Integrating Penetration Testing into Your Cybersecurity Defense

BreachLock Attack Surface Discovery Blog Series (3 of 6)
Guest Author: Edward Amoroso
Chief Executive Officer, TAG Infosphere
Research Professor, NYU

The traditional approach to penetration testing has involved security teams employing an ethical hacker or other external entity to engage in an unstructured attempt to find paths into the enterprise, exploitable vulnerabilities in accessible services, or other undesirable situations. This type of work has generally been done on an ad hoc basis, often in response to some problem that arises which management decides could use more focused testing.

Our experience at TAG is that while ad hoc testing does have its place, penetration testing must instead become a more integrated and continuous component of the enterprise cyber defense. Instead of viewing penetration testing as a sporadic or even one-time occurrence, security teams would be wise to integrate the method, perhaps best done with a commercial platform partner, into the overall security strategy.

Benefits of Penetration Testing

First, it should be clear that penetration testing, and taking an offensive-minded approach to cyber defense, is an essential aspect of any modern enterprise protection scheme. It represents one of the only protection controls in the cybersecurity discipline where creative means are taken to locate and uncover weaknesses using methods that mimic (or exceed) the ability of a malicious cyber adversary.

These benefits are rarely disputed amongst cyber professionals who generally complement their attack surface management, security scanning, and perimeter testing with some form of penetration testing – albeit, increasingly with the assistance of a commercial platform. This is good news because the offensive mindset associated with penetration testing offsets that increasingly intense forms of attack being levied by capable adversaries.

Challenge of Ad Hoc testing

The practical problem that has emerged with respect to most penetration testing programs is that the manner in which it is engaged is usually more based on ad hoc planning than on a comprehensive and on-going program of continuous testing. It is not uncommon, for example, for a security team to have a relationship with an outside penetration testing team, and to call them in from time to time to run a series of probes and tests.

This can be useful, especially when it includes unscheduled attention to some area of the enterprise that might deserve such focused testing. Examples come to mind where the team operating a business unit are being lax about security. A live penetration test that exposes the specifics of such laxness can be a powerful means to driving that management team to improving their security approach.

Integrating Penetration Testing into the Defensive Strategy

The goal should be to thus integrate penetration testing into the enterprise cyber defensive approach. This should combine the value of continuous and automated coverage with the balancing advantages of complementing platform support with on-demand penetration testing. The result of this approach is that defenders have a greater ability to maintain consistency with a growing offensive capability that is increasingly automated.

How BreachLock Supports Integrated Penetration Testing

Commercial cybersecurity vendor BreachLock offers comprehensive integrated penetration testing services. By combining automated and manual testing techniques, BreachLock ensures a thorough assessment of an organization’s security posture. Their approach leverages advanced AI-driven tools to identify potential vulnerabilities quickly, followed by in-depth manual testing performed by skilled ethical hackers to validate and exploit these vulnerabilities.

This integrated methodology allows for continuous and scalable security assessments, ensuring real-time insights and actionable recommendations. BreachLock’s platform also supports seamless integration with existing DevOps workflows, facilitating efficient vulnerability management and helping organizations maintain a robust security posture in an ever-evolving threat landscape.

To read the full blog series, download the eBook here.

About BreachLock

BreachLock is a global leader in Continuous Attack Surface Discovery and Penetration Testing. Continuously discover, prioritize, and mitigate exposures with evidence-backed Attack Surface Management, Penetration Testing, and Red Teaming.

Elevate your defense strategy with an attacker’s view that goes beyond common vulnerabilities and exposures. Each risk we uncover is backed by validated evidence. We test your entire attack surface and help you mitigate your next cyber breach before it occurs.

Know your risk. Contact BreachLock today!

About TAG

TAG is a trusted next generation research and advisory company that utilizes an AI-powered SaaS platform to deliver on-demand insights, guidance, and recommendations to enterprise teams, government agencies, and commercial vendors in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and climate science/sustainability.