The Importance of Penetration Testing in Cyber Security

Around 88% of all companies in the UK and Europe have suffered cyber security breaches in the last twelve months alone, and the public sector is under just as much threat.¹

Perhaps more worryingly, the average cyber security breach takes around 280 days to identify and contain.² Even a minor security breach can become a major issue if left to fester unaddressed. 

The threat landscape never stands still. New threats, technologies, techniques and tactics are emerging daily. Pair these developments with the challenges of remote and hybrid working, and the increased reliance on BYOD, and it’s become critical for many organisations to rethink best practices. What’s needed is greater visibility over more robust and flexible solutions.

Penetration testing is a critical tool for the identification of vulnerabilities and assessment of how current defensive measures stand up against evolving offensive capabilities. Both regular and periodic pen tests of different kinds should be deployed within your cyber security strategy. In this article we’ll discuss penetration testing as a concept, look at some of the various forms it can take, and explore the importance of these proactive security strategies to positive cyber security outcomes. 

Additional resources: Gaining the support and resources necessary to engage in proactive cyber security measures like pen testing isn’t always straightforward. If you want help explaining the value of cyber security within your organisation, check out our Board Presentation Toolkit: Cyber Security and Threat Management.

What is Penetration Testing?

Penetration testing (or pen testing) is best understood as an authorised, simulated cyber-attack on a system or network-wide IT infrastructure. The aim of pen testing is to uncover weaknesses in a security system before malicious entities can. Pen tests can be roughly broken down into a number of steps: 

1. Initial reconnaissance: Security capabilities of a network or system are assessed and analysis of a site or application codes are probed for potential responses. 
2. Analysis and planning: In light of this probing, pen testers will determine what cyber-attacks are viable, and whether these intrusions can be maintained (a persistent malicious presence, for example, allows in-depth access and greater damage).
3. Testing: Attacks will then be carried out by the pen testers. The types of attack will depend on the insights of previous stages, but can involve things like harvesting data and escalating internal privileges. 
4. Remediation: These attacks provide a more precise picture of an organisation’s vulnerabilities. Pen testers will then augment the efforts of an organisation’s security and IT teams and capacities, secure vulnerabilities, and if necessary, re-run the pen testing process. 

The Importance of Pen Testing

The extreme likelihood and potential severity of a cyber-attack is not something that should be overlooked. Past security doesn’t negate future vulnerabilities, and pen tests are designed to patch older and newer weaknesses alike. Pen testing allows you to: 

1. Identify areas for improvement: Pen tests let you determine which kinds of security weaknesses are present in your organisation, as well as individual implications of these weaknesses.
2. Know your enemy: Develop a clearer understanding of how best to handle malicious cyber entities as and when they occur. 
3. Account for vulnerabilities: Ensure post-patching that the controls implemented actually secure isolated vulnerabilities.
4. Be compliant: Satisfy (once secure) any legal cyber security requirements associated with your industry, granting an added peace of mind to future operations. 
5. Realign your organisation: Focus on doing what you do best! An investment in cyber security allows you to improve your working methods, enhancing commercial outcomes.

Simply waiting for an attack to occur in order to then respond is both an outdated and dangerous approach. Proactive cyber security in the form of pen testing represents an active shift away from this way of thinking, and moves more towards a security approach that can pre-empt and deal with increasingly sophisticated intrusions. 

Different Types of Pen Testing

Pen testing comes in various forms, with each providing its own benefits to organisations. Here we’ll briefly discuss five different types of pen testing.

1. Web application: Pen testing here, unsurprisingly, is designed to uncover the weaknesses of web applications. This form of application-based pen testing is also partially related to mobile applications, which is particularly important given the steady rise of mobile applications and operating systems within organisations.
2. Client applications: This form of pen testing aims to discover security flaws on the client’s side of things. Vulnerability testing here encompasses things like web browsers and email applications, but of course extends to whatever programmes the client is using. 
3. Wireless security: Wireless pen testing focuses on Wi-Fi networks and all devices (smartphones, laptops, etc.) connected to it. The standout feature of these tests is that they also centre around connections between devices, ensuring secure connections with focus on things like encryption and configuration — crucial for BYOD operations.
4. Social engineering attempts: Here testers attempt to manipulate employees into providing sensitive information. Common methods are things like phishing, but can also include workspace eavesdropping and posing as other employees. Given the tendency for human error, it’s important to assess how employees might be exploited and to train and patch accordingly.
5. Physical testing: This form of testing simulates physical security threats. Pen testers here look to infiltrate an organisation’s infrastructure, networks, and devices by overcoming physical barriers. Threats like this are more common than you might think, something truly holistic security measures should take into account.