As we evolve into a world where technology dominates, there’s no reason to leave your data security up to chance. Security testing is a method used to determine if your data defenses function as expected and adequately protect your data. Failing to see the importance of data security puts your company at risk for data breaches and other potentially severe consequences. This blog post looks at five benefits of investing in regular security tests.
1. Assesses Your Cyber-Defense Capabilities
If your security system isn’t up to snuff, your company is at risk. Regular security tests let you know if your system is up to the task. Your security team should be able to detect attacks and respond in a timely matter. As soon as an intrusion is detected, your security system should immediately block the penetration testers. If this doesn’t happen, the security testing company can make recommendations to fortify your system.
2. Evaluates Vulnerabilities In Your System
Another important part of regular security testing is they help put in perspective the real risk of vulnerabilities in your system. Vulnerabilities are classified as a low, medium or high risk. However, weaknesses are highly context dependent. What might be considered a low-risk vulnerability in your company can easily be a high-risk threat to a different company. Regular security testing gets humans analyzing your vulnerabilities and ensuring your security system isn’t providing you with false positives.
3. Gives Your IT Department An Objective Third Party Opinion
Although your IT team are experts themselves, getting a third party opinion never hurts. It’s easy to miss errors when working on the same project for a long time. A lot of the time, concerns brought to management from IT aren’t treated with the proper urgency. Doing regular security tests helps confirm your IT team’s concerns and helps your company be preemptive in fixing possible problems. Bringing in a third party helps your IT team find areas for improvement and get advice on adopting new technologies. Investing in security testing services ensures your IT department is doing their job to the best of their capabilities.
4. Helps Keep Your Company Compliant
Depending on what industry you work in, there may be certain legal requirements when it comes to protecting your data. Some industry’s make penetration tests and security reviews mandatory for every company. Falling out of compliance leaves your data vulnerable to breaches and puts you at risk of being held accountable. If you’re found responsible for a data breach where sensitive data was affected, you may have to pay hefty fines in addition to other types of punishment. Penetration testing focuses on real-life techniques and consequences which makes it useful to any company in any industry. Instead of waiting to be told to protect your data, invest in regular security tests and keep your business and client data protected.
5. Puts Systems In Place For Business Continuity
Anytime your systems are under attack; there’s a chance that your clients will be unable to access their services or get in contact with you. Security testing is an excellent way to put failsafe’s in place to ensure business continuity. Even during outages, it’s reassuring for your clients to hear from your company and receive an update. Regular penetration tests help to ensure your system doesn’t unexpectedly go down and that your team can still access everything during a crisis. Your test results will tell you what actions you can take to improve your defenses and protect your information.
