According to the Ponemon Institute, 1 in 5 companies do not test their software for security vulnerabilities. With an alarming rise in cyberattacks and new threats frequently emerging, it’s crucial for companies and their staff to proactively assess and enhance the security of their IT infrastructure.
This guide provides practical steps to effectively test and fortify your company’s IT security measures.
Why Do I Need to Test My Company IT System?
Testing your company’s IT system is essential for identifying vulnerabilities and weaknesses that could be exploited by cybercriminals. Testing your company’s IT system is crucial for several reasons:
- Protection of Customer Data: Your company might store sensitive customer information. Regular testing identifies vulnerabilities that could lead to data breaches, protecting customer trust and ensuring compliance with regulations.
- Challenges of a Remote Workforce: Remote work increases security risks. Testing assesses the security of remote access mechanisms, ensuring secure connectivity for remote workers.
- Protection of Sensitive Information: If your company handles sensitive information critical to operations, testing can identify vulnerabilities that may expose sensitive information to unauthorized access or theft.
- Compliance Requirements: Regulatory compliance often requires protecting sensitive data and IT systems. Regular testing ensures compliance and reduces the risk of your company facing penalties.
What Methods Can I Use To Test My Company’s IT?
Conduct Regular Vulnerability Assessments
Regular vulnerability assessments are essential to identify weaknesses in your IT systems.
Utilize automated scanning tools and employ ethical hackers to simulate attacks and uncover vulnerabilities before malicious actors exploit them. Schedule these assessments at least quarterly, if not more frequently, to stay ahead of emerging threats.
Penetration Testing
Penetration testing, often referred to as pen testing, goes beyond vulnerability assessments by attempting to exploit identified vulnerabilities in a controlled environment.
Engage certified professionals or penetration testing companies to conduct thorough tests, mimicking the tactics of real attackers to evaluate the effectiveness of your security controls. Ensure to address any vulnerabilities promptly and track improvements over time.
Similar to this is ‘red teaming’ which is a form of attacking the vulnerabilities of a website and also ‘blue teaming’ which is trying to defend against these attacks. In the middle is ‘purple teaming’ which is a combination of both and it is very popular and essential for the websites of institutions such as banks, councils, universities and charities.
Secure Configuration Reviews
Review the configurations of your IT assets, including servers, firewalls and routers, to ensure they align with industry best practices and security standards.
Implement configuration management tools to automate this process and promptly detect any deviations from the secure baseline. Regularly update and patch systems to mitigate known vulnerabilities and maintain a robust security posture.
Social Engineering Assessments
Human error remains one of the weakest links in cybersecurity. Conduct social engineering assessments to evaluate the susceptibility of your employees to phishing emails, pretexting, and other manipulation techniques used by cybercriminals.
Provide comprehensive security awareness training to educate employees about common tactics and empower them to recognize and report suspicious activities.
Incident Response Testing
Prepare for the inevitable by testing your incident response capabilities through simulated cyberattack scenarios.
Evaluate the effectiveness of your incident detection, containment, and recovery processes to minimize the impact of a real security incident. Document lessons learned from these exercises and refine your incident response plan accordingly to adapt to evolving threats.
Third-party Risk Assessments
Don’t overlook the security posture of your third-party vendors and service providers. Conduct thorough risk assessments to evaluate their security practices and ensure they meet your company’s standards.
Establish clear contractual obligations regarding security requirements and regularly monitor third-party compliance to mitigate potential risks to your organization.
How Often Should I Test My Company’s IT Security?
The frequency of testing your company’s IT security depends on various factors, including the size of your organization, industry regulations and the cost of the tests you are carrying out. In general, it’s recommended to conduct monthly vulnerability assessments, penetration tests and other security assessments (depending on your budget).
Additionally, it is important to perform testing after significant changes to your IT infrastructure or applications and whenever new threats emerge.
Investing In Future Business Resilience
Securing your company’s IT infrastructure is an ongoing process that requires proactive measures and continuous monitoring of your systems and your team.
By conducting regular vulnerability assessments and the additional reviews outlined in this article, you can identify and mitigate security risks effectively. Remember, investing in cybersecurity today is an investment in the future resilience of your business.