Determining which type of pentests are best for your organization depends on concerns or needs that are generated from real life security incidents or concerns about security posture for business critical systems or environments.
A penetration test, commonly referred to as a “pentest” is a security exercise designed to simulate relevant real world attacks against company assets and exposures, such as web applications, IT infrastructure , or cloud infrastructure. Penetration tests are usually one phase of a larger security program or roadmap. Pentests help companies validate assumptions about their security posture, or help direct work effort for other phases defined in a security roadmap.
After the test is completed, a pentester will give you a comprehensive report detailing discovered issues and weaknesses, accompanied by actionable recommendations for remediation.
Pentests are part of the PCI requirements, and are essential to protecting your data because they identify real world attacks to your business, critical systems, or environments. Ensuring your sensitive data is secure is imperative for keeping your business safe and maintaining the trust of your customers.
There are many types of penetration tests. Determining which type of pentests are best for your organization depends on concerns or needs that are generated from real life security incidents, concerns about security posture for business critical systems or environments, or to validate previous work effort from different phases of the security roadmap.
See also: 6 Steps to a Penetration Test
Purpose: The purpose of an external penetration test is to simulate external cyberattacks on an organization's assets and services, and assess the real world attacks that may be exploited by malicious actors.
Who is this test for? External pentests are designed for companies with external-facing systems, such as websites or servers accessible from the Internet. If you find yourself asking questions like, “what is available externally that I’m not aware of?” “What could an unauthenticated or low privileged attacker do with what is available publicly?” Or, “What would happen if an attacker performed a social engineering attack on my company?” This is a good test to perform
What is this test for? The primary goal of external penetration tests is to identify and exploit external vulnerabilities that could lead to unauthorized access and data breaches.
Threats it protects against: This type of test protects against threats like unauthorized access and data breaches originating from external sources, helping organizations fortify their defenses against external cyber threats.
As part of an external pentest, you can also consider adding a phishing engagement. The purpose of phishing engagement penetration tests is to identify and exploit potential vulnerabilities by testing employees in an organization through social engineering.
Purpose: The purpose of an internal penetration test is to explore cyberattack opportunities originating from within an organization's network, and assess the security of internal assets and services.
Who is this test for? Internal penetration tests are intended for companies concerned with their internal network security. This perspective usually assumes that an attacker will get inside of an internal network. This test is for anyone that wants to know what would happen if an attacker were able to breach their perimeter and gain access to the internal network.
What is this test for? The test evaluates the ability of an attacker to pivot through the network and escalate privileges, identifying vulnerabilities that could lead to internal breaches and unauthorized access.
Threats it protects against: This type of test protects against threats related to internal security, and helps organizations identify and mitigate risks associated with unauthorized access and breaches that may originate from within their network.
Purpose: The objective of an web application penetration test is to identify security issues stemming from insecure development practices in the design, coding, and publishing of software, custom applications, or APIs.
Who is this test for? Web application penetration tests are crucial for any organization or entity that develops, deploys, or manages software applications. Applications are generally huge warehouses for sensitive data i.e. PII, NPI, and proprietary information. If an application is central to your business offering, this is always a test that is recommended because of how many different types of attacks are possible and the impact if an attack is successful.
What is this test for? A web application pentest is conducted to evaluate the security of a software application by identifying web application vulnerabilities.
Threats it protects against: Web application penetration tests protect against a myriad of cybersecurity threats targeting the vulnerabilities in web applications. These tests help identify and mitigate issues such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), cross-site request forgery (CSRF), security misconfigurations, and other common web application vulnerabilities.
Purpose: The purpose of a mobile penetration test is to assess the security of a mobile application or device by simulating real-world cyberattacks.
Who is this test for? Mobile penetration tests are recommended for organizations and individuals who develop or use mobile applications. This includes app developers, businesses with mobile apps, and organizations relying on mobile technology for various operations.
What does this test for? A mobile penetration test is conducted to assess the security of mobile applications and their associated infrastructure such as the mobile app's code, backend systems, and network connections.
Threats it protects against: Some common threats addressed by mobile pentests include data breaches, unauthorized access, malware and ransomware, insecure data storage, phishing and social engineering, and device compromise.
Purpose: The objective of a segmentation check is to identify whether there is access into a secure network because of a misconfigured firewall.
Who is this test for? Segmentation checks are typically conducted for organizations that have implemented network segmentation as a security measure.
What is this test for? These tests are designed to assess the effectiveness of the segmentation controls within a network.
Threats it protects against: Segmentation checks ensure the effectiveness of network segmentation so there aren’t any data breaches or unauthorized network access.
SecurityMetrics’ goal has always been to create accessible, affordable cybersecurity for the best value. With 20+ years of experience, SecurityMetrics has continued that objective while making the compliance process as thorough and painless as possible. Our penetration tests are a great example of the quality service that we offer our customers.
Here is what we offer to give you the best value for your money.
Pentest Coordinator: One notable aspect of SecurityMetrics' communication strategy is the utilization of a pen test coordinator, providing clients with a streamlined interaction with the pentest team.
Flexible Pricing: To keep our services affordable, we offer flexible rates so that you are only paying for what you need.
Tailored Testing: Just because you have a great rate doesn’t mean we compromise on quality. While other businesses rely on just automated scanning tools to do a pentest, SecurityMetrics does manual checks - real world attacks tailored for your security needs - in addition to scans so that you get the most accurate evaluation of your systems and network.
Certified Expertise: SecurityMetrics' Qualified Security Assessors (QSAs) hold CISSP and OSCP certifications, so you know they are adherent to industry standards. Annually, SecurityMetrics conducts an internal testing program, wherein QSAs assess their own servers to identify vulnerabilities and gauge the efficacy of exploiting them. This proactive approach underscores our commitment to ensuring robust security.
Collaboration and Communication: To make our penetration tests accessible, we emphasize a collaborative and communicative approach, ensuring that both clients and the pentest team are comfortable exchanging insights and feedback.
In conclusion, penetration tests are not just a compliance requirement but a crucial strategy to safeguard your data. Identifying and addressing vulnerabilities through pentests is essential to prevent unauthorized access, data breaches, and internal breaches.
As businesses increasingly rely on digital platforms, prioritizing data security is paramount. Ensuring the security of sensitive information is not only a legal obligation, especially with PCI requirements, but it also builds trust with customers. A breach can have severe consequences, affecting both your reputation and bottom line.
Don't wait for a security breach to take action. Explore SecurityMetrics services today to fortify your defenses and maintain the integrity of your data.
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