Penetration Test: Putting IT Security to the Test

In 2019, 75% of companies were affected by at least one IT security incident -- a trend that has been rising for years. Cybercrime has become professionalized and is now a lucrative business for organized groups that deliberately target small and medium-sized enterprises. A solid security infrastructure is the foundation for minimizing attack surfaces. Another essential instrument is penetration testing -- still relatively underused in Germany. In this article, we explain what a penetration test is and how it helps companies protect themselves against attacks.

What Are Penetration Tests?

A penetration test is a systematic examination of a network for security vulnerabilities. These vulnerabilities can be technical, but also organizational in nature. As a result, a pentest often covers not just the digital infrastructure but also the physical security setup. Security specialists attempt to penetrate the network on site -- for example through social engineering.

How Does a Penetration Test Work?

In a penetration test, the tester behaves exactly like a potential attacker. That is the particular strength of this approach: the pentest assumes the worst case -- a well-informed attacker deliberately trying to breach the company's systems. The attacker uses all available means, as long as they do not violate the rights of third parties, such as external servers. The Penetration Testing Execution Standard (PTES) provides a detailed framework for this methodology.

Which Vulnerabilities Are Exploited During Penetration Testing?

Often, professional pentesters do not even need to bring out the heavy artillery to gain access to the system.

• Careless users are a frequent weak point. An attacker needs no sophisticated techniques to exploit them.
• Physical cabling also presents an attack surface. At certain points -- such as a publicly accessible underground parking garage -- an attacker can simply break through the casing and literally gain access to the line, as was impressively demonstrated at SLA 2017.
• Software is another popular attack vector, especially publicly accessible areas such as web shops, platforms, or employee login pages.

Why Penetration Testing Is an Important Part of Corporate IT Security

First and foremost, penetration tests help uncover security gaps in the infrastructure and provide concrete starting points for remediation. But pentests offer additional benefits that go well beyond identifying vulnerabilities. The study by CGI, "IT Security for Industry 4.0", once again underlines their importance.

Build User Cyber Security Awareness

Regular pentests help ensure that employees do not neglect important security measures out of habit. Over time, a certain routine sets in for everyone -- password handling becomes careless, or compliance rules are no longer followed consistently. Through pentesting, you can continually challenge your workforce and sharpen their awareness of security risks. Our Security Assessments offer comprehensive protection.

Uncover Structural Problems

Sometimes security gaps do not stem from human error but from structural weaknesses -- such as understaffing in the IT department or gaps in process documentation and compliance guidelines. These deficiencies are far easier to detect during a pentest than in day-to-day operations, where a degree of operational blindness is inevitable.

Identify Staff Weaknesses

A major attack vector in any pentest is the negligent employee who fails to protect their password, uses a weak one, or unwittingly discloses critical information over the phone. This allows you to pinpoint specific training needs for individuals who exhibited risky behavior during testing.

Regularly Review and Update Security Routines

Security requirements evolve constantly as attackers refine their methods. Regular pentests help you keep the security architecture up to date and critically reassess existing processes on an ongoing basis.

Penetration Test: Conclusion

Penetration tests are an essential building block of modern IT security. They help identify vulnerabilities and build a robust infrastructure over the long term. Pentests should be conducted regularly to maintain security awareness across the organization and stay prepared for emerging attack scenarios.

Many companies shy away from the effort, but pentests are like an insurance policy: it is better to carry them out without an incident ever occurring than to be caught unprepared when an attack hits. Compared to the potential damage from a security breach, the cost of regular pentesting is modest.