Penetration testing is a term that you often hear about, but won’t really understand it unless it is completely explained to you. Well, you’re in luck because in today’s blog we will explain what penetration testing is and why it is important for data and network security and maintaining compliance with regulatory requirements that your organization operates under.
What Is Penetration Testing?
The penetration test is a strategy used to evaluate the security of an IT infrastructure by effectively hacking it safely. This means testing all hardware and software systems for flaws including operating systems and any and all applications that could have vulnerabilities that could put your overall computing infrastructure, and therefore your business, at risk.
That is the big issue, managing risk. You see, the more you rely on digital tools for business management, operational efficiency, production, and support, the more apt one of those pieces of software will be able to be exploited by people looking to hack your business or steal resources from your organization. Penetration testing effectively shows you the holes that you need to patch to ensure that you don’t have to deal with the hindrance and runaway costs that typically accompany a security breach or malware attack.
One of the keys to performing a useful pen test is to have cyber and network security experts run it. Not only do they know what to look for, they also know the proper procedure on how to detect, respond, and recover from any type of security incident. The less risk you take on, the better position your business will be in. Let’s talk about why pen testing is a useful risk avoidance tool.
Compliance Concerns
When figuring out risk, you will typically do a detailed assessment of what the worst case scenario would be if you were not to comply with the regulations that your business or organization operates under. Let me tell you, the results of these are never pretty.
Non-compliance can not only cost you in regulatory fines, it can cause you to lose your ability to do business completely. Some can carry criminal charges. Regardless, it is just not advisable for any business to scoff at these regulations.
Penetration testing may not address the concerns forged by the data privacy and regulatory reporting mandates, but it ensures that your network isn’t “taking on water” so to speak. With regulatory bodies and legislators taking hard looks at data privacy issues, it stands to reason that there won’t be fewer regulations coming down the road. Pen testing can put your business in a position of strength and can help ensure that your business’ critical information systems meet any mandate thrown at them.
Reputation
A business’ reputation is one of its most important variables. A business that has a reputation for protecting its customers’ personal and financial information may not gain a lot of praise, but if you were to put that same information at risk, you are sure to have your reputation suffer. More people than ever are understanding just how valuable their personal and financial information is and want it protected by the companies they do business with.
If your business is looking for a network assessment and penetration test, give SRS Networks a call at (831) 758-3636 today and one of our knowledgeable IT consultants will help you get the service you need to keep your business secure and running efficiently.