Why is Investing in VAPT Services Crucial for Organizations?

 



VAPT services or Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing include several kinds of elements such as mobile/web application testing, network security testing, secure code review, cloud penetration testing, medical, and IoT devices testing, etc. VAPT is a process of identifying and exploiting the existing security flaws in a simulated environment so that hackers don’t take advantage of them.
Almost 83% of organizations globally have reported events of security breaches within their premises. Isn’t it shocking? Isn’t it enough to invoke businesses seeking to maintain their organization's cyber security posture?
The surge in cyber attacks lately put businesses and companies in a dicey situation. Most organizations admit that even though they have adopted safety measures, they get attacked. Does that mean no safety measure can stop cyber-attacks? Well, this is not entirely true.
However, it is true that no preventive measure or safeguard is efficient enough to completely stop cyber attack events. But they help in preventing the attacks in a far more effective way. One of the preventive measures is conducting a thorough VAPT audit within the premises.
VAPT is a combination of Vulnerability Assessment (VA) and Penetration Testing (PT). In the first phase (i.e., VA), skilled pentesters look for existing vulnerabilities in the networks, systems, and other IT infrastructure of the auditee organization.
Whereas, in Penetration Testing (PT), the professionals perform pentesting or exploit the existing security defects in a simulated environment to learn about the extent to which these vulnerabilities can get exploited by the con actors.
But is it worth it for an organization to invest in VAPT services? Let’s learn about everything in detail.

Leading Factors for Invoking Vulnerabilities

There are several factors that can lead to vulnerabilities in an organization's IT networks, systems, and applications. Here are a few common elements that are responsible for invoking vulnerabilities:

Software flaws and coding errors: Bugs in software code can develop security vulnerabilities that can be later exploited by threat actors.
Misconfigured systems and applications: Misconfigured applications and systems can invoke security vulnerabilities that can leave a backdoor open for attackers.
No security updates and patches: Failure to install security updates and remediation can leave systems vulnerable to known exploits and attacks.
Easy-to-guess passwords and authentication controls: Weak passwords and authentication safeguards can make it effortless for cyber attackers to gain unauthorized access to systems and applications.
Insider threats: Negligent or malicious insiders (employees) can accidentally or intentionally create vulnerabilities that can be exploited by attackers.
Human error: Accidental or unintentional actions by employees, for example, clicking on phishing emails or downloading malicious files or apps, can introduce vulnerabilities.
Third-party software and services: The usage of third-party services and software can create vulnerabilities if they are not adequately configured or if they have known security flaws.

Tools and Frameworks Used for VAPT

When we talk about VAPT testing, there are so many things that need to be considered. The methodologies used, framework, tools used, and manual strategies to detect vulnerabilities. Most auditors use a combination of automated and manual testing to bring more effect to the service.
However, in this blog, we will learn about the tools and frameworks used in VAPT. 
The list is as follows:
  • Nessus
  • Nmap
  • Metasploit
  • Wireshark
  • BurpSuite
  • SQLMap
  • Kali
  • Nikto
  • John the ripper
These are only a few but there are so many other VAPT tools and frameworks that are used while performing the task.

Why Do Organizations Need VAPT Services?

Since the rise in cyber attacks is skyrocketing, the need for a thorough VAPT audit for organizations is increasing as well. Organizations need Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (VAPT) services for several reasons. We have listed down a few reasons why a company or business needs to carry out a VAPT audit:

Identify security vulnerabilities: VAPT services help businesses pinpoint security vulnerabilities in their IT infrastructure, applications, network, and systems. By unveiling these security flaws, organizations can proactively install preventive measures to discover them before they can be exploited by malicious actors.

Protect against cyber attacks: Cyber threats are a constant threat to organizations, and they can cause significant reputational and financial damage. VAPT services aid organizations address security vulnerabilities that attackers could misuse and give recommendations on how to prevent cyber attacks.

Compliance requirements: Several organizations are needed by legislation or industry standards to conduct regular security assessments. VAPT services can aid organizations to meet compliance requirements and avoid penalties or legal issues.

Risk management: VAPT audits can help organizations better understand their overall risk posture by detecting vulnerabilities and analyzing their impact. This information can help organizations prioritize security investments and put resources more effectively in place.

Seamless improvement: The services are not a one-time activity but a continuous process. Periodic VAPT tests can help organizations seamlessly improve their cyber security posture and stay ahead of rising threats.

Conclusion

Investing in VAPT services is critical for organizations in order to unveil security vulnerabilities, control cyber attacks, meet compliance requirements, manage & mitigate risk, and continuously improve their information security posture.

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