The present pen test market offers various options for businesses. Majority of the companies source tests via security testing companies or by developing a team of their own testers. Therefore, pen testing as a service is becoming a famous approach. A few companies select a framework that contains an amalgamation of services to expand their own team.
Outsourcing to the old school security testing companies is a very good practice. This is extremely common over the past few decades. Nevertheless, it delivers a slow experience, lacks transparency, and is inefficient. The speed of beginning a test and attaining the outcomes is affected by results delivery and testers availability. The majority of the companies wait for weeks to begin testing.
Therefore, companies nowadays adopt pen testing-as-a-service models. It is an outsourced approach that offers a customer experience that is platform driven. It provides tie-bound and traditional techniques driven tests. This leads to the creation of an option for discovery of incentivized susceptibility. This can be both continuous and time-bound. Merging this platform-driven method with crowd sourced ethical hackers and security testers from a worldwide pool can offer modern security testing experience. This incorporates software development lifecycle (SDLC) tools, bringing together company’s information technology, real-time outcomes, prioritised and de-duplicated and validated. This allows quicker response to the most significant susceptibilities discovered.
Nevertheless, the crowd-sourced pen testing as a service approach has few perception and awareness difficulties that it will require to resolve. Some of this can be accredited to the freshness of the approach. This is because; pen testing a service has been here for a few years. The incorporation of crowd sourced pen testers can develop crowd fear with a few buyers who can question if they can trust ethical hackers.
In-source pen testing plays an imperative role in eliminating the speed difficulties incorporating traditional testing methodologies. They provide context and knowledge regarding the company’s environment. It includes processes incorporated, workflows, technologies adopted and people. This is very advantageous. Nevertheless, internal teams perhaps encounter difficulties like excess demand and lesser testers who cannot fulfil the demand. It is very expensive to keep so many testers.
The last option is known as mixed pen test technique. It incorporates an amalgamation of service providers and testing teams that are internally delivered to serve specific requirements of the company. This technique incorporates the outstanding aspects of every method and offers probability for in-depth security coverage. The core capabilities are kept separately. However, there is no sufficient internal capacity; it can be offered by the service provider.
The Best Pen Testing Technique To Adopt
The present pen test methods offer a solution for various security pain points. It is very important for every company to recognize and opt for the best pen test techniques that go best with their requirements. This technique adopted may also vary with time because of modifications in the business, talent availability and external landscape for threats.
The old technique is considered suitable when the requirements of compliance need to be addressed. If the wider window is acceptable and the company is price sensitive, the company still uses a traditional approach. Sometimes the internal team is also considered a good option when there is enough ability of the security testing talent; tests are needed to be conducted frequently. Therefore, internal knowledge is very advantageous. Sometimes, there are sensitive assets that cannot be shown to the external service provider.
The hybrid approach is extremely suitable when they have expertise in managing different security service providers. They can also integrate those flawlessly with internal capabilities. Crowd sourced pen test performs accurately when hybrid model is adopted. It can offer value added customer experience and offer skills and knowledge to test the environment that enhances testing standards every time.
