Small businesses make big targets for cybercriminals. In fact, businesses with fewer than 250 people make up 60% of the targets. The reason? Small businesses often have weak security controls in place and lack the resources to properly train their employees on cybersecurity best practises. They are also more likely to be the target of phishing attacks, which can expose them to data breaches, malware infections, and other cyberattacks.
One way to help secure your small business software is by using penetration testing tools. And while it’s important for a business, whether small or large, in New Jersey or in New York – to have professional IT support in New Jersey and other locations to help your business navigate these kinds of tasks, it’s also equally important that you have the knowledge at least to whatever these experts are doing would entail to your business. Which is why we’ll discuss what penetration testing is and how it can help secure your software. We will also introduce you to five small business software penetration testing tools that you can use to test the security of your software application today.
Understanding penetration testing
Also known as pentesting or pentest, this is the process of testing a software application, web or mobile app, computer system or network for vulnerabilities. Pen testers use a variety of methods while doing their best to exploit any and every security flaw they find. This is so that they obtain Privileged Access Management to sensitive data because, ultimately, this data needs to be protected. This also allows them to assess the security of the system and identify any areas that need improvement.
How can penetration testing tools help secure your software?
By using the best penetration testing tools, small businesses can identify and address potential security issues before they become a bigger problem. These tools allow businesses to test their software for vulnerabilities and fix them before an attacker has a chance to exploit them. Additionally, pentesting can help improve employee awareness of cybersecurity best practises and provide training on how to respond appropriately to various types of cyber threats.
Small business software security issues:
Lack of trained employees – Small businesses often have a lack or shortage of trained IT staff and cybersecurity professionals. This can lead to poorly configured systems, weak passwords, and other areas where hackers might try to exploit vulnerabilities in order for them to gain access into the network or steal data from it. In addition, many small businesses do not have a strong understanding of how important data protection regulations are when dealing with customer information such as credit card numbers etcetera (for example GDPR). The lack of training on these subjects puts companies at risk because they do not know what their responsibilities are under these laws which may cause them fines if found out that they did something wrong.
Outdated security controls – Many small businesses are using outdated or legacy security controls that no longer provide the necessary protection from cyberattacks. Additionally, many businesses do not have a proper patch management process in place, which can leave them open to attacks when unpatched vulnerabilities are discovered.
Weak passwords – One of the simplest methods for hackers to gain entry to your system is through a weak password. Many small businesses still use simple passwords such as “password” and “1234”, making it easy for attackers to guess them. In addition, employees often reuse the same passwords for multiple accounts, which makes them even more vulnerable to attack.
Unpatched devices – Out-of-date software and operating systems are another common vulnerability that hackers exploit in order to gain access to systems. Many small businesses are not keeping their devices up-to-date with the latest security patches, leaving them open to attacks when new vulnerabilities are discovered.
Unauthorised access – Hackers employ a variety of methods to gain access to a system, including stealing or guessing user credentials. This can be done by phishing employees or using social engineering techniques, such as sending fake emails from what looks like a legitimate company in order to get users to click on malicious links or download malware onto their computers.
Failure or lack of encryption – When data is transmitted over the internet without being encrypted, it can be easily intercepted and read by anyone who happens to be monitoring the traffic. This leaves your data vulnerable to theft and fraud. Many small businesses do not use encryption to protect their data, making it an easy target for hackers.
Taking work home – One of the most common ways that data is lost or stolen from a company is by employees taking confidential information home with them on their laptops or USB drives. This may be avoided with careful data handling procedures.
Lack of mobile security – With more and more employees working remotely, the number of devices that are accessing company networks has increased dramatically. This increases the risk of unauthorised access and malware infections as many businesses do not have adequate mobile security measures such as malware detection and prevention software and VPNs in place.
How can penetration testing tools help secure your software?
Penetration testing tools can help secure your software by identifying vulnerabilities that hackers might try to exploit. By using these tools, you can find and fix these vulnerabilities before an attacker has a chance to do so.
5 small business software penetration testing tools
There are many different penetration testing tools available, but the five we have chosen for this article are:
- Astra Pentest is a tool designed specifically for penetration testing web applications. It includes a variety of features such as vulnerability scanning, manual testing procedures, and reconnaissance capabilities. It tests against thousands of known vulnerabilities and is really a comprehensive tool. Additionally, this tool gives you tips to fix each flaw. Should you need any help with Astra Security, the provider is always available online to back you up.
- Metasploit is a well-known open-source penetration testing tool. It includes a large library of exploits and payloads, as well as the ability to create custom modules.
- Nessus is a popular vulnerability scanner that can be used to scan for vulnerabilities in both servers and applications. It includes a variety of features such as report generation, compliance checking, and malware detection.
- sqlmap is a tool that may be used to exploit SQL injection flaws in web applications. It includes a number of options such as database fingerprinting, data extraction, and password cracking.
- Hashcat is a powerful password cracking tool that can crack passwords up to 80 characters in length.
Summing it up
Penetration testing is an important part of software security and should be performed regularly in order to identify and fix any vulnerabilities that might exist. By using the tools mentioned in this article, you can test the security of your software and ensure that it is as secure as possible. You may also want to consider using a software penetration testing service provider who can provide you with expert security advice and support, as well as round-the-clock monitoring and incident response services.
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