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5 Key Areas Your Business Must Cover When Approaching Risk Assessment and Mitigation
Organisations are constantly at risk of falling victim to a cyber-attack. As threats become more sophisticated, businesses need to be looking at every angle of the threat landscape to ensure the protection of important data, applications and infrastructure.
Penetration testing is one process your business can implement to help thoroughly maintain and secure its IT environment. Through identifying and exploiting potential vulnerabilities, penetration testing can help determine whether a malicious activity or unauthorised access is possible across your IT environment.
Utilising a third party to undertake penetration testing can help eliminate complacency and oversight of your security, but selecting the right provider is important. Here are 5 key areas you should assess before selecting a partner to undertake penetration testing for your organisation.
1. Communication Communication is key – Your provider should scope out a clear objective for the penetration test, with a realistic timeline and formal proposal. Requesting past sample reports can help your business gain a better understanding of the process and facilitates discussion around areas of concern within your own IT environment.
2. TimingYour provider should give a timeline that details each step of the test, providing a clear outline of how it can best avoid interruption to business functionality. Ensuring your provider can explain how each test is relevant to your specific needs can help you manage workflow and business operations more efficiently.
3. Non-DisclosureClient and business information can be visible throughout a penetration test. Your provider must be willing to sign a non-disclosure agreement to ensure the on-going protection of business-sensitive information. Looking at teams that have certifications and proven experience is also integral to their proof of capability.
4. Documented MethodologyBefore commencing, your organisation should assess what type of approach your provider takes. Do they rely on manual techniques, or are their processes largely automated? Requesting a written overview of their pen test processes can help you determine whether their practices align with your unique needs and budget.
5. InsuranceYour provider should have liability insurance that covers the cost of unforeseen data loss or infrastructure damage. Insurance guidelines should be clearly detailed within the process and should inform you of what to expect if disaster strikes.
At Counterparts, we can help your organisation formulate a mediation plan following a penetration test, to help boost and strengthen your protection against cyber threats with HP and Intel®. If you’re looking at ways to better secure your IT environment with HP and Intel®, don’t hesitate to get in touch with a Counterparts representative today.
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