The COVID-19 pandemic has paved the way for the new normal. Because it involves a considerable increase in ecommerce activities, cybercrimes have become the norm, too. This is harmful not only to the customers who provide sensitive or personal data but also to online businesses themselves as it can get in the way of sales and profit generation.
Fortunately, there are many steps that the owners of businesses operating on the web may take. One of those is what’s known as penetration testing.
Also sometimes referred to as pen testing, it is a series of processes that simulate the action of cybercriminals who may be interested in your business and the pieces of information that your customers have provided before or while transacting with you.
Through this, vulnerabilities that cybercriminals may use against your money-making venture can be identified so that the necessary steps can be established and implemented.
Because cybercrimes are rampant now more than ever, there is never a shortage of companies providing pen testing. However, you can rest assured that not all of them are the same. Before sealing the deal with a service provider, look for the following:
Compliance
Although pen testing is merely a simulation, it still allows those conducting it to have access to a business’ most sensitive data. This is why it’s of utmost importance for the company you are about to allow to carry out much-needed pen testing to have a certification.
You should also check that the testers are certified, too. Immediately look for a different service provider if the one you are currently getting in touch with cannot seem to show any proof of certification.
Liability Insurance
Accidents can happen even if the most skilled and experienced people are the ones involved. It goes without saying that something could go wrong while penetration testing is being conducted.
Because the pen testing company will attempt to penetrate your system, there is a possibility for a problem to strike and affect your business’ operation to some extent.
This is when the importance of hiring a company with liability insurance comes in. Its presence can help cover the losses just in case any data is compromised in any way.
Experience
To keep the risk of an accident to a bare minimum, it’s a must that you leave the job only to the most experienced pen testers on the planet. Because experience is the best teacher, it is likely for them to overlook things that could pave the way for a disaster.
It can be a risky move to put your trust in a company that just opened a week ago. What’s nice about having a long experience is that the service provider is likely to have provided pen testing to different businesses coming from different industries.
Specialization
Many industries can benefit so much from pen testing. They range anywhere from banking and finance to pharmaceutical. In your search for a service provider, you may come across some boasting that they have carried out pen testing in all industries.
However, it is enough that you make an arrangement with one having more than enough knowledge in your industry.
Besides making sure that the company is specializing in your industry, it’s also important to check that the pen testing involves up-to-date rather than outmoded methods since today’s cybercriminals do not seem to run out of tricks.