Penetration testing sounds like a fancy job profile but in reality, it is as essential as a Network defense job profile. Yes, penetration testers form a crucial link between users and digital security. The definition of penetration testing is somewhat similar to ethical hacking, i.e. performing an authorised cyber attack on a system to find security vulnerabilities. However, there is a small difference between the two: ethical hacking deals with attacking systems to find potential loopholes, whereas penetration testing tests how critical a vulnerability is by trying to break into the system through it.
Penetration testers are a major part of offensive security
Offensive security is a central piece in cyber security, without which our hopes of a secure digital world will fall flat on their face. It may seem like an unnecessary task to break into a system in order to find vulnerabilities but it has been proven that offensive security methods lead to a significant improvement in the security posture of an organisation. Consider this scenario, if a museum storing valuable artifacts only depends upon security guards, CCTVs, alarms etc., then they shouldn’t be surprised when somebody steals from their collection by breaking through the basement or infiltrating a guard. Everyone understands that security can only be watertight by putting it through a rigorous test. It is, therefore, only sensible to put our digital systems through such tests, i.e. penetration testing.
Penetration testing can be of different types, for example, social engineering testing, network penetration testing, cloud penetration testing and so on. Based on the information provided to the penetration tester, it can be categorised in three totally different categories, i.e. black box testing, white box testing (insider threat testing) and gray box testing. Organisations must get their systems tested once a year on an average, or at any regular interval they deem most appropriate for their needs, since new threats and vulnerabilities keep on emerging constantly in the digital world. Penetration testers like CEH (Certified Ethical Hackers), LPT (Licensed Penetration Testers) professionals make sure that any possible vulnerabilities are not just discovered but also fixed before malicious hackers can exploit them.
Penetration testers save the world
While this holds true for any cybersecurity expert, it fits the role of penetration testers just perfectly. By way of penetration testing, organisations do not only save themselves from potential cyber attacks, they also end up saving money, customer trust and sometimes, the very life of their users. In the healthcare industry, penetration testing provides the level of security that defensive measures can’t on their own. And you don’t need to be told how cyber attacks in the healthcare system (and aviation and energy sector as well) can lead to loss of life.
Penetration testers don’t just deserve the attention they require, they also deserve our utmost respect because without them we won’t have access to safe and secure technologies. We owe our thanks to these professionals who use their skills and hard work to make the world a safer place by acting proactively and identifying threats before they can be exploited. There is no surprise about the fact that penetration testing is becoming an increasingly popular field among students and professionals today. Although, it must be noted that the irony is quite dark: for penetration testers to be given more importance, the world had to become more dangerous. However, in the natural course of things, it can be concluded that the field of vulnerability assessment and penetration testing is exactly where it should be: at the top of our minds and at the top of our list of priorities. If you want to contribute to digital safety and become a part of the solution, rather than a part of the problem, then go ahead and check out an ethical hacking course or a penetration testing course today.
