Written by Tim Deakin

15th October 2021

• Cyber Security
• Penetration Testing

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What is security testing?

Security testing is a broad term, referring to the process of checking that a system, network or software is up to scratch and robust in the face of attacks from cybercriminals. This involves seeking out vulnerabilities that hackers could potentially take advantage of.

Security testing can be separated into two overarching categories:

• Vulnerability Assessment: This automated security test scans systems and appliances for security issues, performing checks to uncover flaws within your applications and infrastructure. These could be cloud configuration issues, application-level weaknesses, or software with missing security patches.
• Penetration Testing: This is a manual assessment carried out by a cybersecurity expert, usually using specialist tools. Experts simulate the type of hacking attempts a criminal would use in order to determine the extent to which vulnerabilities could be exploited in the absence of remedial work.

Penetration testing can help you uncover the real scale of weaknesses at any one time, while vulnerability scanners function on a more superficial level by simply indicating to businesses how robust their digital estate is before closer analysis is performed.

Why is security testing important?

Proactive cybersecurity is always preferable to reactive behaviour: that is a mantra you will hear from any qualified industry professional. In simple terms, it is much more cost effective and safe to monitor and assess risks in anticipation of a problem . . . just as it is advisable to check the locks on your windows and doors each day rather than waiting for a burglar to do so.

best taken proactively, rather than reactively, helping you save time, money and costs to your business’s reputation. The extent of security vulnerability in small businesses was explore in Veracode’s State of Software Security Report, which revealed that 83% of their study sample – 85,000 software applications used by 2,300 companies globally – discovered at least one security vulnerability during an initial security test. Without testing, these vulnerabilities would have been released into production and made the software used by the organisation significantly more prone to cyberattacks.

Despite popular belief, businesses of all shapes and sizes can be attacked today. Although it is often thought that small businesses are not worth a hacker’s time – having less data and typically fewer assets to plunder – the truth is that SMEs are considered by many cybercriminals to be ‘easy access, low risk’ targets. In fact, according to CISO, one small business in the UK is successfully hacked every 19 seconds, and around 65,000 hacking attempts are made to small- and medium-sized businesses in the UK every day.

So, no matter what the head count or sector of an organisation, understanding the value of security testing is always valuable.

Some of the most common reasons for undertaking security testing include:

• Third-party requests: It’s not uncommon for partners, suppliers or customers to request security testing, in order to ensure that the data you are holding remains safe from cyber attackers. Customers may not specify exactly what measures they’d like you to take, but they will likely ask for a general overview of what you’re doing to protect their information and how these measures could be improved.
• Compliance certifications and regulations: There are several industry regulations and compliance certifications in place which are designed to give businesses a threshold for cybersecurity, and many of them are mandatory. These require organisations to undergo regular security testing as part of information security frameworks such as ISO 27001, PCI DSS and SOC2. Standards like these specify which testing is required for businesses at every level.

Who needs security testing?

In order to get the most out of your security testing, you need to assess how much of a target you are. Every company is unique, and therefore the risks you have will be unique to your organisation. Consider how valuable your data is, and what levels of protection you already have in place.

For example, if you don’t store particularly sensitive data, you may find that your main concern should be indiscriminate hacks by criminals looking for easy targets. Therefore, you’ll want to focus your testing on remote access areas, firewalls, websites and applications.

Alternatively, if you do store customer data, you’ll need to worry more about a targeted data breach. An authenticated penetration test can highlight any problem areas within your organisation that could put this data at risk.

Financial organisations – or FinTech businesses – are arguably one of the most prized targets for hackers and therefore at great risk of a breach, thanks largely to the wealth of precious data and payment details stored or processed by such organisations..

Any and all organisations should consider what implications a cyberattack could have on them and weigh up the security testing options available to them.

What can security testing protect?

Security testing can help to protect your business assets from unwelcome eyes, but it’s important to consider exactly what assets you have that need protecting, both technical or otherwise. This is known as asset management.

For the vast majority of businesses, regardless of size and industry, the most important data is that stored on behalf of customers and employees. Security testing can help you determine the best ways to keep this information safe and instil confidence in those customers and staff as a result.

Ask yourself key questions like how many devices does your business utilise, how do you share information, and what applications do you make use of. This will tell you where to focus your testing process, encouraging the very best results from your efforts. Thinking through your assets forms the basis for scoping an effective test.

A vulnerability assessment aims to uncover as many security issues as possible as effectively as possible, before they can be utilised by threat actors. It also helps to boost the effectiveness of manual security testing processes like penetration testing.

The NCSC explains that “by taking care of the ‘low hanging fruit’ through regular vulnerability scanning, penetration testing engagement can more efficiently focus on complicated security issues.”

When is a penetration test necessary?

Penetration tests are designed to uncover more complicated business-layer weaknesses in your security, especially when compared to vulnerability scanning. Pen testers mimic the actions of real-life cyber attackers to unearth issues like manipulating product pricing, customer account access, and using one initial weakness to pivot into full system control.

It’s a good idea to invest in penetration testing at times of major change within your organisation, such as after a product has been developed but before you start taking on real customer data. Other examples include after altering your authentication system, releasing a new feature, or after six to 12 months of smaller changes.

The frequency of your penetration tests will depend on the specific risk level of your organisation. For FinTech businesses, for example, where substantial volumes of data are moved on a regular basis, testing vulnerabilities at least once every three months would be advisable.

There are several kinds of penetration tests out there, including ones looking at technological issues – like internal and external networks, and web applications – and human resources, including social engineering.

In conclusion

As a critical cybersecurity process, security testing is designed to detect vulnerabilities in software, networks, applications and systems. Penetration testing and vulnerability assessment are the most common forms of security testing, but all versions aim to address security flaws before hackers can identify and exploit them.

One security flaw can be enough for a cybercriminal to infiltrate your organisation and cause huge damage to your brand, your budget, and your reputation. Implementing a cybersecurity strategy can help you stay better protected and avoid disaster.

Security testing is never a one-size-fits-all process, so it’s always best to discuss your requirements with a professional team who can examine exactly which services are going to best benefit your organisation.

To find out more about how security testing can benefit your organisation in the long run, get in touch with the experts at SRM today. Call the team on 03450 21 21 51 or drop us an at info@srm-solutions.com.