What is Cybersecurity Pentesting?

In 2021, the average number of cyberattacks and data breaches increased by 15.1% from the previous year.

Surprisingly, 50% of all cyberattacks are targeted at small to medium-sized businesses (SMB). 60% of targeted companies go out of business within six months of a security breach. The need for cybersecurity is higher than ever.

According to a 2022 ThoughtLab report titled “Cybersecurity Solutions for a Riskier World,” security experts who were surveyed predicted a rise in attacks over the next 2 years from cybercriminals and nation-states using social engineering and ransomware.

41% of the executives surveyed felt that their security initiatives have not kept up with digital transformation.

What is Cybersecurity?

Many executives and owners think they can't afford to get protection and are willing to leave their security up to chance, for that day when there is a breach. That is not a recommended approach. Testing your system for weaknesses and getting protections in place to protect your data and systems is critical to your business success.

Cybersecurity is the process of protecting information and systems from malicious attack.

• Protecting your computer data, network and systems from cyberattacks
• Protection from threats such as malware, ransomware, social engineering and phishing
• Preventing unauthorized access to your systems

What is Cyber Security Penetration Testing?

Cybersecurity penetration testing (known as pentesting) is a comprehensive process that assesses how effective your cybersecurity measures are within your company or organization.

Penetration testing includes the following processes:

• Auditors acting like external attackers that bypass protection measures and break into the company network
• Detect hidden flaws and evaluate impacts if those flaws were exploited by real attackers
• Provide a thorough technical analysis of the customer’s security tools

Types of Penetration Testing Services

External vs Internal Penetration Testing

Penetration testing is often divided into external and internal stages. Experts first try to hack into your business systems externally by installing malware on workstations. If this external stage is successful, then they will coordinate with system administrators or IT personnel before beginning an assessment of measures to counteract an internal attack.

Technical Penetration Testing

A technical penetration test identifies existing vulnerabilities in your IT infrastructure and provides practical evidence of whether they can be exploited.

Sociotechnical Penetration Testing

Sociotechnical penetration testing uses social engineering techniques to determine employee level of security awareness and gauge their reactions to hacking techniques such as phishing or pharming.

Testing may include:

• Sending email/instant messages (IM) from anonymous users and employees of your company with links to web resources or containing executable code such as a request to change passwords, send passwords or personal information
• Conduct random inspections of "clean desk" policies (such as workstations left unlocked and unattended, sticky notes with passwords, and confidential documents in a work area available to unattended visitors)

Benefits of Penetration Testing

• Discovering vulnerabilities and ensuring your systems are as secure as possible
• Determining the types of threats will help you better protect yourself against them in the future
• Determining weaknesses in your system allow you to put in place solutions that protect your from future cyber threats.

When it comes to protecting your company's networks and data from cyber threats, managed security services can provide round-the-clock monitoring and protection. 

GAM Tech offers comprehensive managed security services including a free IT Audit to help improve your business technology.