What is Penetration Testing?

Penetration testing is a critical cybersecurity practice used to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities in systems, networks, and applications by simulating real-world attacks, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards, and building customer trust. Various types of penetration testing, such as white box, black box, and gray box testing, along with network, application, wireless, and physical penetration testing, help organizations assess different security aspects. Tools like Nmap, Metasploit, and Burp Suite aid testers in detecting and exploiting vulnerabilities, though the process carries risks such as service disruptions and legal issues if not properly scoped. Regulatory standards like PCI DSS, HIPAA, and GDPR often require penetration testing, and the field is rapidly evolving with trends like the integration of AI and continuous testing. Harness Security Testing Orchestration (STO) enhances penetration testing by automating vulnerability detection and remediation, providing a unified view of security risks, and preventing the deployment of vulnerable applications.