A common question in the cybersecurity corner of the internet is, ‘What is the difference between penetration testing and vulnerability scanning?’ Many businesses have to conduct both assessments to stay in compliance with security regulations and guidelines like PCI DSS, GDPR, and HIPAA. Both vulnerability scanning and pentesting are designed to find security gaps in a business’ network or systems. However, there are differences in the scope of each assessment and how they are conducted.
In this blog post, we go over the main differences between penetration testing and vulnerability scanning; how to prepare your business for each assessment; and when to pick one over the other.
what is penetration testing?
In a penetration testing exercise, a cybersecurity professional will simulate a real-world attack that exploits security weaknesses in a business’ systems. The goal is to evaluate a business’ security posture by testing how deep a malicious actor can move within a compromised system or network.
There are many types of penetration testing, including internal and external assessments that evaluate a business’ wide area network (WAN) and local area network (LAN), social engineering testing, cloud and web application testing, and more.
what is vulnerability scanning?
Many people ask if vulnerability scanning is the same as penetration testing, and the answer is no. A vulnerability scan is an automated process to identify security weaknesses in business’ systems and network. The goal is to catch, assess, and report on vulnerabilities that hackers could potentially leverage to conduct a security breach. Vulnerability scanning is often a pre-requisite for a penetration testing exercise.
penetration testing vs. vulnerability scanning: what are the differences?
Penetration testing and vulnerability scanning serve complementary purposes. However, vulnerability scanning is a more passive assessment – testers conduct an automated scan using tools like Nessus, Qualys, or OpenVAS to identify vulnerabilities.
On the other hand, penetration testing goes a step further. It’s a primarily manual assessment where testers simulate attacks that exploit these known security gaps, validating their risk and evaluating how your business’ existing security protocols respond to a potential breach.
Check out the comparison chart below to see how penetration testing and vulnerability scanning differ in methodology, depth of analysis, output, and frequency.
do you need both vulnerability scanning and penetration testing?
Penetration testing and vulnerability scanning performed together can give businesses a clear picture of their security posture. Vulnerability scanning can help identify security risks, while penetration testing can allow for a deeper understanding of these weaknesses and the damage they can cause.
A vulnerability scan is a broad assessment, typically checking for known vulnerabilities. So, it does help mitigate certain risks for better protection. However, penetration testing, leveraging a primarily manual approach and the tester’s expertise, can help uncover hidden weaknesses or misconfigurations that a vulnerability scan might miss. Together, both assessments help to identify, prioritize, and mitigate risks to build a robust defense against cyber threats.
In some cases, performing both penetration testing and vulnerability scanning can be mandatory to ensure compliance with regulations. For instance, businesses aiming for PCI DSS compliance are required to conduct both assessments.
There are some instances when businesses can do without a pentest. If you run a small business with a limited attack surface, a vulnerability scan can be enough to identify areas for improvement. However, organizations in finance, banking, healthcare, and other industries that handle confidential data, should conduct both assessments to harden security defenses.
how to prepare your business for penetration testing & vulnerability scanning?
Here are quick checklists of things to remember when preparing your business for a pentest or vulnerability scanning.
Checklist for penetration testing
Define Scope
- Identify the assets, systems, and networks to test.
- Clearly communicate boundaries (e.g., excluded systems).
Obtain Approvals
Inventory Systems
Backup Data
Provide Access
Checklist for vulnerability scanning
Select Tools
Configure the Environment
- Whitelist the scanning tool’s IPs to prevent triggering security alerts.
- Schedule scans during off-peak hours to minimize disruption.
Review and Update
- Ensure systems are patched to avoid flagging outdated vulnerabilities.
- Disable unnecessary services and accounts to reduce attack surfaces.
Validate Results
GraVoc can perform penetration testing & vulnerability scanning for your business!
Our team of certified and highly trained cybersecurity professionals can conduct vulnerability scanning and penetration testing exercises to enhance your business’ cyber defenses and help you maintain regulatory compliance.
Click below to explore our penetration testing services or contact us today to get started!
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