What Is a Penetration Test?
A penetration test is an assessment of a network’s security. When performed by a third party, a pen test involves a certified ethical hacker who attempts to breach either interior or exterior business networks (depending on the type of test performed) to identify potential points of compromise.
Penetration testers are trained to think like hackers, and they use the same methods as their malicious counterparts. The concept is similar to safeguarding your house: To burglar-proof your home, you might want advice from someone with experience breaking into homes.
This is because there’s a difference between trying to prevent an attack and looking for weak points. What may appear to be secure may actually be vulnerable — finding out is all in the approach.
When it comes to penetration testing, two misconceptions are common.
First is that pen tests deliver largely the same results, regardless of who runs them. But the expertise of testers make a big difference in how they approach network attacks and what they find.
Second is that great pen testers are enough on their own. The reality is that even top-tier testing won’t improve defenses if it’s not paired with comprehensive reporting. It’s vital that testers detail everything they do because businesses need to know what was tested, how it was tested, and where it failed.
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