Penetration Testing: A Sure-Fire Way to Prevent Cyber Attacks?

When you first think of Australia, you might not immediately think of a country with an impressive technological infrastructure. But the country has distinguished itself with numerous technology-operated businesses and universities that strongly emphasize research.

However, progress often invites trouble. With the technological boom, Australia has also witnessed increased cyber attacks in various forms. Although employing services like penetration testing in Australia is an excellent way to stay safe, it is vital to know about these attacks and how hackers carry them out.

Let’s go back to the roots and look at the world of cyber-attacks.

The Concept of Cyber Attacks

Different organizations define a cyber attack in different ways. For some, a cyber attack is an attempt to steal data by breaching a system, while others may define it as unauthorized access to a system with malicious intent. 

Irrespective of the definition, cyber-attacks are performed solely to disrupt and damage. Since they involve a computer network, hackers can launch them from anywhere in the world.  

For example, a hacker group in Sydney can target your organization even if you operate from Brisbane. Unfortunately, these attacks lead to a significant loss in data, and it can be challenging to locate the hackers.

But you might wonder: how can anyone gain control of a system from another city? Let’s find out.

The Carriers

Let’s take an example to understand better how your system can get infected. There are about 23,6 million internet users in Australia as of January 2022. Naturally, these users visit numerous websites for different purposes, from work to entertainment.

You might not even think twice after you open or close an app or open an email attachment from an unknown source. These are the mediums through which cyber attackers plant malware in your system, allowing unrestricted access. Some of the other ways in which cyber attacks are carried out are:

• Cross-site scripting (XSS) attack: Perhaps one of the most common ways to infect a system, an XSS attack involves using malicious code on a website or an application to obtain user details.
• Denial-of-service (DoS): Flooding the system with requests that prevent it from functioning effectively and impact its performance.
• Phishing: Hackers send emails posing as legitimate sources and use fake hyperlinks to steal sensitive user data.’

The Role of Penetration Testing

Fortunately, penetration testing in Australia has emerged as a one-stop solution for organizations and individuals. Irrespective of the size of your business, your data is essential, and penetration testing ensures that you patch up the holes in your security system.

The procedure involves simulating a cyber-attack on your system to detect its vulnerabilities. This simulation is solely for detection and does not harm or leak your data or files. Penetration testing banks on the following steps to deliver effective results:

• Reconnaissance
• Exploitation
• Analysis and Reporting
• Monitoring

Once you figure out the alleyways in your system that could invite hackers, you can fill them up and guarantee the safety of sensitive data. 

Final Thoughts

Cybercriminals might always be looking for systems that can provide them with an easy entry. Apart from performing penetration testing regularly, it would help if you were careful to invite malware by clicking on untrustworthy sites or opening unsolicited mail. 

Only through technological awareness can Australians avoid cybercriminals entirely and focus on technological progress.