Now these days, network security has become an indispensable task for every business and organization due to ever-changing threats and updated industry compliance. If you don’t perform network security testing, your company’s information will be vulnerable to outside attackers, those who can illegally enter, steal, and exploit your important data. In addition, your company likely loses business because the customers no longer trust your strategy or, worse, serve you with a lawsuit.
The perfect strategy for network security goes far beyond a firewall and antivirus software. In fact, all aspects of electronic information should be recorded, updated, and saved with proper security in mind. Nevertheless, network security audit is a necessary aspect of such a strategy, and penetration testing companies can conduct one, if no one on staff has the ability or credentials to do so. Professionals of these companies do an external and internal vulnerability audit, examining the interior and perimeter for weak points a hacker can enter; a penetration test on all vulnerabilities; and social engineering in order to inspect the non-technical sides of your system.
Vulnerability scans also spot out hosts and their attributes; be it missing patches, outdated software, or configurations, applications, and compliance. All aspects are compared with a database of known vulnerabilities, and any targets then serve as points to address in the penetration test. Penetration testing comprises ethical hacking techniques. The penetration testing service providers hire trained penetration tester which are well-versed in such simulated attack protocol.
During penetration testing, testers identify all places a hacker could get through or around, and once identifying, they launch an attack on the system. As an attack progresses, the professional takes note of how well a system handles the hacker, the complexity of techniques needed to break through the exterior or perimeter, the measures in place to reduce a system breach, and how such instances are defended and identified.
Penetration strategy comprises four stages: planning, discovery, attack, and reporting. In the planning and discovery, testers prepare and encompass vulnerability scanning. They also gather employee names, IP addresses, and contact information, and application and service information. In the attack stage, they verify the vulnerabilities and ethically exploit these vulnerabilities. For a successful attack, the professionals recommend safeguards to reduce these instances in future. However, vulnerabilities are often grouped together, and attacking one leads to another not previously identified.
The non-technical side of network security is addressed by social engineering. In exploiting the human side of vulnerabilities, a network security professional has interviews and conversations in person, over instant message, telephone, or email. The professional launches a phishing scheme, attempting to get employees to unwittingly reveal passwords, account number, usernames, and other company information.
The professional provides a report at the end of security scan. This report lists all the vulnerabilities and offers guidance for reducing all potential risks. There are various penetration testing companies in UAE that help you to perform penetration testing in effective way.
