Automated Penetration Testing: All You Need To Know
Automated penetration testing is a great way to get the most out of your cybersecurity budget and doing security testing for your web apps and IT networks. When you have an automated tool, it’s easy to get started with testing and can also help you stay on top of any issues that pop up in real-time. This blog post will go into detail about what these are and how they work so you can see if this would be right for your business!
Advantages of Automated Penetration Tests
One of the main advantages of automated penetration tests is that they can save you time and money. This leads to cheaper security overall. Businesses with lots of internal network infrastructure are most likely going to benefit from these types of automated pentesting tools.
Automated tools are relatively easy to learn how to use. It will take just minutes for someone with little knowledge about cybersecurity to begin using them. This is useful for companies who want their employees to be more aware of security.
What Are Automated Penetration Tests Not Good For?
- Automated tools tend to be more generic than manual testing. So, automated pentesting may miss certain vulnerabilities that would be more obvious within a manual test.
- There’s no way an automated tool can give you the same depth of analysis as someone with years of pentesting experience. Automated tools can’t fully replace human penetration testers
- For automated pentesting to work for you, you need to know how it works and what it’s capable of doing. This is why hiring cybersecurity experts is still very important when using these types of automated tools.
How Does Automated Pen-testing Work?
There are different ways automated penetration tests could work for you, depending on your needs. In some automated tests, the pentesting tools run from a central location. While in other automated tests, employees use their own devices to connect to the automated tool.
What are some tips when using automated penetration tests?
There are a few things you need to keep in mind when deciding if automated pentesting is right for you:
1. Automated Pentests- A Part Of The Plan
As mentioned earlier, automated tools won’t be as effective as an experienced pentester. So remember that automated tools should only be one part of your cybersecurity plan!
2. Choose Your Tools Wisely
There are also many reports available online about comparative research of different tools. Make sure you read up on what other people have to say about automated pentesting tools before making a final decision. This will give you a better idea of how effective automated penetration tests are!
3. Learn More About Tools And Vulnerabilities
Since automated tools can’t replace a human pentester completely, ask your automated tool provider if they have any free training sessions. This will allow employees who aren’t sure how to use the testing solution to learn more and find vulnerabilities by themselves. People within your company should be given enough information. This way they feel confident in participating in cybersecurity training and awareness programs.
4. Ensure You Get A Clear and Concise Report
Research the types of reports that come with automated penetration testing solutions. You don’t want an automated tool that has limited reporting features or doesn’t share any useful information about automated pentesting. This will allow you to see if automated pentesting is right for your company!
5. Review Prices Carefully
Check if automated penetration tests are available at a custom price. Automated tools aren’t cheap, but they’re also not extremely expensive so make sure your cybersecurity budget can accommodate automated tool costs.
If automated penetration tests are too pricey for you, consider hosting manual security testing sessions with experts on your team. There’s no point using automated testings if they’re inaccurate or don’t provide enough information about vulnerabilities found during the process, use them wisely!
Can Automated Tests Replace Humans?
No, presently automated tools can’t replace humans. People are always required in cybersecurity as automated tools don’t have the same level of skill, knowledge, and experience that comes with using years of pentesting experience. There are also major ethical implications when it comes to automated testing! If automated tests were accurate enough to replace human pentesters, businesses might find themselves struggling to determine whether or not their automated penetration test results are genuine or not.
When people think about cybersecurity, they usually imagine an automated tool that is expensive and includes private information like business data – this isn’t true at all! Cybersecurity professionals use automated solutions for different purposes than what most people expect so remember that automated hacking software isn’t just used by big corporations but small companies as well!
Final Thoughts
With so many benefits to automated penetration testing, it’s easy to see why more and more businesses are making the switch. If you have been wondering what automated penetration testing is and how it can help protect your company’s information, read on!