In one of the most infamous cyberattacks, in 2020, Solar Winds, an IT company offering network management software to its clients ranging from some of the world’s largest corporations to national governments, had malicious code incorporated into the routine updates of one of its software.
The attack eventually led to the US government imposing additional sanctions on Russia, which it believed was behind it.
The incident illustrated the vulnerability that today’s hyper-connected world presents to malicious actors. When everything is connected, the chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
The only option for companies is eternal vigilance. As Andy Grove, the legendary Chief Executive Officer of Intel famously said, “Only the paranoid survive.”
Today this eternal vigilance takes the form of Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (VAPT). VAPT is a security mechanism encompassing a range of services that evaluate computer systems, software, applications, and network infrastructure to identify and classify vulnerabilities that could cause an organization to be vulnerable to cyber threats and security breaches.
Benefits of Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing
- Security from potential cyber threats: By identifying vulnerabilities in networking infrastructure and applications and prioritizing them, VAPT enables organizations to focus on remedial measures to correct security weaknesses and prevent cyber risks.
- Enhanced security from hackers and information stealing: A significant benefit of VAPT is that pentesters (penetration testers) put themselves in hackers' shoes and work on the client's systems. By adopting this perspective, they can comprehensively analyze which digital systems require enhanced security and which network systems are already secure.
- Prevent financial and goodwill loss: Since businesses rely on data stored in digital systems, it is crucial to conduct penetration testing to safeguard the IT infrastructure from data attacks. Without such protection, these attacks could have significant negative financial and reputational consequences for the business.
- Aids in cyber regulation compliance: Conducting regular penetration assessments demonstrates a business's commitment to cybersecurity and assists in maintaining compliance with relevant laws. Moreover, it helps build trust among clients and industry players.
- Remedial advice specific to vulnerabilities: Unlike reports generated by automation, penetration testing reports rank vulnerabilities according to their risk level. This can help clients get tailor-made, cost-effective remedial security measures.
How to get Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing?
Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing is a step-by-step process involving:
- Scoping and planning: To begin the VAPT process, it is essential to determine the scope of testing, which includes identifying the network systems, software, and operating systems to be tested. Deciding whether to test internal and external networks or only one is a crucial aspect of the VAPT process. Once the scope is finalized, a blueprint is developed to plan how the testing will be conducted to ensure a smooth process.
- Information collection: After scoping and planning, the testers collect all relevant information about the client's security systems and IT environment, including IP addresses and digital systems, to improve the testing process.
- Vulnerability scanning: In this process, testers use specific tools to perform automated scanning on the systems and understand the loopholes in the security system.
- Manual testing: Once the vulnerability scanning is done, the pentesters manually check the systems, considering the loopholes identified by automated scanning. This helps in the aggressive scanning of the potential weak points in the security centre.
- Reporting: After the testing, a remedial action plan is devised to treat the identified vulnerabilities to keep the digital network systems at the topmost security.
As experts in IT security and data protection, TÜV SÜD can carry out Vulnerability Scans and Penetration Testing to the very highest standards. Our teams of cyber security penetration test stay up to date with all the latest cybersecurity breaches and hacking techniques and can therefore help you keep your systems future-proof.
For more information, please visit our webpages on Vulnerability Assessment & Penetration Testing.
Conclusion
VAPT is a powerful and valuable tool for businesses to maintain cybersecurity. Its comprehensive SWOT analysis of network infrastructure makes it an indispensable testing mechanism for organizations to ensure the highest level of security and prevent potential security attacks.
