Are you looking to improve your system’s cybersecurity but aren’t sure where to start? You’ve probably heard of penetration testing and vulnerability assessments, but what do they do? While the two are different, they have similar end goals and can both benefit your software product.
What Is a Vulnerability Assessment?
A vulnerability assessment does just what it says: It assesses your software system—whether it’s a web application, mobile application, website, or desktop application—to find any potential weaknesses or vulnerabilities. Once the vulnerabilities are detected, they will be categorized and scored to determine the risk posed to your business. However, the vulnerabilities found during a vulnerability assessment are not tested.
Vulnerability assessments are usually performed using an automated vulnerability scanning application that scans your website, application, or other software system and identifies weaknesses by referencing a vulnerability database.
What Is Penetration Testing?
With penetration testing. also known as pen testing, vulnerabilities are identified and tested. In other words, once weaknesses have been found, they are actively exploited. Penetration testing can determine if a weakness is legitimate and can measure the severity and potential for causing damage.
Since penetration tests involves attacking vulnerabilities, it is often performed by security professionals. They’ll use the same tactics as hackers to gain access to your system and identify ways your software could be damaged.
Vulnerability Assessment: Pros and Cons
Now that we know the basics involved in a vulnerability assessment, what are the pros and cons?
Pros
Speed
Vulnerability scans use automated tools that can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours to complete, meaning they can get you results quickly, and you can begin working to improve your system almost immediately.
Critical Assessment
The security weaknesses found during vulnerability scans will be given a score that notes how critical they are to your system. You and your team can use these scores to determine which issues need to be addressed first and which can wait.
Cost
Vulnerability assessments are certainly the more affordable option, and you can typically use vulnerability scanning technology whenever you want. If you’re working with a smaller budget, a vulnerability assessment may be the best place to start.
Cons
False Positives
Since vulnerability scans only identify weaknesses but don’t test them, it’s likely there will be false positives reported. In other words, vulnerabilities could be detected that don’t actually pose any real threat to your system, which could lead to wasted time and resources for your team.
Missing Pieces
A vulnerability database can’t account for errors in business logic or network environment-specific weaknesses, meaning there’s the possibility your vulnerability assessment report isn’t providing a complete picture of your system’s weaknesses. This leaves your software and your business open to security risks.
No Clear Next Steps
While a list of potential security vulnerabilities is helpful, it doesn’t provide guidance on what your next steps will be. You’ll either need to hire professionals to help you remediate the identified issues or you’ll have a lot of research on your hands to do it yourself.
Penetration Testing: Pros and Cons
There are pros and cons to both methods of testing, so let’s take a look at penetration testing:
Pros
Thorough Assessment
Penetration testers can provide much more than a simple list of potential security weaknesses through penetration tests. Not only can they identify vulnerabilities, but they can also determine:
- How much access a hacker could gain into sensitive assets
- How far and fast a hacker could escalate privileges
- How much loss a specific attack can incur
You’ll have a comprehensive view of the weaknesses in your system and how much of an impact they can have on your business.
Next Steps Provided
The penetration testers you work with can provide next steps and help you remediate vulnerabilities in your system. You won’t be left wondering what to do next or who to call for help, making the process faster and less intimidating.
Cons
Cost
Since penetration testing involves manual work done by a security expert, the price tag is higher than it would be for a vulnerability assessment. While the value may certainly match the price, it’s possible it won’t be within everyone’s initial budget.
Time
Penetration testing is an intensive process that includes planning, scanning, exploiting, and exploiting again. It can take weeks for the process to be completed, meaning you won’t be able to take action immediately.
Which Is Right for You?
We recommend vulnerability assessments for everyone since they’re readily available, don’t require much time or resources, and can typically fit within the budget. Penetration testing takes more time and money, but it also offers more benefits.
Let’s take a look at the main differences between the two methods: speed, frequency, reporting and support, and pricing.
Speed
How quickly can the assessment be completed?
Vulnerability assessment: Completed within minutes to hours.
Penetration testing: Completed within weeks.
Frequency
How often should the assessment be performed and who will perform it?
Vulnerability assessment: Performed quarterly. Should also be performed after new equipment is loaded or software experiences significant changes.
You can complete the vulnerability assessment yourself.
Penetration testing: Performed at least once or twice a year. Should also be performed any time internet-facing software experiences significant changes.
You’ll need a security professional to complete penetration testing for you.
Reporting and Support
What is reported and is remediation support offered?
Vulnerability assessment: A list of known vulnerabilities is provided, and it’s categorized by level of severity.
No remediation support is offered.
Penetration testing: A detailed report of known and unknown issues, what damage they could cause, and how to solve them is provided.
Remediation support is offered by security experts.
Pricing
How much does each type of testing cost per month? Keep in mind that while the cost may vary, so does the value provided.
Vulnerability assessment: Generally runs from $100 to $400 per month.
Penetration testing: Testing for web applications is generally around $400 per month, but testing for cloud and mobile app systems can run higher.
Should I Use a Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing?
As we’ve discussed, vulnerability assessments give you a high-level overview of your security risks. It can be done quickly and doesn’t break the bank, but it’s missing details. Penetration testing on the other hand, requires more in-depth knowledge and skill, which results in more in-depth results for a higher price tag.
While everyone should be completing vulnerability assessments, it’s also a good idea to add penetration testing to your security checklist as your software system becomes more complex.
Learn More with Geneca
Once you’ve completed your security assessments, you may realize it’s time for some upgrades to your system. If you’re looking to enhance your network security, integrate your systems securely, or want to make your software a better fit for your business processes, schedule a call with Geneca. We’re ready to help you ensure your software is secure and efficient, so you can continue to do what you do best.