Stay Ahead of the Cybersecurity Game With Ongoing Penetration Testing

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The Recurring Reality: Why Ongoing Penetration Testing is Crucial

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In today’s volatile cybersecurity landscape, where data is the lifeblood of businesses and organizations and bad actors are constantly working on new ways to steal it, ensuring network security is paramount. In addition to putting technologies like endpoint detection and response (EDR) and a security operations center (SOC) to work, businesses need to invest in regular, ongoing network penetration testing. Traditionally, network penetration testing has been a once-a-year, compliance-driven effort, relying heavily on expensive manual testing. However, yearly testing isn’t enough to get the job done anymore. The cyberthreat landscape is evolving at a breakneck pace, with new threats and zero-day exploits popping up every day. Network penetration testing should be an ongoing practice to stay ahead of the game, and automation technology has made that an affordable possibility for most businesses.

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Excerpted in part from The Network Penetration Testing Buyer’s Guide DOWNLOAD IT>>   

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Cyberthreats are evolving at light speed 

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The cybersecurity world is in constant flux, with cyberthreats evolving and adapting at an alarming pace. That’s why the defensive strategies and toolkits that businesses use to protect their networks and data must also evolve. From ChatGPT-enabled phishing attacks to sophisticated fileless malware, the arsenal of cybercriminals is ever-expanding. Businesses need to realize that IT professionals also need a constantly evolving set of tools to stay one step ahead of malicious actors — and regular network penetration testing is one of those tools.  

In August 2023, Recorded Future released its monthly common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVE) report. The report revealed that 18 out of the estimated 2,400 newly disclosed vulnerabilities charted in August 2023 had high-risk scores — and that’s in just one month. Two of those high-risk CVEs were confirmed as zero-day vulnerabilities affecting Microsoft. Researchers also noted a trend of bad actors chaining the exploitation of multiple vulnerabilities together to inflict greater damage on their victims.   

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Businesses must keep ahead of cyberthreats

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One-time, once-a-year network penetration testing cannot keep up with the speed at which cyberthreats evolve and vulnerabilities surface. Some of those vulnerabilities have been extreme, like the MOVEit Transfer exploit that cybercriminals used as a gateway to steal data and spread ransomware, impacting an estimated 1,000 businesses worldwide (and counting). 

Relying on a yearly penetration test to find potential security disasters, like MOVEit, is like trying to protect a castle with a single sentry when invaders armed with advanced weaponry lay siege to it every day. If you think of your organization as the castle, the limitations of annual testing become glaringly apparent. You need to ensure that you’re constantly finding and fixing defensive holes to keep bad actors out of your systems and away from your data.  

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Advantages of on-demand and monthly network pentesting 

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To combat these ever-evolving threats, organizations should embrace the concept of on-demand network penetration testing. Here are some compelling reasons why: 

• Proactive threat detection: On-demand testing allows you to identify vulnerabilities early, before cybercriminals can exploit them, enabling you to find and fix problems before they become disasters. 
• Real-time defense: With ongoing testing, you can stay ahead of emerging threats. Don’t wait to see if you’re in danger because of a new vulnerability.    
• Strengthened network security: Monthly testing significantly improves your overall security posture, strengthening your defense against cybercrime.  

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Compliance and beyond 

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Many compliance standards require penetration testing. Unfortunately, that’s the only reason why many organizations perform yearly network penetration testing. While compliance is undoubtedly crucial, it’s just the starting point. Ongoing network testing not only aligns with compliance standards but also goes beyond. It helps organizations develop a proactive security mindset, better preparing them for future threats. Recurring testing ensures that your security measures are not just a checkbox on a compliance list but an integral part of your cybersecurity strategy.  

Tech Republic reported that one of the biggest reasons why companies don’t conduct adequate penetration testing is budget. However, when compared with the cost of a security failure resulting in a cyberattack, it’s clear that companies should be doing everything possible to avoid an expensive disaster. The global average cost of a data breach in 2023 was $4.45 million, a 15% increase over 3 years – and that cost just keeps going up.

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Automation slashes cost 

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A key component of ongoing network penetration testing is automation. Automation streamlines and enhances the testing process, making it more efficient and accurate. Another beneficial result of security automation is cost savings for businesses. Cost has historically been a major barrier to conducting regular penetration testing for one in three companies. Automation removes that barrier, putting ongoing penetration testing within reach for every organization.

Although finding the right solution may seem like a daunting task, one penetration testing solution that offers all of the right features at a surprisingly affordable price is vPenTest — an automated network penetration testing tool from Vonahi Security. This powerhouse combines cutting-edge technology with ease of use, ensuring your network is tested thoroughly and regularly. With the pace of cyberthreats today, finding and fixing vulnerabilities before bad actors can exploit them is an excellent way for IT professionals to keep an organization’s network and data safe.

Source: Vonahi

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Make penetration testing part of your cybersecurity arsenal  

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Network penetration testing should no longer be viewed as a one-time, compliance-driven effort. The ever-changing threat landscape necessitates an ongoing practice to ensure network security and threat readiness. By embracing on-demand testing and reaping the benefits of security automation, organizations can proactively protect their networks and data to ensure they’re ready for current and future threats.  

vPenTest from Vonahi offers businesses an array of unbeatable benefits to help them stay ahead of bad actors and quickly find security flaws like vulnerabilities. Some of the major advantages include: 

• Conducting of internal or external network penetration testing on a monthly basis instead of annually.
• Saving more than 60% of the cost of a traditional or manual network penetration test. 
• Real-time monitoring of network penetration testing and its progress. 
• Meeting compliance requirements for regulated industries, like PCI, HIPAA, SOC2, etc., and cyber insurance requirements. 
• Peace of mind knowing that vPenTest is backed by OSCP and OSCE-certified consultants with over 10 years of experience. 

Learn more about vPenTest LEARN MORE>>

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