What is the primary purpose of penetration testing?

The primary purpose of a penetration test is to identify vulnerabilities in a network and remediate them before a threat actor can find and exploit them. Penetration tests are generally performed by scanning a network from external and internal sources. 

The scans identify systems and software that reside on the network. The tester uses the results to identify known vulnerabilities, which might be exploited by a cyber-attacker. The results of a penetration test should be used to patch and mitigate any vulnerabilities found. 

Concerned about cyberattacks? 

• Learn more about our ransomware protection and recovery services. 

Related Resources 

Our advice: hold off penetration testing until the time is right. Here’s why.