Penetration testing, often referred to as pen testing, is a security exercise designed to identify and exploit vulnerabilities in a computer system. This simulated attack aims to uncover weak points in a system’s defences that malicious hackers might exploit.

You can think of it as a bank hiring someone to pose as a burglar to try to break into their premises and access the vault. If the ‘burglar’ successfully enters the bank or vault, the bank gains crucial insights on how to enhance its security measures.

There are various types of penetration tests, which are often confused with vulnerability assessments. One major difference is that a vulnerability assessment identifies and reports weaknesses discovered during a scan, while a penetration test attempts to exploit these vulnerabilities, much like a hacker would, to gain access to the system. Due to their nature, penetration tests can lead to system instability or downtime. Therefore, conducting a penetration test without first performing a vulnerability assessment is risky and may not provide a complete picture of cyber risks.

Combining a vulnerability assessment with a penetration test yields the best results by offering a thorough overview of the system’s security posture. Many service providers claim to offer penetration tests, but they often only conduct vulnerability assessments, which leaves out a crucial element of the process.

Additionally, performing an external-only penetration test is unlikely to yield meaningful insights since scanning or attempting to penetrate a typical small or medium-sized enterprise’s externally facing network (usually just a firewall) overlooks significant internal risks.

We recommend conducting multiple internal vulnerability assessments alongside a comprehensive internal and external penetration test. This approach delivers a true representation of your IT systems’ security.

The results from our penetration tests are independently reviewed by external experts and certified by CREST (Council for Registered Ethical Security Testers).