What is a Network Security Test?
Network security tests help to discover vulnerabilities in a company’s network and internal systems that can be accessed through the internet.
The goal of the assessment is to detect internal and external security threats, determine the level of risk they pose, weigh the acceptability of inaction, and choose the best course of action for enhancing security if mitigation or elimination is required.
Network security testing is sometimes carried out in the software development lifecycle, as it allows developers to identify security gaps in the software or application before the code is released.
Additionally, conducting regular network security assessments is essential if your organization is required to adhere to regulatory frameworks like HIPAA, PCI DSS, and others. These assessments will enable your company to determine and show to auditors whether you are adhering to compliance regulations.
What Are Two Types of Network Security Tests?
There are two different kinds of network security evaluations:
Vulnerability assessment: A vulnerability analysis identifies an organization’s vulnerabilities. More information on vulnerabilities and vulnerability management can be found here.
Penetration test: Penetration testing is made to look like a real cyberattack or social engineering scam.
Both of the aforementioned techniques are excellent for evaluating the efficacy of your network security and estimating the potential impact of an attack on particular assets.
What Are the Objectives of a Network Security Test?
- Identify the entry points or security holes in your network.
- Spots gaps or vulnerabilities in your network
- measure the impact a cyber attack would have on your network
- Assess your network’s accuracy in detecting and responding to incidents
- Provides proof of certain security requirements, as required by a given standard or certification
How To Test Network Security?
- Identify the Scope of the Assessment
Before you get to the actual assessment, you must first identify and document your entire network and IT infrastructure. This includes:
- Networks
- Endpoints
- Network-facing applications
- Devices
- Data
- Other digital assets
Determine which assets are most vulnerable to a security compromise. You can use this knowledge to decide which assets to focus on. Next, think about the information and data the assets contain.
Consider what would occur if a certain piece of data was taken or lost. Would the company lose clients? Get sued? Cause a grind in productivity? Ruin your reputation?
- Scan for Vulnerabilities
It is now time to begin probing for vulnerabilities. This is generally achieved through a vulnerability scanner. Although some vulnerability management solutions are multi-functional, you may need to use a specialized tool for each.
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Vulnerability scanners typically work by gathering detailed information about each asset, then comparing collected data to a database to identify known vulnerabilities. More advanced solutions may also be able to leverage machine learning to detect issues not present in any known database. A network vulnerability scan may consist of any or all of the following:
- Troubleshooting and debugging code.
- Scanning network-connected endpoints for open ports.
- Remotely accessing systems to collect more detailed information.
- Monitoring for misconfigured security or remote access tools.
- Assess Existing Controls
Once your organization’s vulnerabilities have been evaluated, you should check to see if your security measures and risk-reduction strategies can keep attackers from taking advantage of them.
- Implement New Security Controls
Most likely, your scanning and testing have will have uncovered security gaps and vulnerabilities. After determining which controls already exist, you’ll need to implement a plan to remediate the security gaps.
- Network Pen Testing
Vulnerability scanning will only uncover some of your system weaknesses. To really get a true picture of your network security status, you need to think like a hacker and perform network security penetration testing. This will ensure that your security controls and risk mitigation techniques will actually work towards preventing attackers and defending your organization’s network.
How Can Centraleyes Help With Your Network Security Test?
To ensure you are keeping your organization secure, it is important to take your network security seriously. This is where Centraleyes can help.
Centraleyes is a next-gen GRC platform that allows you to build an inventory of your assets, build a granular risk register, and assess your cyber risk exposure in your system to kleep your network safe.
Contact us today for more information on our network security services.
Start Getting Value With
Centraleyes for Free
See for yourself how the Centraleyes platform exceeds anything an old GRC
system does and eliminates the need for manual processes and spreadsheets
to give you immediate value and run a full risk assessment in less than 30 days
