Keep Hackers at Bay with Network Penetration Testing

							                               Keep Hackers at Bay with Network Penetration Testing


Wikipedia defines penetration testing as “a method of evaluating the security of a computer system or network by
simulating an attack from malicious outsiders (who do not have an authorized means of accessing the
organization's systems) and malicious insiders (who have some level of authorized access).” The penetration
testing is done for a variety of reasons. This includes
·     Detecting security weaknesses and finding vulnerabilities that a hacker could exploit
·     Determining the feasibility of a particular set of attack vectors
·     Assessing the security awareness of the employees within an organization
·      Identifying vulnerabilities that may be difficult or impossible to detect with automated network or
application vulnerability scanning software
·     Evaluating an organization's security policy compliance
·     Assessing the ability of any organization in identifying and responding to incidents
·     Assessing the magnitude of potential business and operational impacts of successful attacks
·     Identifying high-risk vulnerabilities that result from a combination of low-risk vulnerabilities exploited in a
particular sequence
·     Providing evidence to support increased investments in security personnel and technology


Network penetration testing attains greater significance in today’s business environment where vulnerabilities and
threats are becoming a serious concern for enterprises. According to Identity Theft Resource Center’s ‘2011 Breach
Report’, malicious attacks (defined as a combination of hacking and insider theft) accounted for nearly 40 percent
of the recorded breaches in 2011. Hacking attacks were responsible for more than one-quarter (25.8 percent) of
the data breaches recorded. Such attacks can seriously dent an enterprise’s image and reputation among its
clients.


Though enterprises take all possible measures to ensure network security, there would definitely be certain
loopholes in their security strategies that would be exploited by hackers to get away with the sensitive corporate
data. By performing network penetration testing, enterprises can initiate a real world attack on their network and
thereby eliminate the security gaps and loopholes. This helps to make the network far less vulnerable and far more
secure.


With network penetration testing services offered by managed service providers, enterprises could now effectively
keep hackers at bay. The following are some of the features offered by a leading network penetration testing
service provider.
·    Covers all WASC, OWASP Top 10, CVE / NVDB / SANS Top 20 vulnerabilities including
data-in-motion leakages
·    Coverage of all attack paths through loophole correlation
·    Threat Modeling and expert validation along with automated exploitation
·    Automated Testing
·    Business logic verification
·    Online vulnerability management dashboard
·    Transparent, monthly/quarterly charges
·    PCI and ISO27001 compliance friendly reporting
·    Research driven delivery


Thus, enterprises can boost their business capabilities with effective network penetration testing.
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