Penetration testing, also known as ethical hacking or pen testing, is a proactive security assessment technique conducted to identify vulnerabilities and assess the effectiveness of an organization’s security controls. It involves simulating real-world attack scenarios to evaluate the security posture of an organization’s networks, systems, applications, or infrastructure.
Penetration testing is a vital tool for organisations as it uncovers security weaknesses in an organization’s infrastructure, applications, or network configurations. It tests for vulnerabilities, like software flaws or misconfigurations, providing insights into potential entry points for attackers. Critically, it assesses the effectiveness of security controls such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and access controls, weaknesses or gaps can be identified and addressed to strengthen overall security.