What is penetration testing and when do you need it

Penetration testing is often mentioned as a key security service, but many business owners are not clear on what exactly it means and when they need it. In this article we explain, without technical jargon, what penetration testing is, how it differs from an ordinary check and in which situations it is worth ordering.

What is penetration testing

Penetration testing, often shortened to a pentest, is a controlled and authorised attempt to break into your systems. A security expert acts like a real attacker and tries to find and exploit weaknesses in your websites, applications or network. The difference is that everything happens with your permission and with the goal of finding and fixing the flaws before someone malicious exploits them.

How it differs from a vulnerability assessment

These two terms are often confused, but they are not the same. A vulnerability assessment is like a list of all the unlocked windows and doors of a building, it shows where the potential weaknesses are. Penetration testing goes a step further and actually tries to get in through them, showing how deep an attacker could penetrate and which data they could reach.

In other words, a vulnerability assessment answers the question "where are we vulnerable?", while penetration testing answers "what can an attacker actually do?". For many businesses the best approach is a combination of both services.

When do you need penetration testing

There are several situations in which penetration testing makes particular sense:

• Before launching a new website or application: to find flaws before users and attackers see them.
• After major system changes: new features can introduce new vulnerabilities.
• When you work with sensitive data: client personal data, financial information and similar require extra checks.
• For regulatory compliance: regulations such as the NIS2 directive encourage regular security testing.
• At a client or partner request: large clients increasingly ask for proof that your systems are secure.

What you get as a result

After testing you receive a report that clearly describes the vulnerabilities found, a rating of their severity and concrete recommendations on how to fix them. A good report is not a list of incomprehensible technical terms, but a practical guide that helps you decide what to fix first.

Penetration testing is not a luxury reserved for large corporations. For more and more small and medium businesses it is becoming a reasonable precaution that can prevent an expensive and unpleasant security incident.