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When it comes to cyber crimes, no one is safe.
From large corporations to startups, we’ve all heard how relentless and crafty cybercriminals are at coming up with methodologies to hack companies.
That is why, if you want to protect yourself against the attacks, you need to take your cybersecurity to the next level.
The good news is, countless initiatives from both the private and the government sectors have been made to help prevent companies from falling prey to the attacks. And in this article, we’re going to look at the ins and outs of penetration testing — one of the most crucial methods security experts use to protect businesses from cybercriminals.
But first, let’s define what pen testing is and why it’s important.
Penetration Testing from 30,000 ft.
Penetration testing (or pen testing) is a simulation of cyber-attacks by cybersecurity experts on your IT systems, networks, and devices to validate the robustness of your IT defenses.
Pen testing lets these experts identify vulnerabilities, exploit them intentionally within safe boundaries, and recommend corrective actions.
Penetration testing comes in different forms tackling specific systems, such as web-based programs, mobile applications, and others.
For instance, if you’re a dropshipper with a Shopify store, you probably use some Shopify apps and other plugins to streamline your operations.
If you’re not careful, though, you may unknowingly install other plugins with malware that can permeate your networks if you have outdated firewalls.
This is why pen testers include that in their inspection to ensure your plugins are safe, you have updated anti-virus programs and many more.
Overall, pen-testing gives you a 30,000 feet view of your cybersecurity standing that can drive enhancement of IT safety policies and programs.
To make the most of pen testing, though, you may need to know the current challenges you can encounter as well as related trends that may arise in the coming years.
Current Challenges
The challenges that pen testing faces now can influence how their future trends for businesses will turn out.
For one, companies often confuse pen testing with other related methods, such as vulnerability scanning and red teaming. Truth is, they’re all different.
Vulnerability scanning refers mainly to uncovering IT security weaknesses and listing all of them with recommended remedies. Pen testing also has that function but goes beyond that to simulation.
Red teaming is similar to pen testing in that they simulate cyber attacks but over a longer period and continuous campaign-based approach. Pen testing is also part of the red teaming methods.
When you mistake pen testing for the other tactics, you can pick services that may not completely meet your cybersecurity needs and bring optimum value to you.
That is why, at the onset, you and your cybersecurity company must clarify what your needs are and if pen testing is what you’re looking for.
Moreover, to get more value from pen-testing services, you and your suppliers need to focus more on simulations and less on the vulnerability scanning aspect.
Another challenge surrounding pen testing is the fear that service providers might end up scamming and hacking their business organization clients.
Although the idea of giving people access to your private data can frighten you, keep in mind that pen testers are ethical hackers.
They are trained to apply hacking attempts for good purposes and handle your data professionally, that is, with confidentiality and caution.
They will ensure they don’t inflict damage on your systems and interrupt your business processes unnecessarily.
In fact, you can liken pen testers to your business startup mentor who has the right expertise and intention, explaining ideas to you and teaching you what you should do correctly.
It’s vital, though, that you accept services from companies or individuals with certifications from trustworthy bodies like the Council for Registered Ethical Security Testers (CREST).
These credentials reflect the certification holders’ technical skills and accountability to CREST on their conduct.
With that, you can feel your data and IT systems remain safe when employing pen testing services.
The other challenge is in communicating technical ideas to non-technical clients, especially to company decision-makers in traditional pen testing methods.
Pen testers, hence, need to simplify complex ideas. In plain words, they need to relay their findings, explain the implications of unresolved weaknesses, and recommend the next steps.
Doing so allows you to grasp your cybersecurity posture more clearly and obtain the optimum benefit from pen-testing services.
Foreseen Trends for Pen Testing
Experts foresee various trends that will take place involving penetration testing.
For example, as the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies improves, AI and automation will power pen testing methods to streamline the process as well as the accuracy of results.
By automating, AI can yield precise feedback faster, gather truckloads of information, study sweeping data lists, find hidden backdoors and possible threat entry points, and more.
Plus, with machine learning research on how humans generate passwords, AI-powered algorithms can test myriad password combinations and see if your devices are vulnerable to breaches.
Overall, AI and automation can help take care of the repetitive scanning processes and support cyber-attack simulation needs.
That allows pen testers to focus on deliverables suited to your needs, handling critical simulation matters, generally, reduce your overall spend while offering high service value, etc.
As technologies like AI advance, though, so do hacking attempts.
As such, specialists perceive that pen testing must and will become a more proactive initiative among businesses both to protect their assets and comply with various regulations.
For instance, as ecommerce businesses, you likely adhere to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI-DSS), General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and more.
To ensure compliance, online businesses will likely engage pen testing to disclose vulnerabilities violating those regulations, document required security procedures, and fortify related company policies.
Else, you can pay heavy fines should you be found to be negligent about protecting your and your customers’ data when breaches and other violations occur.
Due to these compliance requirements, probably including pen testing itself, the market size for this specific facet of the cybersecurity industry will likely experience significant revenue spikes.
Even though the pen testing sector has suffered some impact, it has preserved a comparably optimistic growth in the four previous years from 520 million dollars in 2014 to 930 million in 2019.
Analysts foresee that the pen testing market size will further expand, reaching 2.42 million dollars by 2025, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of almost 15 percent from 2019 to 2025.
Experts also believe that the Asia Pacific region will have the biggest market share at more than 35 percent in 2023.
Pen Testing Will Remain Relevant
That said, if you’ve been considering employing pen testing but aren’t sure for how long it will remain relevant, foreseen trends show that this pen testing will remain so in the next few years.
Despite the challenges that online businesses can face regarding pen testing, this strategy will continue to help you combat current and emerging cyber threats in 2020.
Plus, with data privacy laws keeping companies and users safe and accountable, pen-testing may become one of the prerequisites or main requirements — but most likely a must-use strategy to keep your business secure in the long run.
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