Organizations should conduct penetration testing regularly, at a minimum, annually.

Organizations should conduct penetration testing regularly, at a minimum, annually. 

However, with any significant change to an organization— including infrastructure or application upgrades, new offices, or changes to assets and services — they should undergo a new Pen Test.

An experienced IT security consultant should have years of penetration tests under their belt and be able to document the use of advanced penetration testing framework in addition to expertise in manual penetration methodology. Consulting organizations that use both automated scanning and manual testing should be able to replicate the attacker mindset and highlight weaknesses while developing and implementing security strategies specifically designed to optimize a company’s investment, providing tailored protection against threat actors.

Businesses that work with a Cyber Security consultant to periodically run comprehensive penetration tests are less likely to suffer the kind of unpleasant wake-up call that comes with a serious cyber incident.

Carl Mazzanti is president of eMazzanti Technologies in Hoboken, N.J., providing IT consulting services for businesses ranging from home offices to multinational corporations.