Penetration testing offers a high level of assurance that your systems are secure – by pitting skilled cybersecurity experts against your business and its systems, using the same techniques a criminal hacker would.
It’s a great way to start thinking seriously about cyber security in your business, offering you an overview of what’s wrong, where and how to fix it.
Think of it like a financial audit, but for your computer security, offering peace of mind that your systems are working as they should.
So how does it work? Trained penetration testers essentially play the role of hackers trying to break into your systems. They use a combination of techniques and tools, scoring vulnerabilities against industry-standard measures (at Stratia Cyber, we use the Common Vulnerability Scoring System), and offering detailed reports on the problems that they might find. If you want a more detailed breakdown of our methodology, scroll to the bottom of this page.
Those reports are your first step towards improved cyber security. As a business leader, penetration testing offers lasting peace of mind for both your team and your customers. The process highlights problems before they occur so that you can adopt a proactive approach towards protecting everything you’ve worked hard to build until now..
Penetration testing is a powerful first step for organisations who want to know they are protected from criminal hackers, offering deeper insight into existing vulnerabilities and what action to take to remediate weaknesses beyond what can be achieved with automated tools. Relying on an expert team to guide you through this process means it’s accessible to everyone, and won’t simply add to your to do list. All reports produced by Stratia Cyber consultants are supplied in plain English and designed to help boost your resilience to cyber threats.
“Stratia Cyber has helped us to understand where our gaps were, and what we can do to build up the existing security measures we do have in place. On the product side, they’ve helped us with penetration testing, and reassessed us once we’ve made some changes. The assessment process is a continual cycle.”
Medic Bleep, Medic Creations Ltd
- It’s a great place to start
If you’ve put off thinking about cyber security (or stayed with the same IT company for years), it’s a good idea to let some fresh eyes take a look at how you’re operating. A penetration test offers a useful overview of every part of your IT infrastructure (from your business’s culture around security to software vulnerabilities), enabling you to get your house in order rapidly. Use testing outcomes and reports to communicate your business case for cyber security to stakeholders, budget holders and decision makers, and define a benchmark for improvement.
- Help plan your cyber security spend
Has something changed at your organisation? Maybe you have moved to a new location or switched to remote working? If you’re struggling to plan your security spend, a penetration test can offer a quick way to find out what needs attention, and how urgently. Penetration testing highlights all your weaknesses, and the report will provide advice on what you need to do to strengthen your defences against common threats.
- Minimise unnecessary expense
Penetration testing offers a real-world view of what’s wrong and what could be improved, spanning every part of your business, from your mobile app (if you have one) to the physical security of your business premises. Having this information before you budget for cyber security means that you won’t overspend on technology you don’t really need.
Many of our clients go on to report a reduction in overhead costs and a consequent increase in return on investment following regular pen tests and expert guidance on how to fix what’s failing to provide adequate protection.
- Improve how you protect customer data
Your customer data is among your organisation’s most valuable information assets, but protecting it isn’t always easy. Data breaches are no longer a matter of ‘if’, but ‘when’ – so it pays to be ready to defend, protect and recover data. A penetration test gives you the insight you need to keep your most precious data safe, and provides invaluable reassurance to your customers that you’re a trustworthy organisation to do business with – a brand boost that every organisation can benefit from.
Undertaking tests on-premises and remotely, we built a strong relationship with Stratia Cyber consultants who liaised closely with the Cyber Security Manager and project teams to complete Penetration Testing processes without impacting business operations.
With frequent and ever-evolving Penetration Testing, the organisation can now validate the investment in security tools used in the past, optimise current technology in place and understand where additional investments need to occur based on the attack vectors discovered.
extract, Student Loans Company case study
- Meet cyber security standards and best practice
Meeting the security requirements and cyber-safety levels required by industry bodies can be achieved at both a product and organisational level thanks to high quality pen testing. Demonstrating you’re meeting compliance standards can often be the difference between winning and losing a government contract, so it’s particularly important if you’re operating in this space or hoping to tap into the public sector market.
Choose Stratia Cyber for testing and assessments
Get smart about how you invest in protecting your business and choose a CREST-accredited supplier (all our consultants are CREST-accredited for Penetration Testing in EMEA). Stratia Cyber is assured by the National Cyber Security Centre to deliver cyber security services, with a flawless track record for assuring mission critical systems for Government bodies and businesses in the UK and abroad. We can test everything from mobile applications to industrial SCADA systems, and will find and highlight weaknesses in business processes, employee awareness and even the physical security of buildings.
The tools we use
- DRADIS Professional for repeatable, accurate and timely collation and generation of written reports
- Tenable Nessus Professional for vulnerability detection and analysis
- BurpSuite Professional for web application testing
- Titania PAWS and NIPPER for firewall and network systems assessment and review
- Qualys for automated and scheduled vulnerability testing
- SendSafely for secure file exchange
- Kiuwan for static code reviews
- Open Source tools e.g. KALI Linux, Windows PowerShell, nmap, BloodHound, John, Responder, Hydra etc.
CREST: our CREST membership and coverage is across UK and EMEA; a typical CREST (“Council of Registered Ethical Security Testers”) company such as ours will use a combination of automated testing (scanning and vulnerability detection) and manual testing by skilled and qualified assessment means. Below, we outline the CREST process, so prospective clients get an early understanding of how we test.
- Scoping and agreement: Define the scope of the test, obtain agreement from all stakeholders, and ensure that the testing is compliant with relevant laws and regulations
- Reconnaissance: Collect information about the target systems, such as IP addresses, domain names, and open ports, to identify potential attack vectors
- Threat modelling: Identify the potential threats to the target systems and prioritize them based on their likelihood and potential impact
- Vulnerability assessment: Scan the target systems for vulnerabilities, prioritize them based on their severity, and validate the findings
- Exploitation: Attempt to exploit the identified vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access and privilege escalation to the target systems and validate the findings
- Reporting: Document the findings in a concise, meaningful comprehensive report, including recommendations for remediation and improvement of the target systems security
- Debrief: Discuss the findings and recommendations with stakeholders to ensure that they understand the implications and to provide support for remediation
To book a penetration test for your business, email us at cyber@stratiacyber.com