Penetration Testing (Pen Testing) is an authorized exam that measures the security of an IT system by safely exploiting all its vulnerabilities; mostly to evaluate and expose any flaws within the system.
Companies get pen tests because they have already been hacked and now want to find out more about the threats to their systems so that they can reduce the risk of another attack. A company might also want to know about any threats that face their organization as a whole or a new system in advance before it goes live. It is important that organizations have pen tests because it exploits all the weaknesses in the system allowing companies to fix them before it’s too late. It helps prevent any future attacks and protects a company’s data.
Today’s increasingly sophisticated IT security attacks can take many forms and can have major consequences; some of which include businesses being robbed of confidential information and data, operations being compromised, and the systems that control crucial infrastructures can be disrupted. Overall, one security attack can destroy a business; this is why it is very important for businesses to have their regular penetration tests.
Pen tests simulate a real attack against your infrastructure in a controlled environment, allowing our support team to evaluate your system’s capabilities to avert such an attack. They are carried out using the same techniques as an attacker, creating multiple scenarios in which a business might be exploited. At the end of the test, they verify if your servers or applications will be able to resist hostile attacks; and if the vulnerabilities found can lead to further intrusion and exploitation.
Pen tests will allow you to understand your current security position, and provide you with recommendations on how to improve your defense against vulnerabilities that can lead to intrusions, fraud and service interruptions.
When Pen tests are performed, they are done with the allowance of the business. These are not real attacks towards an infrastructure and will not do anything to harm a business. Depending on the amount of allowance a business gives us determines how thoroughly we can examine a system.
Penetration testing includes testing network penetration and application security as well as controls and processes around the networks and applications. This should occur from both outside and inside the network. We use licensed tools that receive updates for new vulnerabilities and algorithms from multiple authorities. Digital Edge utilizes penetration algorithms and logistics developed and published by:
- Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP)
- Penetration Testing Executive Standards (PTES)
- Open Source Security Testing Methodology (OSSTM)
- Control frameworks such as ISO 27001 and Control Objectives for Information and Related Technology (COBIT)
- Architecture models such as The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF).
Digital Edge’s Pen test provides you with an understanding of real-world risks posed to your organization from the perspective of an attacker. A prioritized risk rating takes multiple business-driven criteria and maps them to your business objectives. Our security audits and penetration testing services ensure you following government regulations as well as protect an of your company’s data.
The final result of the penetration test is a detailed report that includes all the findings of the test as well as the countermeasures and recommendations to secure your IT infrastructure. Digital Edge provides a comprehensive report that documents the following elements:
- The security level of the servers as perceived by an attacker.
- Potentially exploitable security breaches, vulnerabilities, as well as countermeasures and corrective actions to be applied.
- All testing activities and raw scan data alongside the final deliverable.
If serious vulnerabilities are discovered in the course of this evaluation, Digital Edge’s consultants will provide you with an interim report.
Penetration testing from Digital Edge protects your business and provides many benefits including:
- Manage Vulnerabilities Using Greater Intelligence – Understand your vulnerabilities by gaining understanding into why they occur and how to remove them. Analyze and rank exploitable weaknesses based on potential impact and likelihood of occurrence.
- Reduce Costs Associated with Possible Service Interruptions– Avoid network downtime and the costs associated to it by discovering vulnerabilities and eliminating them.
- Preserve Corporate Image and Customer Loyalty – Any downtime or missteps can be harmful to an organization’s image. Penetration testing finds vulnerabilities before they become problems.
- Improved Compliance – Ensure you are in compliance with customer and shareholder requirements, regulations and standards. We can help you comply with major regulations such as SOX, PCI, NERC/ CIP, SAS70/SSAE16, HIPAA, ISO, and more.
Reviews from our clients such as Brain Cook, Director of IT from The Enrollment Management Association, stated “It has been a pleasure work with the folks at Digital Edge. Throughout the process Digital Edge worked with me and my team to ensure we met our requirements in a timely manner.” Also stating “We had to do a network penetration test to maintain our PCI compliance. We tested our intrusion prevention, customer portal, local networks, and home page. When the test was completed we received a detailed report for the IT team to process and a comprehensive Executive Summary report to present to our Leadership team. Digital Edge was happy to work with us to customize the reports to meet our internal requirements. I would highly recommend using Digital Edge for your Penetration testing needs and I would not hesitate to use them again in the future.”
Digital Edge’s support team is knowledgeable and experienced in performing penetration tests as well as handling any hacking situations. We recommend that any company has a penetration test done at least once a year if not more. Financial institutions should be doing it even more, at least quarterly. Since technology is always advancing, you have to make sure your company is well guarded and ready in case of an attacker. Digital Edge helps keep your company safe!