Cybersecurity test and evaluation (T&E) assists in the development and fielding of more secure, resilient systems to address digital vulnerabilities.
One test that is commonly deployed is the penetration test (or pen test) that is done to find out if there are issues with an organizations’ network or cybersecurity system.
The test is performed to identify both weaknesses or vulnerabilities, including the potential for unauthorized parties to gain access to the system’s features and data, as well as strengths, enabling a full risk assessment to be completed.
You can think of it as a form of cyberattack due to the procedure that is followed when making the test. However, it is not an illegal attack as it requires authorization from the owner of the systems the test is being carried out on. This test helps to evaluate if there are any potential loopholes in your security system which may be exploited by cybercriminals.
The object of a penetration test is to launch a risk assessment of an organization’s controls and security system. This is generally accomplished by evaluating and picking out the parts of your security firewall that may be targeted by attackers.
These areas are then subjected to an attack through a penetration test. When vulnerabilities in the security system are detected, the individual or company may then find out ways to eliminate the potential risk that may arise from these loopholes.
The fix is to strengthen defective systems or get rid of them altogether to be certain they can’t be exploited by real cybercriminals.
A penetration cybersecurity test and evaluation has many benefits, including:
- Protecting company image and customer trust
- Prioritizing and tackling risks based on their exploitability and impact
- Enabling compliance with security regulations
- Reducing overall network downtime as a result of a cyber-attack
- Avoiding remediation expenses
- Helping to uncover the vulnerabilities hidden in a system early
Want to know more? Tonex offers Cybersecurity Test and Evaluation (T&E) Training, a 2-day course that teaches you to implement iterative testing and evaluating processes in order to guarantee the ability of an information system in an operational environment full of vulnerabilities.
Additionally, Tonex offers nearly three dozen more courses in Cybersecurity Foundation. This includes cutting edge courses like:
—Automotive Cybersecurity Training (3 days)
—Electric Grid Cybersecurity Master Certification (4 weeks)
—Network Security Training (2 days)
—Software Security Training (2 days)
—ICS Cybersecurity Training (4 days)
For more information, questions, comments, contact us.