What Cyber Security Testing Do You Really Need?

Aeko Technologies provides managed IT services plus cyber security services in Fort Worth. Our years (and years) of experience in security and compliance put us solidly at “expert” status. We regularly conduct cyber security testing for our clients. However, many IT providers do not provide this crucial service. Local businesses may not find out that their testing needs were not being met by their MSP until a cyber attack occurs. Be sure that your MSP is following best practices: Ask for reports of cyber security testing.

Cyber security testing is crucial for every business. The type you need depends on the kind of business you have. Some are more expensive than others. Small businesses, for example, only need an internal and external vulnerability scan. Larger businesses should run a penetration test. What are the types of cyber security testing? We explain the five most common below.

Vulnerability Scan

A vulnerability scan encompasses both internal and external security threats. It searches for weak spots within your systems and reveals how they could be compromised by an outside party. The cost is reasonable because of modern assessment tools. The recommended frequency varies depending on the sector of your business. Quarterly scans of external IPs and domains exposed in the CDE are required for businesses accepting credit cards.

Penetration Test

A penetration test (or “pen test”) is an attempt to break into your systems. A third-party tester tries to find vulnerabilities in your security by gaining access to internal data. The tester will even try to take said data. A pen test may involve social engineering, intercepting passwords sent over the network and sending phishing emails to employees.

Network Audit

A cyber security audit is a review of your network. There are two common types of audits: network and compliance.

Network audits examine security and performance and monitor for glitches across your network. Without an audit, you might not even know that your systems are compromised. The Solar Winds attack of 2020 went undetected for nine months. Changes include adding hardware, software and end-user devices. Not only will these audits monitor for breaches but also can catch when backups fail or devices reach the end of their lives. Network audits provide security through monitoring and allow your tech team to restore, adjust and replace where necessary.

Compliance Audit

A compliance audit ensures that your business is following the guidelines for your industry. Industries include medical, privacy, employment and antitrust. Any business that accepts credit card payments is also subject to compliance regulations. They are mandated by various government agencies. 

Meeting compliance standards is critical for your business. Being noncompliant can jeopardize your company’s reputation. It can prevent you from doing business with certain government agencies or within certain markets. It can cost you time and money in reporting, fines and possible lost revenue.

Internal compliance audits

These are done by a member of the business’s staff or a vendor partner. Performed several times throughout the year, internal audits verify that companies are complying with industry standards.

External compliance audits

These are formal audits by an independent third party. External audits measure compliance of an organization according to industry rules, including CMMC, PCI (credit card) and HIPAA compliance regulations.

Assessment

A cyber security assessment is an exhaustive examination of your company’s technology systems and cyber security. It checks for insecure points of vulnerability in your organization and can help IT experts make recommendations to your team for using technology in a more cyber-secure way. The assessment can catch open ports in a firewall, poor password policies and software that needs patching.

What’s the difference between a cyber security audit and assessment? The risk assessment is done within the context of your business’s objectives, rather than following a general checklist as you would for an audit.

Cyber Security Testing Fort Worth

If you need a small change or a full overhaul of your cyber security measures, Aeko’s got you covered. We can provide computer data security, network firewalls, security management services, wireless network security, virus protection and internet security. With our end-user security training and testing, we’ll take you under our wing and teach you the best cyber security practices for protecting yourself during day-to-day work.

We get that it’s hard to run a business while monitoring your systems for suspicious activity. That’s where our cyber security monitoring services come in to bring you added peace of mind. We’ll provide cyber security testing as you work, find any signs of weakness and address those weaknesses without interrupting your workflow. Schedule a quick call with our pros for a free, high-level security assessment.