Penetration Testing for Your Business

Individuals are often confused regarding the difference between vulnerability scanning and penetration testing. Both activities are part of cybersecurity best practices, and vulnerability scanning always comes before penetration testing.

Vulnerability scanning searches for weaknesses in an asset or system that could, potentially, be exploited by a bad actor. As an analogy, vulnerability scanning is akin to seeing if a window or door is unlocked on a house, but not entering the house. It is a passive activity.

Penetration testing exploits the potential weakness (identified during vulnerability scanning) to determine the degree to which a malicious attacker could gain access to an asset or system. Using the analogy of a house, a penetration tester attempts to open the unlocked window or door and take a step into the house