Types of security penetration testing: Automated and manual
Throughout the years, penetration testing has evolved quite a bit. With the growth of technology, more and more companies are realizing how important it is to keep their data safe from malicious individuals.
Today, businesses are being hacked every day by unskilled hackers that have very little understanding of what they are doing. It can even get to a point where these individuals have so much access to your company’s data, that you don’t even know it’s happening until it’s too late. This is why penetration tests are often done for large businesses or organizations in order to assess their cybersecurity posture and compliance with regulations.
Since there are so many different types of penetration tests available today, we will go over some of them and explain the differences between manual and automated penetration testing.
Manual penetration testing
This type of penetration test is also called ethical hacking, since it involves hiring an ethical hacker to hack your organization’s network. This can be done through many different types of techniques and requires the tester to have some extensive knowledge of how hackers operate. When doing this type of testing, you are required to abide by all local laws that may apply in your region. There are two different categories of manual testing: covert and overt which both require a written report on what vulnerabilities were found during the process. It is important for businesses to hire experts who are well-versed with security because if they pass along crucial information about vulnerabilities, experts will most likely create tools that make it easier for cybercriminals to exploit these vulnerabilities.
Automated penetration testing
In order to counter manual penetration testing, many companies have started using automated tools that can conduct a wide range of tests on their applications and IT networks. An important thing that people should understand is that just because an option is automated doesn’t mean it’s completely risk-free. Although most of the time, tools do require human interaction from a security analyst in order to make sure everything runs smoothly and no errors are made. When doing this type of penetration testing, you need to know what you’re doing and which tools will be best suited for your company’s network configuration and architecture. For example, if you have a lot of servers running Windows with IIS web servers then you should probably opt for a web application or SQL vulnerability scanner.
Manual penetration testing vs automated penetration testing
In order to test your company’s security, it is important to understand the type of penetration testing you need in order to make sure every part of your network is secure. Although automated tools can help in some parts, manual testing will always be the best option since the tester will have a better understanding of how a cybercriminal thinks and operates.
Automated tools are widely used in this industry but they lack the human interaction that’s required in order to properly assess vulnerabilities on a system. Some companies may say that these tests are more cost-efficient than manual tests because there is no need for hiring an ethical hacker and paying for their travel expenses, but it’s actually the other way around. When comparing these two types of tests, automated penetration testing is more expensive in the long run because you don’t know if risks are properly identified and mitigated.
However, manual penetration testing can cost companies thousands if they do not hire an ethical hacker who specializes in this field or knows how cybercriminals operate. If businesses choose to go with automated tools instead of hiring a skilled professional, they could potentially lose control over their network data since some tools lack the ability to understand what an attacker may be looking for when attempting to gain access into your systems.
It’s important that companies hire an expert penetration testing company who have extensive experience in security assessments and vulnerability management since they will be able to properly assess the risks and find out where your company’s vulnerabilities are. Automated tools can run a specific set of tests on your network, but it does not provide a human interaction that is necessary in order to conduct ethical hacking.
Integrating automated security tool
In order to ensure that you have maximum security while conducting penetration testing, it is important that every part of your system is protected. Businesses need to make sure that they hire experts who know what they’re doing so their data will be safe from cybercriminals. It is also vital to integrate automated security tools into your environment because this helps mitigate risks associated with manual research exploitation techniques. If you want to find out how secure the system really is, you should get in touch with a professional team of IT security experts and find out what testing methodology they use when conducting penetration tests.
Manual penetration testing vs automated penetration testing: Which one is better?
The biggest problem with automated penetration testing is that it cannot provide the same level of insight that a human hacker would, especially when trying to properly assess vulnerabilities in your system. In order for companies to make sure their data is safe from hackers, it is important to hire professional ethical hacking services who will properly test your network from an attacker’s perspective. Manual penetration tests are more expensive but they offer much better results because you can gain a better understanding of how hackers work and what steps you need to take in order to keep your systems secure.
Manual testing is the most efficient option if you want to make sure every area of your network is safe from cybercriminals. If you want detailed, actionable insights into where your company’s vulnerabilities lie and how to fix them, manual penetration tests are the best way to go about it because they provide a better picture of what security threats and risks really look like.
Automated penetration testing benefits: Mitigating risks with automation
Although automated tools cannot find everything that may be wrong with your system, they can help companies identify risks associated with their networks by scanning for known vulnerabilities. Automated penetration testing helps businesses reduce the number of unknown security flaws in their systems which enables them to fix problems that they didn’t know existed.
It is important to make sure that companies choose the right tools to use when testing their networks because penetration tests are extremely useful if they are done properly.
If you are looking for professional security experts who know everything about ethical hacking and how to properly manage risk assessments, it is vital to hire a firm that conducts manual penetration tests. This type of testing methodology provides detailed insights into what steps need to be taken in order to increase your network’s overall security level. If you want to find out how vulnerable your system really is, hiring an ethical hacker will provide all the necessary information so you can fix any vulnerabilities before criminals exploit them.
Which one should you choose?
Since businesses don’t have enough time or resources to conduct security audits and penetration testing on their own, it is crucial to hire professionals who know how to properly assess the different areas of your system. Manual penetration testing is ideal because ethical hackers will provide detailed insights into where potential risks and vulnerabilities lie in order for you to fix them.
Automated tools by themselves cannot provide the same level of detail that a professional will, especially when it comes down to identifying security loopholes in your network. If you want actionable data that can help you reduce the number of unknown threats in your system, manual testing is the only way to go because this methodology provides a comprehensive insight into what steps need to be taken in order for businesses to protect their networks from cybercriminals.
Summing up
The penetration testing process can be a lengthy, costly undertaking. If you have the time and resources to do it all yourself, great! But if not, there are ways for businesses to get valuable information without going through an exhaustive process of hiring testers or paying expensive consultants. Automated vulnerability scanning is one such way that adds value at every stage in the process by providing insight into what vulnerabilities exist while also helping identify fixes and best practices that will improve your security posture overall. What’s stopping you from getting started? Conducting a penetration test today could help protect your company against cyberattacks like ransomware and phishing scams tomorrow.
