While all business’ need to take active steps to protect their networks against cyber-threats, the level of risk and the scope of potential harm that could be caused, will differ significantly across organisations. It is crucial to note that this does not necessarily mean there is ‘less’ risk for smaller companies, but rather, that individual business’ need to understand the scope of their IT systems that need securing, and work to ensure that sufficient information security measures are implemented to ensure it is fully secure from hackers. When it comes to effective information security, overlooking just a single thing could result in a systems wide security breach, which could significantly impact the business’ ability to function. By undergoing comprehensive penetration testing of their networks, business’ are actively ensuring that their confidential information remains secure, and upholding their reputation as a safe organisation to work with.

What penetration testing is and how it protects companies

Penetration testing is a form of ‘ethical hacking’, where a team of IT experts are commissioned to attempt a simulated cyber-attack on your IT systems, under controlled conditions, as a reconnaissance exercise. This will allow organisations to gain understanding into the following areas:

• What potential vulnerabilities exist within your IT systems. Every business will be using their own IT system, and so may be exposed to cyber-threats in a range of ways. It is important to note that even if the business has already taken steps to secure their networks from known vulnerabilities, there may be unknown ones that a proficient hacker could exploit. A thorough pentest aims to identify all potential vulnerabilities that exist within the network, and provide the business with clear guidance about what needs to be done to secure their networks.
• The scope of damage that could be caused. Depending on the particulars of the IT system, a successful breach could have any number of detrimental effects for a business. These range from relatively minor, where a hacker can view privileged information that they are not authorised to see but do nothing with it, to severe, in which hackers could bring down the entire network, the reputation of the business, and possible even its ability to function. Organisations need to understand the scope of potential damage that could be caused by a successful cyber-attack, as this will allow them to effectively secure their networks. An ethical hacking service helps business’ to understand the scope of damage that could be caused, and then take active steps to ensure their information stays secure.

By commissioning a penetration testing service, business’ are adopting a pro-active approach to information security, by working with people who are able to think like a hacker, and thus approach the issue of effective information security from the perspective of one. This helps organisations to stay a step ahead of any manner of cyber-threats, by working to identify the same network vulnerabilities that hackers themselves would search for, and then working to secure them before any damage can be caused.

The benefits of pentesting services

By undergoing this service, business’ stand to gain a wide range of operational benefits, including:

• Effective risk management: This means protecting clients, partners, and third parties and developing a more thorough understanding of your security defences.
• Identifying and addressing system vulnerabilities: This is achieved by rescanning your networks from a range of perspectives, until the pentesters have full confidence that the system is secure from a wide range of cyber-threats.
• Adopting a strategic approach to achieving your information security goals: Penetration testing is performed in a straight-forward, structured manner, thus ensuring the business is clearly working towards its information security goals. This approach begins with reconnaissance, and works through steps such as identifying assets and prioritising, vulnerability mapping, and exploitation, before concluding the process with appropriate remediation and rescanning measures. By adopting this structured approach, business’ are in the best position to identify potential vulnerabilities and take protective action to minimise harm.

Find out what pentesting service suits your business

Anitech currently offers three distinctive ethical hacking services, which differ in their scope and service offering. They are the Basic, Elaborative, and Elite packages. Each package offers a range of pentesting services, with the higher-up packages building upon the service offerings by providing more comprehensive ethical hacking services, addressing information security issues from a broader perspective.

Which one is best suited to your company will depend upon several factors, including its size, the complexity of its IT systems, what areas need to be addressed, and so on. Before commissioning this service, you should speak to a consultant about your information security concerns, what goals you are aiming to achieve, the scope of your IT systems, and other relevant matters, and they will be able to make a recommendation about which pentesting service is best suited to your business.

To get started on this process, and ensure that your IT systems are secured ASAP, please contact Anitech’s information security consultants today by email at sales@anitechgroup.com or by phone on 1300 802 163. Wouldn’t you agree that this is a safe and secure idea?

Please click here to read a thorough overview of Anitech’s pentesting services, with clear information about the packages on offer.