What are you doing to make sure that your network is secure? How do you know that it’s enough?
New strains of malware are popping up constantly. The headlines are only getting worse, and organizations that exploit networks are cashing in. Ransomware, malvertising, malware as a service – with all of the threats that are present, we need to face the fact that a more widespread and serious approach to cyber security is long overdue. It’s not only large companies that are at risk, as well. 50% of SMBs have been breached in the last year.
Most companies have layers of security in place to prevent breaches, like access control and firewalls. As threats become more intelligent, though, so should an organization’s security. After you’ve done everything that you can to make sure that your network is safe, how do you really know that it’s enough?
That’s where penetration testing comes in.
Penetration testing is the practice of attempting to exploit vulnerabilities in a network before a malicious source has a chance to do so. The company conducting the penetration test will use a variety of methods to try to ‘break in’, see how far they can get in the network, and then report their findings back. Issues that could be observed range from risky behavior of end-users, to improper configurations and systems vulnerabilities.
Once you know where vulnerabilities are within your network, making improvements becomes more focused and simple.
How often do I need to test?
The simple answer is to test anytime something changes within your company network. Adding a new office location, changing your infrastructure, or introducing new policies are all great reasons to conduct a penetration test, because all of these things open opportunities for vulnerabilities to arise.
Concerned for your business security? Get a free consultation with Sierra, and mention that you want to discuss penetration testing and security services. You can also give us a call at 412.722.0707, or email us at Sales@sierr001-2.sierradevops.com.
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Sierra Experts is an IT Managed Service and Support provider, specializing in remote monitoring and remote management of computing systems, cloud/virtual systems hosting, VoIP/SIP PBX trunks and solutions, physical server hosting, software development and hardware and software reselling. For more, check out sierr001-2.sierradevops.com.
