If you're considering investing in penetration testing services, there are many things you should know.
Some businesses hire outside firms to run network assessments to evaluate their network performance, while others opt for this in-depth process that dives a bit deeper.
If you're curious about this service and whether your industry is a common one for receiving them, here' an overview of everything you should know about penetration testing.
What are the Basics of Penetration Testing?
Penetration testing is also sometimes referred to as "white hat hacking" as it is an ethical version of hacking. It is essentially when an IT professional poses as a cybercriminal, trying to access your network by trying to bypass your existing protections.
There are many vulnerabilities penetration testers can reveal. When you have one of these assessments done, you will usually get a detailed report on what you can improve on. Some common network issues uncovered include infrastructure-level and application-level vulnerabilities.
Infrastructure-level issues may include weak passwords, outdated software, or network configuration problems. Application-level vulnerabilities may look like SQL injection flaws and encryption or authentication issues.
What Industries Are Best Suited for Pen Tests?
Since any business with a network is vulnerable to cybercrime, any industry would be a good fit for these services. However, some are more vulnerable than others due to the unique nature of their work.
Some industries in particular that often seek out the best pen testing companies include manufacturing, healthcare, law, and financial services.
1. Manufacturing
Manufacturing companies often find themselves as targets for hackers. This is because cybercriminals know that any shutdowns in their network mean direct financial loss from a halt in production.
This is why many manufacturing businesses opt for penetration testing to evaluate the strength of their network protections against unauthorized access.
To read more about cybersecurity in the manufacturing sector, check out our blog: Ask the Expert: Navigating Cyber Threats to Manufacturing Industry
2. Healthcare
You may already be familiar with cyber threats plaguing the healthcare industry, as attacks are so common in this sector.
The stakes are especially high in this industry due to the sensitive nature of healthcare records and the data these businesses must protect.
Cybercriminals target hospitals, clinics, home healthcare companies, billing companies, and more, knowing how interconnected these businesses are.
When multiple businesses have access to that same massive set of sensitive information, hackers just need to get into one of the business's networks to access all of it.
To read about the unique consequences healthcare data breaches can lead to, read our blog: Is Cybersecurity Really That Big of a Deal In Healthcare? Risks of Healthcare Data Breaches
3. Legal
Another industry that deals with sensitive information is legal services. Because law practices are tasked with protecting client data, hackers target these businesses to inject ransomware.
Complications arise when clients stand to suffer if certain data is leaked, and hackers will also threaten to divulge client lists and other competitive information to competitors if ransoms aren't paid.
Since cyber breaches have such potential to damage your law firm's reputation and harm your client base, penetration testing is highly advisable to ensure you have the proper protections in place.
Keep in mind that if white hat hackers can breach your network with little resistance, bad actors will be able to break in just as easily to do real harm.
4. Financial Services
Unsurprisingly, financial services are another major target for cybercriminals. Financial data can be especially dangerous in the hands of criminals, and institutions like banks risk losing the trust of countless clients and partners if a breach occurs.
Data security should be paramount in the financial industry, but many businesses still fall short with cybersecurity.
Pen Testing vs Vulnerability Assessments
You may run into different terms for evaluating network security strength. Although it may sound like vulnerability scanning and penetration testing are the same thing, they differ in many ways.
The main difference is that vulnerability scanning is a lot quicker, and involves placing assessment tools in your IT environment to get additional data on network strengths and weaknesses. The two services offer similar benefits since they give you an overview of how secure your network is against hackers.
To read an in-depth comparison of these two services, check out our blog: Penetration Testing vs. Vulnerability Assessment―Which is Best For You?
How to Get a Penetration Test for Your Network
If you're looking into pen tests, it's important to find the right provider with experience administering these tests. They should have highly trained technicians with the knowledge to anticipate how real hackers could try to breach your network.
To learn more about pen testing and the benefits of having a provider perform one, read our blog: Penetration Tests (How does it work, and do you need one?)
If you're ready to explore the many advantages of taking control of your network security, click the button below to get in touch with a cybersecurity expert.
