Vulnerability Scanning and Penetration Testing
What’s the difference between vulnerability scanning and penetration testing? There are many factors to consider, but there are some key differences between the two. A vulnerability scanner delivers a report of weaknesses, whereas penetration testing performs an assessment of the entire system. Vulnerability scanners use a database of known vulnerabilities. However, scanners can also detect “false positives,” or vulnerabilities that are not actually threats. They use information from the software version to detect anomalies, and they observe responses to specific requests to test if they are present. Vulnerabilities are categorized by priority. A critical vulnerability represents a high probability of damage to a system, while a low-priority vulnerability may only allow an intruder to gain access to information.
The frequency of vulnerability scanning varies, depending on the cybersecurity regulations imposed on your network. The PCI DSS requires vulnerability scanning quarterly; the HIPAA Security Rule does not. But it does require risk analysis, which aims to identify any vulnerabilities affecting ePHI. By contrast, a penetration test is performed by a team of professional testers to identify weaknesses and expose vulnerabilities. It costs money and involves manual testing.
Although both are essential to cybersecurity, there are key differences between the two. While vulnerability scanning is a high-level analysis of a system, penetration testing is a hands-on test that simulates an attack to find vulnerabilities in the system. As such, a vulnerability scan is an essential part of defensive cyber security strategies. The latter is more effective when used to detect weak spots in a system. A penetration test is more aggressive, as it attempts to exploit weaknesses.
The Difference Between Vulnerability Scanning and Penetration Testing
While vulnerability scanning is less invasive and automated, penetration testing is much more invasive and is conducted more often. It’s important to remember that the two techniques must be used in tandem, in order to prevent data breaches. While they may be incompatible, both are essential to secure data and prevent malicious attacks. For this reason, learning the difference between vulnerability scanning and penetration testing can help you secure your systems and prevent data breaches.
As a security management strategy, vulnerability scanning identifies weaknesses in corporate IT systems. It also provides IT departments with a comprehensive report of vulnerabilities. In general, vulnerability scanning checks internal network systems, whereas penetration testing checks external systems. Vulnerability scanning can also detect missing patches and exploitable programs. The benefits of vulnerability scanning far outweigh the downsides. A vulnerability scan can be done by an IT department or managed service.
While vulnerability scanning and penetration testing have similar purposes, penetration testing involves more comprehensive assessment methods. A penetration test is a thorough evaluation performed by professional white hat hackers to identify complex vulnerabilities. It can also identify the extent of malicious intent. Pen testing is also considered to be more thorough, because it involves exploiting complex vulnerabilities. A penetration test is usually performed by an experienced technical expert, whereas vulnerability scanning is more focused on the detection of vulnerabilities.