Do you know what weaknesses your business’s security plan has? Vulnerability testing can show you. Learn more about the benefits of vulnerability testing here.  

It’s not unheard of for some prison systems to hire cunning escape artists to attempt to break out of their prisons.

Why?

Naturally, the goal is to locate any weaknesses in a prison’s security. Perhaps the escape artist will find that there is a time of day when guards aren’t monitoring a certain area of the prison, or maybe he’ll find a weakness in the security of his cell. All of these tips are extremely useful and helpful. Still, there’s really no other way to know about them, other than hiring someone to try to break out.

This is essentially the same goal of vulnerability testing.  Cameron Call with Las Vegas IT company Network Security Associates shares insights into why vulnerability testing is essential for large and small companies.

What Is Vulnerability Testing?

Vulnerability testing is testing conducted by IT professionals that aims to locate weaknesses in a company’s security system. The format of the testing is similar to the prison example given above: A company will hire an MSP to perform vulnerability testing on its own security system. In turn, the MSP will make an actual concerted effort to hack into the company’s system.

If they can do it, they’ll share what they did with the company, and together, they’ll work on steps to patch these holes in security.

Other names for vulnerability testing include “penetration testing” and “pen testing.”

Why Is Vulnerability Testing Essential?

The nature of online security and protection is ever-changing because hackers and their schemes are ever-changing. Every year (and even monthly), hackers around the world add new criminal schemes to their repertoire. It’s up to IT companies to stay on top of these developments and to continue to keep their clients as protected as possible.

Still, neatly packaged security prevention measures only go so far. Sometimes, “white hat hackers” must swoop in to attempt a real attack. In the process, much can be learned. In fact, vulnerability testing has an excellent track record for producing highly useful and pragmatic security steps that companies can take to better protect themselves. These steps can deflect future hackers from gaining access to their systems.

Within a vulnerability test, there are usually several parts. First, generally speaking, your company’s systems will be scanned manually for viruses and other malware. From there, “white hat hackers” will try to hack your system. Physical security checks may be used as well.

Speak to Your Managed Service Provider About Vulnerability Testing

Your managed service provider can help you discover any weaknesses your system may have by providing vulnerability testing. A leading IT company will have technicians who can carry out this testing in an efficient manner. Their results will outline all the vulnerabilities they discover, and from there, you can work together to help mitigate further risks.

Talk to your managed service provider today, and stop putting your company at further risk of a dangerous security breach.