Determining the level of exposure of your IT assets is not a trivial exercise. It requires an iterative security methodology that includes vulnerability assessments combined with penetration testing.
Penetration testing is a method of probing and identifying security vulnerabilities in your network and pinpointing where your IT environment can be exploited by a hacker. The threats can be both internal and external and, as security industry experts, we recommend performing both internal and external penetration tests. While some portions of technical penetration testing can be automated, we recommend that all tests be augmented with the empirical knowledge of a security consultant.
Key areas to cover through penertration testing include:
- Network and Operating Systems – discover vulnerable and undocumented services, protocols, and authentication within the scope of your network
- Wireless Security – with onsite access the wireless network signal, with the main objective is to reach the internal network
- Web Applications – an experienced security consultant in tandem with a vulnerability scanner designed to evaluate web applications is your best defense
