According to Ponemon Institute’s 2017 State of Cybersecurity in Small & Medium-Sized Businesses report, 61% of small businesses are victimized by cyber attacks each year. With this large of a threat, small companies need to prioritize different ways that they can mitigate the risk of a cyber-attack. Your business can mitigate risk through the use of two types of tests: vulnerability tests and penetration tests.

What Is A Vulnerability Test?

A vulnerability test is a comprehensive audit of security flaws that a hacker could exploit. This is the equivalent of a doctor giving a physical examination. This information will allow you to know what your risks are and plan your security policies accordingly.

Wahaya IT can carry out the vulnerability test quarterly. They should also be incorporated whenever you are including new equipment into your IT network.

What Is A Penetration Test?

Another type of test that can determine the strength of your business network is a penetration test. Otherwise known as a pen-test. A pen-test is a simulated attack on a network to test the strength of its security. Usually, the pen-tester will have a specific objective (e.g. “compromise this piece of data). While a vulnerability scan tells you what your network’s weaknesses are, a pen-test tells you how bad a specific weakness is.

How Often Should You Pen-test?

Different industries have different government-mandated requirements for pen-­testing. For example, one of the more broad-reaching regulations is the PCI DSS. This requires pen-testing on an annual basis. However, it is prudent to go beyond the legal minimum. You should also conduct a pen-test every time you have:

How Do I Turn Testing Into A Routine?

Small companies may find it difficult to keep up with routinely running these types of network tests due to their size. Working with a dedicated partner like Wahaya IT could allow companies to give 100% to other areas of their business while still supporting essential areas like cybersecurity. If you’re interested in learning more about how Wahaya IT can help you and your company attain your goals, contact us today for more information.