Penetration Testing

Penetration testing is a simulated cyberattack on your systems performed by security professionals to identify exploitable vulnerabilities.

Penetration testing is an authorized simulated attack on a computer system, network, or web application to evaluate its security.

Types of penetration tests: - Network Testing: Internal and external network infrastructure - Web Application Testing: Finding web vulnerabilities (OWASP Top 10) - API Testing: Assessing API security - Mobile Application Testing: iOS and Android app security - Social Engineering: Testing human vulnerabilities - Physical Testing: Attempting unauthorized physical access

Testing approaches: - Black Box: Testers have no prior knowledge - White Box: Testers have full knowledge and access - Gray Box: Testers have partial information

Most compliance frameworks require annual penetration testing, with results documented and vulnerabilities remediated.

Why It Matters

Penetration testing reveals vulnerabilities that automated scanners miss—including business logic flaws, chained exploits, and misconfiguration issues. Most compliance frameworks require annual pen testing, and enterprise customers increasingly ask for recent pen test reports during security reviews. Organizations that invest in regular pen testing identify and fix critical vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them, reducing breach risk by up to 50%.

Key Points

Required annually by most frameworks

Goes beyond automated scanning with manual exploitation

Results in detailed report with remediation recommendations

Typical cost: $5,000-$50,000 depending on scope

Should be performed by qualified third-party firms

Applicable Compliance Frameworks

SOC 2 ISO 27001 PCI DSS HIPAA

Related Terms

Vulnerability Assessment

A vulnerability assessment is an automated process of identifying security weaknesses in systems, networks, and applications without actively exploiting them.

Risk Assessment

A risk assessment is a systematic process of identifying, analyzing, and evaluating potential threats to an organization's information assets.