Information technology has become one of the core tools of American business. Unfortunately, all of the benefits derived from information technology are a double-edged sword, since close on the heels of nearly all systems is their arch-nemesis, hacking, and other system vulnerabilities.
Companies have a continually evolving responsibility to protect and keep secure all data they gather. This is a duty made difficult by the probability that security weaknesses will be exposed at some level, either accidentally or intentionally, by outsiders or staff. Cobalt has the answer.
What’s a Staff to Do?
Security precautions, primarily in the form of pentesting, have proven to be the most reliable method yet devised to detect and fix system security weaknesses. The testing can also help identify support methods that can reduce system weaknesses. An effective and regular analysis program can also cause
- Improvements in system protocols, resulting in fewer support calls
- Reduced IT costs in the short term and long term
- Higher levels of confidence in system security and integrity
- Greater awareness of needs for system controls
Owners and managers must understand that security testing is not just a wanton set of, for lack of a better term, hacking. Instead, it is a highly methodical and intricate method of probing a system and network to test and penetrate IT environments.
A Huge Step Forward in System Security?
Pentesting should not be thought of as a panacea for all IT ills. Far from it. Instead, it should be considered an essential tool in an overall security management program. Pentesting should be used to help an IT network reach a desirable level of comfort with system security. It should be part of a range of security reviews that are conducted regularly to verify system security.
Once a company has decided that pentesting is for them, it’s crucial to determine who the best people are to conduct these tests. This decision boils down to internal or external. Organizations can decide to do the job themselves, which is sometimes very successful. There are many reasons, however, that an outside firm should be hired to conduct this analysis. These include:
- Providing a team of experts who are independently trained to understand how a security analysis should be conducted
- Provide independent assessments of the extent of security breaches
- Carry out a full range of testing methods
System Security in Good Hands
There are many reasons why a firm would want to hire an outside firm to conduct its testing services. First of all that such a firm is trusted, certified, and employs professional, ethical, and highly technically oriented people. Practically anyone who is somewhat tech-savvy can hang themselves out as a qualified security tester, but what does that give you? A glorified hacker? Instead, a qualified firm should have a reputation for testing analysis and conducting its operations thoroughly and ethically.
The integrity of a company’s IT system can hang in the balance. Why depend on anything less than top-quality pentesting to make sure that your systems are secure?