A penetration test, also known as a “pen test” or “ethical hacking,” is a simulated attack on a computer system, network, or web application to identify and exploit vulnerabilities. The goal of a penetration test is to assess the security of a system by attempting to gain unauthorised access, and to identify and evaluate potential vulnerabilities.

Benefits of a penetration test include:

1. Identifying vulnerabilities: A penetration test can identify and evaluate vulnerabilities in a system that may be exploited by an attacker, including known and unknown vulnerabilities.

2. Prioritising risks: A penetration test can help prioritise risks by identifying the most critical vulnerabilities and the potential impact of a successful attack.

3. Improving security: A penetration test can help improve the overall security of a system by identifying and addressing vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by an attacker.

4. Compliance: Some regulations, industry standards, and best practices such as PCI DSS, SOC 2, and ISO 27001 require or recommend penetration testing.

5. Education and training: Penetration testing can provide educational opportunities for security teams, it can help raise security awareness across the organisation, and provide training for incident response and incident handling.

6. Measuring the effectiveness of security controls: Penetration testing can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of security controls and validate their configuration.

7. Evaluating the effectiveness of incident response: Penetration testing can provide an opportunity to test and evaluate incident response plans, procedures and teams, it can help identify areas of improvement in the incident response process.

It is important to note that penetration testing should not be the only security measure in place, it should be part of a broader security program that includes regular security assessments, monitoring and incident response planning. Also, it’s important to have a clear scope of the test and have a written agreement with the testing company to ensure compliance with legal, regulatory and ethical requirements. It is ideal that the service provider is CREST accredited.