
Additionally, the insights gained from a penetration test empower your organization to enhance the protection of its most valuable data. This is achieved by identifying and mitigating potential vulnerabilities, which, in turn, reduces the number of attack vectors and accessible paths to sensitive resources and systems.
What is external penetration testing?
External penetration testing is done with the start point coming from outside of the organization network. This means that there will be no login credentials and will purely start from an outsider’s standpoint and perspective. In some cases, testers might utilize passwords sourced from the dark web for their simulated attack scenarios.
This is like asking outsiders to do all means they could to enter a heavily secured office. They will observe on what is externally visible to them.
In comparison, they won’t have your actual usernames or passwords. They will be looking for those and your external vulnerabilities – finding ways to exploit them
What is internal penetration testing?
Internal penetration testing is when the start point is within your organization and the login credentials are available. Imagine working with someone that has bad intentions in your organization. They are a step closer or they are in the organization themselves. Doing this step will help you identify if you have enforced security internally effectively.
You may think that when you have strong external defense security and don’t need to worry about your internal defenses. However, there are some scenarios that internal pen test will help make sure you are well guarded from: Insider Threats, Ineffective External Defenses, and those who are taking advantage of your trust.
Do you have to do both external and internal testing?
We understand that every business is unique, and your setup may vary. For instance, if you’re a very small business with just two employees you trust implicitly, you might wonder if both external and internal penetration testing are necessary.
While it’s not mandatory, we highly recommend conducting both external and internal penetration testing.
Here’s why:
By doing both types of testing, you can ensure comprehensive coverage of potential vulnerabilities. Focusing on just one type may leave other important areas untested.
Focusing on defensive security alone, like many companies do, is fundamentally flawed strategy. At times, the best defense is a good offense.
