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The Internet has brought us closer than ever before, but it has also exposed us to more potential threats. This has encouraged many organizations to focus on and prioritize cybersecurity.

The benefits of investing in Penetration Testing (also known as a pen test) to assess the vulnerabilities of its IT systems, applications, and network components outweigh any initial cost an organization incurs, but they come at the expense of time and resources, which could have been spent furthering growth.

In addition to freeing up resources, outsourcing also allows the firm to leverage advanced techniques and industry best practices of third-party service providers. Packletlabs' OSCP certified ethical hackers, for example, use a combination of manual and automatic testing and follow a proprietary methodology to uncover all network vulnerabilities to protect your assets.

• See more on why you should outsource your Penetration Testing.

Here are 5 signs that you should consider outsourcing your penetration testing requirements

Security and data privacy regulations have been updated

If your organization is subject to any new security and data privacy laws, you will need to update your systems as needed. This will be required in order for your company to remain compliant. A penetration test can help ensure that your security updates are secure.

Security breaches in your sector are happening frequently

If there have been multiple security breaches in your industry, it may be time to consider penetration testing. This will help ensure that your organization is doing everything possible to avoid being the next target. When hackers go after a specific sector, they typically use similar methods and tools so monitoring your competitors and others in your industry can help predict whether you may be at risk

You plan to deploy a new service or system

Consider adding a penetration test to your list of priorities before implementing a new service or system. This will help ensure that your new system is not vulnerable to attack and that your data is protected. Many organizations tend to deploy their new service and then schedule a pen test. This can often be too late and leave your system exposed for just enough time for a hacker to make their move.

A year has passed since your last pen test

Regular penetration testing will help identify new vulnerabilities while also giving you an up-to-date picture of your security posture. A common misconception is that conducting a pen test once will ensure security for years to come. However, new threats and vulnerabilities arise frequently, so it’s important to maintain your security posture. If it’s been more than a year since you last had a pen test, your organization may be at risk. Consider a pen test to ensure that your systems are as secure as possible.

Your internal team doesn’t have specialized skills in pen tests

While your in-house developers can fix bugs and conduct some security testing, they are not operating with a hacker mindset and might miss some of the vulnerabilities. Using experts whose sole job is to identify vulnerabilities in your systems, can give you a more comprehensive understanding of your risks. In addition, these experts likely have specialized tools and knowledge that your in-house team may not have access to. Outsourcing your penetration testing can help fill the gaps in your internal team’s skillset and provide you with the comprehensive assessment you need.

Conclusion

The last decade has been marked by unprecedented growth in the tech world. However, these great advancements in technology have been countervailed by an equally strong and emerging sect of cybercriminals. With more businesses making the transition to a fully digital operation, the need for regular penetration testing is important.

Outsourcing your penetration testing requirements can save you resources, leverage advanced techniques and industry best practices of third-party service providers and leverage skills from security professionals specializing in cybersecurity testing. Packetlabs for example has a team of Offensive Security Certified Professionals (OSCP) certified ethical hackers that specializes in uncovering your network vulnerabilities.

• See our full list of certifications

Contact the Packletlabs team today for a quote on penetration testing.