Right, so let’s talk about penetration testing. Because if you’re running any kind of business with an online presence these days, you need to know about this stuff.
Why Pen Testing Matters (And Why You Can’t Ignore It)
Look, cybercrime isn’t going away. It’s getting worse. Every day there’s another headline about some massive breach or ransomware attack that’s brought a company to its knees. The thing is, most of these attacks could’ve been prevented. Seriously.
That’s where penetration testing comes in. Think of it as hiring someone to break into your house before actual burglars do. Except instead of your house, it’s your network, web applications, cloud infrastructure – basically anything digital that keeps your business running.
And here’s what makes it brilliant: you’re getting the same tactics real hackers would use, but with the added bonus of a detailed report on how to fix everything before the bad guys show up. It’s ethical hacking, essentially. You want someone who knows all the tricks to poke around your systems and tell you where the weak spots are.
It’s Not Just About Networks Anymore
Years ago, you could probably get away with just testing your network perimeter. Maybe run a few checks on your firewall, make sure your routers were configured properly, job done. Not anymore.
These days? Your attack surface is massive. You’ve got web applications handling customer data. Cloud platforms storing sensitive files. Mobile apps connecting to your backend systems. Remote workers logging in from god knows where. Each one of these is a potential entry point.
Take web applications, for instance. Loads of companies pour money into securing their networks but completely overlook their web apps. Bad idea. Something like 80 percent of attacks start at the application layer. SQL injections, cross-site scripting, dodgy authentication – these vulnerabilities are everywhere. And attackers know it.
That’s why proper web application penetration testing needs to be part of your security plan. Not just your network, not just your cloud setup. Everything.
The Different Flavours of Pen Testing
Let me break down what you’re actually looking at when you commission these tests.
Testing From the Outside In
External network penetration testing is basically simulating what happens when someone on the internet tries to break into your network. Your public-facing infrastructure – DNS servers, firewalls, web servers, all that.
This is your first line of defence. If there’s a hole here, you’re in trouble. The test will try every trick in the book to find a way in. Open ports that shouldn’t be open. Misconfigured services. Outdated software. Anything an attacker could leverage.
When the Threat Comes From Inside
Now, internal testing is a different beast entirely. Because here’s the uncomfortable truth: loads of breaches come from inside your network. Could be a disgruntled employee. Could be someone who clicked on a phishing email and gave an attacker access. Could be a contractor with too many privileges.
Internal network penetration testing assumes someone’s already past your perimeter. What can they do? How far can they move laterally through your network? Can they escalate their privileges? Access sensitive data?
Often, the findings here are more worrying than external tests. Weak passwords. Unpatched systems. Database servers with default credentials. It’s a proper mess sometimes.
Cloud Security (Because Everyone’s Moving There)
Cloud penetration testing has become absolutely critical. Whether you’re using AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, or something else, these platforms need testing just like everything else.
People have this weird assumption that cloud providers handle all the security. They don’t. They secure the infrastructure, sure. But your configuration? Your access controls? Your data? That’s on you.
An AWS penetration test, for example, will look at your S3 buckets, EC2 instances, IAM policies, VPCs. Making sure you haven’t accidentally left a database exposed to the internet. Checking that your access controls actually work as intended. Verifying that sensitive data is encrypted properly.
Same goes for Azure penetration testing. These platforms are powerful, but they’re also complex. One misconfiguration and you could be leaking customer data without even knowing it.
What You Actually Get From This
Here’s what makes pen testing valuable: it’s not just a list of vulnerabilities. Any automated scanner can give you that. What you want is actionable intelligence.
A good test will tell you not just what’s broken, but how an attacker would exploit it, what the impact would be, and how to fix it. Prioritised by risk. Because let’s be honest, you can’t fix everything at once. You need to know what matters most.
Say an external test finds you’ve got SSH exposed with weak authentication. That’s critical. Attackers can brute force their way in, and suddenly they’re on your network. Fix that immediately.
Or maybe an internal test reveals that your finance team’s shared drive is accessible to everyone in the company. That’s a problem, but probably not as urgent as the SSH thing. Still needs fixing, just not quite as frantically.
Picking the Right People for the Job
Not all testing companies are created equal. You want someone with proper certifications – CREST, CHECK, that sort of thing. Someone who’s been doing this for years, not just jumped on the bandwagon.
Check they offer the full range. External and internal network testing. Web app testing. Cloud testing. Mobile app testing if you need it. You want comprehensive coverage from the best penetration testing company that knows what they’re doing.
And absolutely crucial: make sure they provide detailed reports. I’ve seen some shocking reports in my time. Vague descriptions. No evidence. No remediation advice. Completely useless. You want screenshots, proof of concept exploits, step-by-step reproduction steps, and clear guidance on how to fix each issue.
Making It Part of Your Security Strategy
Penetration testing shouldn’t be a one-off thing you do to tick a compliance box. It needs to be regular. Your systems change. New vulnerabilities get discovered. New services get deployed. What was secure six months ago might not be secure now.
Most organisations test annually at a minimum. Some do it quarterly. Critical systems might need testing whenever significant changes are made. It depends on your risk profile and industry requirements.
And don’t just test and forget. Actually implement the recommendations. I’ve seen companies spend thousands on testing, get a comprehensive report, and then do absolutely nothing with it. What’s the point? You’ve just paid to discover all your weaknesses and then left them wide open for anyone to exploit.
The Bottom Line
Cybersecurity isn’t getting easier. Attacks are more sophisticated. Attackers are more motivated. The consequences of a breach – financial, reputational, legal – are more severe than ever.
Penetration testing gives you a fighting chance. It lets you see your systems through an attacker’s eyes. Find the holes before they do. Fix them before they become breaches. It’s proactive security, which is the only kind that actually works.
Whether you’re worried about external threats, insider risks, or cloud misconfigurations, there’s a test for that. The key is actually doing it. Properly. Regularly. With people who know what they’re doing.
Because the alternative? Waiting for a real attack and hoping for the best. And trust me, that’s not a strategy anyone should be comfortable with.
