Penetration testing is a simulated cyber attack designed to identify vulnerabilities in systems and networks, to help organisations strengthen their security defences.
From startups to multinational corporations, organisations face ever evolving and growing cyber threats that can jeopardise operations, compromise sensitive data, tarnish reputations and hit your bottom line. Penetration testing is a crucial tool for businesses to proactively identify vulnerabilities and fix them.
Penetration testing, commonly referred to as “pen testing”, is a simulated cyber attack against the IT infrastructure of your business to check for exploitable vulnerabilities. By simulating real-world cyber attacks, penetration testing helps organisations uncover weaknesses before malicious actors can exploit them, enabling informed decision-making and the chance to breakdown what areas need remediation.
In this era of interconnected systems, cloud computing and increased digitalisation, embracing penetration testing as part of your cyber security strategy is critical for safeguarding business continuity and protecting valuable assets from exploitation.
Where a penetration test differs from a cyber security health check is that a pen test focuses on identifying and exploiting specific vulnerabilities, whereas a health check provides a broader overview of readiness. Where both are valuable components of a comprehensive cyber security strategy, penetration testing comes with a number of core benefits.
Regular penetration testing will help to keep your IT systems secure against cyber threats and maintain the integrity and continuity of your business operations.
Penetration testing identifies vulnerabilities not just in your IT systems, but also in the processes supporting them. Ascentor’s comprehensive approach allows your organisation to strengthen security across all operational facets.
By revealing potential security breaches and providing the necessary corrective measures to mitigate risks, penetration testing supports your organisation’s compliance with ISO 27001.
Penetration testing engagements can be divided into various methodologies that aim to provide assurance against many different security concerns. These include internal infrastructure, external infrastructure, web application, and social engineering assessments.
Web application: Web application penetration testing identifies common security flaws like XSS, broken authentication, and SQL injection in web applications.
External infrastructure: External infrastructure penetration testing assesses the security of an organisation’s internet-facing assets, such as VPN gateways and firewalls, remotely from outside its network.
Internal infrastructure: Internal infrastructure penetration testing evaluates an organisation’s local network security, including routers and firewalls, to identify vulnerabilities exploitable from within the network.
Phishing/social engineering: A social engineering engagement tests cyber security by exploiting psychological manipulation to assess employee awareness and training effectiveness.
To bridge the gap between simple awareness of your cyber security posture and a fully scoped penetration testing, Ascentor have introduced a new testing service package. Aimed at small businesses, the test will provide further assurance in addition to compliance exercises included within Cyber Essentials or Cyber Essentials Plus.
The fixed price, pre-defined package includes up to five public IP addresses and a single website/app domain. The scope of the test covers the most common cyber security flaws that are often found on public facing systems, such as broken access control, security misconfiguration or authentication failures.
A three-day assessment will pinpoint what issues need to be addressed and what areas require further investigation, and we will provide you with a report detailing actionable insights to help build your organisation’s cyber resilience.
Ascentor offers bespoke penetration testing that aligns with your organisation’s specific online security needs. Our service is a critical component of our Technical Assurance Services, designed to fortify your cyber security posture and protect your critical assets from potential threats. By helping your business identify and address vulnerabilities before they can be exploited, Ascentor can assist your organisation in being better protected, compliant with relevant standards and resilient against emerging threats.
We leverage years of experience in cyber security to deliver comprehensive solutions tailored to your needs.
We're certified in ISO 9001:2015, Cyber Essentials Plus, IASME Gold and are a Crown Commercial Service Supplier.
NCSC (CESG) Certified Professionals CCP and Certified Information System Security Professional CISSP certified.
We're Certified Information Security Managers (CISM).
We're members of the Chartered Institute of Information Security (CIISec). CREST and Cyber Scheme Registered Pentesters.
We stay ahead of the curve, consistently updating our services to handle the rapidly evolving landscape of cyber threats.
We work closely with clients, fostering partnerships to better understand and address your cyber security needs.
We offer pragmatic, accessible solutions that balance security needs with the realities of your operational requirements.
