Penetration testing is a proactive cybersecurity assessment conducted to identify and exploit vulnerabilities in systems, networks, and applications to assess their security posture.

Penetration testing helps organizations identify security weaknesses before attackers can exploit them, allowing for proactive remediation and enhancing overall cybersecurity resilience.

The frequency of penetration testing depends on factors such as the organization’s risk profile, regulatory requirements, and changes to the IT environment. Generally, annual, or biannual testing is recommended, with additional testing after significant changes or incidents.  Other organizations may prefer continuous security testing through automation to validate security measure and control put into place.

Common types of penetration testing include network penetration testing, web application penetration testing, mobile application penetration testing, wireless network penetration testing, and social engineering testing.

Penetration testing can be performed by in-house cybersecurity teams, external third-party consultants, or specialized third party pentesting security providers who should provide in-house certified expertise in assessing and mitigating security risks.  Pentesters should be CREST-certified to ensure pentesting standards are followed and maximized for value.

Vulnerability scanning involves automated scans to identify known vulnerabilities in systems and networks, while penetration testing involves simulated attacks to exploit vulnerabilities and assess the effectiveness of security controls.

The steps typically include scoping, reconnaissance, vulnerability scanning, exploitation, post-exploitation analysis, and reporting. Each step is carefully executed to simulate real-world attack scenarios and provide actionable recommendations for improvement.

The deliverables usually include a comprehensive report detailing the findings, vulnerabilities exploited, risk assessment, recommendations for remediation, and any other relevant documentation or evidence gathered during testing.  If using a third-party pentesting provider, be sure to ask about reporting that communicate the results in a more digestible format for boards and executives as well as downloadable regulatory certificates upon successful pentesting completion.

Organizations can prepare for penetration testing by understanding their attack surface, defining clear testing objectives, establishing communication channels with the testing team, ensuring proper authorization and access permissions, and addressing any potential impact on production systems. Additionally, organizations should be ready to implement remediation measures based on the findings and recommendations from testing.