The increasingly hostile cyberthreat landscape forces businesses of all shapes and sizes to take proactive security measures seriously. The pandemic has accelerated digital transformation, and security threats originating in internet-facing assets have become a real pain for enterprise owners. At this juncture, it is crucial to plan your security assessment activities, and part of it is choosing the right partner – a robust VAPT testing company.
In this article, we shall discuss various factors that make a VAPT testing company better than others, and how you should approach choosing the best company for your purposes. Before we get into all of that, let us quickly brush up on our knowledge of VAPT.
What is VAPT? Why is it important?
Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing – VAPT is a comprehensive security assessment of your digital assets. The process includes identifying, analyzing, and reporting vulnerabilities in system infrastructure. VAPT also includes attempts to exploit these vulnerabilities to understand the extent of damage that can be caused.
Vulnerability Assessment (VA) is the first step of VAPT. It is a process of identifying security holes in the system. Penetration Testing (PT) is the second step where these vulnerabilities are exploited to understand the business risk.
It is important to have both VA and PT because, without VA, you would not know which systems or applications are vulnerable. And without PT, you would not know how damaging an attack through these vulnerabilities can be.
What should you look for in a VAPT testing company?
There are dozens of VAPT testing companies in the market, and it can be quite overwhelming to choose one. However, if you keep the following factors in mind, the decision will become much easier.
A powerful vulnerability scanner
You need a vulnerability scanner that uses a vast vulnerability database and regularly updated scanning rules. It is important to use a scanner that can detect all common vulnerabilities without raising too many false positives.
Minimum false positives
False positives are issues flagged by a scanner that are not vulnerabilities. Some false positives are almost unavoidable when you are using an automated vulnerability scanner. However, some VAPT testing companies engage manual pentesters on top of the automated scan to ensure zero false positives.
Continuous scanning
VAPT is not a one-time activity, it has to be repeated periodically to stay ahead of emerging vulnerability enumerations. A pentest becomes obsolete the moment you launch a major update on your application. Hence, you need a solution that scans continuously. With a tool that integrates easily with your CI/CD pipeline, you can easily automate the scans after every update.
Actionable vulnerability assessment report
The vulnerability assessment report plays a crucial part in your vulnerability management journey. A good report is easy to navigate and it helps the developers to understand and remediate the issues.
Collaborative remediation
Even with a well-structured VAPT report, your developers may hit roadblocks while implementing the fixes suggested. An opportunity to collaborate with security experts at the time of vulnerability remediation can make the job way easier.
Factors to consider before selecting a VAPT testing company
Self-serving tools
The VAPT company you are considering should offer self-serving VAPT tools to help you get started immediately. The platform should be intuitive and easy to use. Ideally, it should not require any training.
On-demand expert assistance
A VAPT testing company with a team of experienced penetration testers can add a lot of value to your VAPT program. They can help you with complex issues and also train your team on the latest pentesting techniques.
Flexible engagement models
The VAPT company should offer flexible engagement models to suit your specific needs. For example, if you are just starting, you may want to opt for a managed service. As your VAPT program matures, you can move to a self-service model.
Pricing
The VAPT company should offer competitive pricing without compromising on the quality of service. You should also look for discounts and offers that can help you save money.
Now that you know what to look for in a VAPT testing company, you can start your search with confidence. Use the factors mentioned above as a checklist to shortlist the companies that meet your specific requirements.
When selecting a VAPT solution for your business, it is important to choose one that offers continuous testing, authenticated scanning, self-serving tools, and collaborative remediation. By taking these factors into consideration, you can be sure to choose the best VAPT testing company for your business.
VAPT is an important part of any business’s security strategy. By taking the time to choose the right VAPT testing company, you can be sure that your business is well-protected against vulnerabilities.
