With so much digital data being transferred and stored online, a robust cybersecurity strategy is necessary. If you want to protect your company, employees, customers, and clients, you need to invest in a variety of tactics. One especially vital method is penetration testing. It is commonly known as pen testing, ethical hacking, or white-hat hacking. This test is a simulated, self-inflicted cybersecurity attack. It is aimed to reveal and remedy any vulnerabilities within your system. If you’re curious to learn more about this approach, here’s what you need to know. 

Types

Since there are multiple points of entry into a network, there are many different hacking methods. Because of this, there are also many kinds of penetration testing. The attacks used will depend on factors like the type of network, the available timetable, and the budget. 

A targeted test, also known as a “lights on” approach, involves full transparency. The in-house IT team is fully aware of the hack and can see what’s going on. It’s useful for troubleshooting many fundamental security concerns.

External is a type of testing that targets publicly visible online servers and firewalls. Since many hackers can procure this information online, it reveals the level of a network's accessibility from readily available facts. 

Internal testing simulates an attack committed by someone with access privileges. Although authorized users should be allowed within some regions of the system, for cybersecurity purposes, they should never have access to everything. 

Blind and double-blind types of penetration tests are much closer to a random cyberattack. In a blind penetration test, sometimes the only information given to the testers is the company name. In a double-blind attack, most of the company is unaware that the test is being performed. 

Frequency

Companies should schedule penetration testing at least once a year. If your business deals with a significant amount of sensitive data, such as customers’ financial information, it’s better to test more frequently. The types of the test should be different every time so you can ensure that critical vulnerabilities are not overlooked. 

When you need to fortify your company’s cybersecurity, choose Network Solutions & Technology for penetration testing. Trusted throughout the New York metropolitan area, this East Northport IT consulting company has been in business for nearly two decades. Their expert team will scour your current network defenses in search of any potential weaknesses and thoroughly amend them. To get started, call them today at (877) 678-8080 or send them a message through their website.