Network penetration testing plays a vital role in detecting exploitable vulnerabilities. Current methods of performing pen testing are expensive, leading many companies to conduct testing only when necessary, typically once a year, to meet compliance requirements. This manual approach often misses opportunities to detect and fix security issues early, leaving businesses vulnerable to costly cyberattacks and potential vulnerabilities. However, new technologies using automation and artificial intelligence have revolutionized the process, making regular network penetration testing simple and affordable. We are now in the golden age of penetration testing, where every company can assess the security of its network without spending a lot of money.
Automated pen testing is a game changer
Cybersecurity automation is becoming a big thing, and it’s only getting bigger. Today, we need automation to help solve the problem of insufficient cybersecurity professionals. Even if a business gets some help from outside services or contractors, personnel alone cannot meet all security needs. According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), by 2025, a lack of cybersecurity personnel combined with simple negligence will cause more than half of all major cybersecurity problems.
Entering the world of security automation and artificial intelligence is a game-changer for companies that want to strengthen their cyber defenses without hiring a ton of additional staff. Especially when money is tight, automating security is a smart move because it’s cheaper, faster, and just as good as traditional manual methods. Automated penetration testing provides unparalleled security benefits at a fraction of the price of manual penetration testing. Companies now have the option of scheduled, on-site, and affordable automated pen testing, allowing them to identify weaknesses and proactively mitigate risk.
8 Benefits of Automated Network Penetration Testing
Network penetration testing is important to maintain your company’s cybersecurity resilience and be prepared for any attacks that hackers may launch. Here is a brief overview of eight benefits that organizations gain by regularly conducting penetration testing to assess their networks.
- Find and fix weak links: Regular penetration testing helps IT professionals discover problems in networks and devices before the bad guys do. This means you can patch problems or work around problems to make it harder for hackers to sneak in or steal your data.
- Capture what other tools miss: Penetration testing mimics a real hacker attack and uncovers security vulnerabilities that vulnerability scans might miss. This includes checking for all the factors that could lead to a breach, such as making sure your user permissions are tight and your security policies are effective in real life.
- Identify areas where operations can be improved: This is not just a matter of technology. Pen testing can also show IT professionals where there may be shortcomings in a company’s security procedures, employee awareness, or response times. Repairing these areas can make the organization’s overall security stronger and more resilient.
- Avoid downtime and money loss: Early detection of vulnerabilities can help organizations avoid damaging cyberattacks and prevent breaches that could cost companies significant amounts of money and time. Consider avoiding legal headaches, fines, and the cost of cleaning up the mess, not to mention maintaining a good reputation and customer trust. According to a 2023 Kaseya survey, more than half of IT professionals surveyed said their company had lost more than $50,000 due to cybersecurity incidents.
- Get on the right side of regulators: Data protection regulations proliferate at regional and national levels. In addition, insurance companies can require periodic security inspections to issue and maintain cyber insurance policies. These rules usually include written tests.
- Inside the mind of a hacker: Pen testing can give IT professionals the edge they need to strengthen their company’s defenses and keep a security-first mindset in place for everyone on the team by allowing you to understand how attackers think and the techniques they use.
- Test your event plan: You can use pen testing to see if your attack plan works in a pinch. It’s all about being prepared to detect, deal with, and recover from security issues. Having a tested incident response plan can save 35% on incident costs.
- Make your customers feel safe: Showing that you take security seriously by conducting regular penetration testing can make your customers trust you more. People like to know that their data is safe and secure.
Don’t fall into the trap of only doing compliance penetration testing
Nowadays, it’s not enough to just take a web pen test once a year to check a box. Today, cyber threats move and evolve at lightning speed. A passive approach leaves many holes in a company’s defenses where bad actors can slip through. Waiting too long between pen tests means companies may not discover easily fixable issues until hackers have already exploited them, which could lead to an expensive cybersecurity nightmare.
Merely meeting minimum compliance standards is not enough to protect against new, sophisticated cyberattacks being launched by cybercriminals at a record pace. The emergence of widespread artificial intelligence is not only revolutionizing cybersecurity. It has also revolutionized cybercrime. Businesses need to prepare for a host of new cyber threats. Penetration testing helps IT professionals discover vulnerabilities that bad actors could exploit before problems arise.
Why should I perform penetration testing regularly?
Thanks to automation, now is the perfect time for companies to get serious about regular web pen testing. Here’s why every company should start using automated network penetration testing today:
- save money – Automatic web pen testing is much cheaper than the old-fashioned manual method. Companies used to need to hire expensive technical staff or outsource tasks, which was slow and expensive. no longer. Through automation, IT professionals can conduct penetration tests frequently and, most importantly, quickly.
- You can scan more frequently – The digital world is changing rapidly, and new vulnerabilities are constantly emerging. Automation allows you to perform penetration tests more frequently and stay focused on issues. Automated tools like Vonahi Security’s vPenTest can assess your systems and networks faster than humans and without any burden on your IT team.
- Better quality and consistency – Automated pen testing hits the mark every time, performing the same checks consistently and without human error. These tools are highly accurate, pinpointing problems and providing IT professionals with the inside information to resolve them. Not only does this improve the quality of a company’s security inspections, but it also helps IT teams track how things improve over time.
Automate network penetration testing with vPenTest
For any company looking to improve their network security, using an automated solution like Vonahi Security’s vPenTest is a no-brainer. vPenTest is a comprehensive on-demand network penetration testing solution designed for IT teams. With the power of automation and the latest methodologies, vPenTest makes pen testing faster, more accurate, and more cost-effective, enhancing your security posture. vPenTest can help you get more out of it. With vPenTest, your network assessment can cover more ground, allowing you to find and fix exploitable vulnerabilities before they become real problems. Say goodbye to manual processes and embrace the golden age of automation with vPenTest. Learn more about vPenTest today!
About Vonahi Security
Vonahi Security, a Kaseya company, is a future pioneer in building offensive cyber security consulting services through automation. Vonahi’s vPenTest is a SaaS platform that fully replicates manual internal and external network penetration testing, allowing organizations to easily and cost-effectively continuously assess cybersecurity risks in real time. vPenTest is used by managed service providers, managed security service providers, and internal IT teams. Vonahi Security is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
