Improving your businesses cybersecurity should be on the top of your priority list. Be this through improving your password policy or by introducing MFA to your employee’s accounts. However, one thing which you may not be aware of is penetration testing. Read on to find out more about this tactic and how Three Cherries can help with penetration testing Bristol.

 

What is Penetration Testing?

Penetration testing or Pen Testing for short is a method used to highlight any cybersecurity vulnerabilities. This is done by using a company to preform ethical hacking methods on your IT system. By doing this, any unidentified vulnerabilities are exposed, allowing for your business to invest in strengthening these areas.

How Does Penetration Testing Work?

Pen testing works by using a form of ethical hacking on your systems. Although this may sound scary or unsafe, this is completely legal, and a process used by a wide array of businesses. These ethical hackers are employed by companies with the permission of their employers to use hacking methods to find weaknesses and faults within your cybersecurity system. Your data is completely safe and the only similarity to a malicious hacker is the methods used. By doing this, it also replicates a realistic scenario of how a malicious user may attempt to get into your system.

What Types of Penetration Testing are There?

There are multiple types of testing for companies interested in penetration testing Bristol. These are the following:

Black Box Penetration Testing:

The first type of penetration testing is black box. This is the most complex and difficult to execute form of penetration testing available. This is because the testing company is told nothing about your IT system. This means however that it is the most realistic form of test as a genuine malicious hacker would also be starting with no knowledge. Due to the more complex process involved, this can take up to a month to complete and is therefore the most expensive form of penetration testing for businesses in Bristol.

White Box Penetration Testing:

White box penetration testing is the complete opposite to black box. This is where the testing company is told information about the IT network and system. This makes it less complex and difficult for the tester to breach the system compared to a black box test. This is usually used to just identify what areas have weaknesses. Being that the testing company has information about the system, it is the least time consuming and consequently cheapest form of penetration testing for businesses in Bristol.

Grey Box Penetration Testing:

Grey box penetration testing is a middle ground test. This is because the testing company is aware of some information regarding the company but not the whole system. Examples of the information shared may be login credentials or items of information a hacker may get access to. This is the most realistic form of test as typically; most hackers will have some level of information about a company/system before performing hacking processes. This level suits most businesses in Bristol looking for a penetration test.

What are the Business Benefits to Performing a Penetration Test?

Performing a penetration test can provide invaluable insights into where your cybersecurity vulnerabilities lie. This provides two main benefits.

Risk Mitigation: The first benefit is risk mitigation. This is because if you are able to identify any vulnerabilities in your system, you can put the correct measures in place to patch these cybersecurity vulnerabilities and become more secure overall. By mitigating risks, you can rest assured that your system is at a higher level of protection and less likely to be at risk of data breaches or loss.

Cost Effectiveness: Another benefit of penetration testing is how cost effective they are. Instead of spending a large sum of money on all areas of your system, pen testing will show you exactly what needs changing and how important it is. This saves you money in the long run. By fixing these vulnerabilities found in the test also, you reduce the risk of being faced with large ransoms or costs associated to recovering data after an attack or breach.

 

Three Cherries: Your Partners in Penetration Testing Bristol

Penetration testing will benefit all businesses cybersecurity in one way or another. Be it identifying a new vulnerability or testing how strong a newly implemented measure is. There is a reason for any company to carry out a test. If you’re interested in finding out more about penetration testing Bristol, contact us today.