The Complete Guide to Penetration Testing

Pen tests involve an expert security team running a real-world attack simulation on your network to detect vulnerabilities and assess risks in your organization's security.

It goes way beyond a basic vulnerability report of your network, because it involves the good guys acting like bad guys, all for the purpose of revealing the holes in your security technology and employee training before it's too late.

You likely have a lot of questions about penetration testing.

Get the answers you need with this guide. Here's a small sample of what you'll learn:

What is a pen test and why is it important?

Pen tests go beyond a basic vulnerability report of your network. Make sure you know what they include so you're getting your money's worth.

What are the stages of a pen test?

A typical pen test is broken out in multiple stages, similar to the cyberattack lifecycle. For us, there are nine.

What types of pen tests are there?

Based on the tactics and objects involved, there are multiple types of pen tests that security teams can use when looking to simulate an attack on a network.

6 reasons to invest in a pen test?

Depending on your industry you may be required to have a pen test done annually. However, every organization can benefit from knowing what's leaving you open to cybersecurity threats.