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The world of cybersecurity is a high-stakes battlefield, and the challenges have never been greater. As our technology becomes smarter, faster, and more integrated, cybercriminals are keeping pace, evolving their tactics to exploit every vulnerability.
This article breaks down 170 key cybersecurity insights, statistics, and findings for 2025. We’ll cover the most critical threats, costs to businesses and consumers, and security trends worth considering.
Ready to see what the future holds? Let’s dive into the data and uncover what’s next in cybersecurity.
Table of Contents
Cybersecurity Overview
Cybercrime is on the rise, and attacks are becoming more sophisticated and expensive.
Let’s break down a few introductory statistics to set the stage for the top concerns for cybersecurity professionals.
1. Cybercrime is set to cost businesses up to $10.5 trillion by 2025 and could reach as high as $15.63 trillion by 2029.1
2. Research suggests there’s a worrying correlation between digital transformation and data breaches.2
3. 72% of business owners are concerned about future cybersecurity risks arising from hybrid or remote work.3
4. 74% of businesses are confident in their ability to detect and respond to cyberattacks in real-time, a high of 81% of C-suite leaders vs. 66% of Front-line managers.
AI is everywhere you look – unfortunately, that goes for AI cyber threats, too.
Generative artificial intelligence, or GenAI, is a hot topic in cybersecurity and is unlikely to simmer down in 2025.
• Predicting threats and vulnerabilities ahead of time. (45%)
• Increasing the scale of security patching. (45%)
• Creating more efficient incident response plans. (42%)
• Threat simulation to mimic a wide range of cyber threats. (39%)
• Managing cybersecurity alert fatigue. (36%)
• Threat simulation to mimic a wide range of cyber threats. (68%)
• Managing cybersecurity alert fatigue. (45%)
• Closing the cybersecurity talent shortage and skills gap. (42%)
• Automating security information and event management systems. (37%)
• Increasing the scale of security patching. (34%)
However, it’s also clear that business owners are worried about social engineering and insider threats – and that many companies are re-evaluating who they partner with on the supply chain.
5. 97% of companies are reporting GenAI security issues and breaches. 54
6. 24% of companies believe they can use GenAI technology to make incident response more efficient in the future. 45
7. To combat insider threats, many companies are moving away from encouraging awareness towards behavioral adaptation. 53% of companies actively train staff on how to minimize internal risks. 6
8. Firms are moving toward identity-first security measures – with more than 86% adopting zero trust models. 7
9. By the end of the year, up to 60% of companies on supply chains will be using the risk of cybersecurity as a buying consideration when partnering with others. 8
10. Up to 98% of cyberattacks – against businesses and otherwise – involve social engineering, making this a key trend to prepare for across the next year. 9
11. Around 76% of security leaders are concerned about cyber threats evolving in sophistication – and 72% believe they are “first adopters” of technology to combat them in the years ahead. 10
Cybercrime Costs and Frequency
The cost of cybercrime is skyrocketing for businesses worldwide. Much of this is due to the increasing number of attacks and vectors emerging, meaning companies need to plan wisely to reduce potential revenue loss.
America leads the way in terms of the most expensive cybercrime costs worldwide, but even globally, companies are paying almost $5 million per breach.
Let’s explore some of the most explosive data costs making waves right now.
12. Cybercrime costs are expected to escalate worldwide to almost $14 trillion by 2028.11
13. The average cost of a data breach globally is growing to around $4.88 million, a 10% increase year-on-year.12
14. The industrial sector is experiencing the highest increase in data breach costs, rising by $830,000 on average year-on-year.13 12
15. Data breach costs are projected to be the highest in the U.S., followed by the Middle East, Benelux, and Germany. 14
16. All four territories experience costs higher than the global average of $4.88 million, with the U.S. paying almost double this amount. 14
17. Ransomware costs victims an average of $1.85 million per incident, with attacks rising by 13% over a five-year period. 15
18. The average cost of ransom imposed by attackers increased by 500% over a year, with payments reaching an average of $2 million. 16
19. Phishing attacks currently cost companies an average of $4.88 million to bounce back from. 17
20. Business Email Compromise or BEC attacks are costing companies an average of $4.67 million per attack and account for 8.5% of all data breaches.18
21. BEC attacks have already cost businesses more than $55 billion over a decade. 19
22. Claims made on cybersecurity insurance are increasing by around 13% year-on-year. 20
23. Insurance carriers report an average loss of around $100,000 per claim. 20
24. Only 74% of companies have specific cybercrime insurance to cover losses. 21
25. Written, direct premiums for cyber insurance are expected to reach $23 billion by the end of the year. 22
26. Ransomware accounts for 19% of all claims made on cyber insurance. 20
27. On average, small businesses can expect to pay $120,000 to recover from a cyberattack. 23
28. Only 5% of companies have allocated additional budget to their cyber programs in the past year. 5
29. At least six in ten businesses are raising their prices to help recover the costs incurred by cyberattacks. 24
Business Interruption and Cyber Incidents
30. Businesses are paying $53,000 per hour, on average, due to downtime caused by ransomware.25
31. The average cost of downtime from a DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack is $6,130 per minute. 26
32. The cost of recovering from a ransomware attack is currently, on average, ten times as much as the amount attackers demand in ransom. 27
33. Business owners view cyber risks as more threatening than any other cause of business loss – at 34% – surpassing natural disasters. 28
34. Firms lose up to 1.3% of their market value in the month following a cyberattack. 29
35. 15% of data breaches involve third parties found along the supply chain, putting several firms at risk without fault. 5
36. 49% of companies reported an increase in the frequency of cyberattacks in the last year. 5
37. 43% of companies reported an increase in the severity of cyberattacks in the last year. 5
38. 40% of cyber team members have personally – or have had someone else on their team - intentionally not report cyber incidents out of fear of losing their jobs. 5
39. 33% of companies have been late responding to a cyberattack because they were dealing with a false positive. 5
40. 63% of cyber teams spend four (4) or more hours per week dealing with false positives. 5
41. 15% of cyber teams spend more than seven (7) hours a week managing false positives. 5
Evolving Cyberattack Methods
Ransomware, phishing, social engineering, AI, and the cloud pose immense threats to businesses of all sizes worldwide.
Ransomware alone, in fact, still leads the way regarding threat risk, damage, and attack costs. What’s more, most of them are even attacking data backups!
But, don’t discount phishing, social engineering, and email attacks. We regularly help businesses navigate confidence tricks that – believe it or not – still work on even the best-informed people in 2025.
Let’s dive into some data on attack vectors.
Ransomware Attack Growth
42. Around 27% of all malware attacks right now involve ransomware. 15
43. Ransomware is the most significant contributor to cyberattack costs for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), accounting for around 51% of the average – and this is projected to rise. 15
44. The financial services industry is experiencing a ransomware increase of 9% year-on-year. 16
45. Ransomware attacks are more than doubling year-on-year. 32
46. Projections show that 76% of all organizations suffer at least one ransomware attack per year. 33
47. 96% of ransomware attacks specifically target backup locations and repositories. 33
48. In 77% of ransomware incidents, malicious attacks are deployed within 30 days of an initial interaction–and 54% within the initial seven days. 34
49. The median time between hacker access and ransomware launch is 6.11 days for assumed and confirmed attacks. 34
50. Transport for London suffered one of the highest-profile ransomware attacks, resulting in the loss of traveler contact details, Oyster card information, and bank numbers of up to 5,000 people. 36
51. The healthcare industry reports the most expensive breaches at an average of $9.8 million – remaining at the top of industry costs for over a decade. 36
52. More than 630 ransomware attacks affected healthcare bodies in a single year. 37
Phishing and Social Engineering
53. 60% of recipients fall victim to GenAI-driven phishing attacks, comparable to traditional attack numbers. 38
54. It’s estimated that 80% of phishing attacks are AI-generated, with the trend likely to continue. 39
55. Tools such as ChatGPT that are available for free to the public can generate up to 30 phishing email templates every hour. 40 41
56. The use of GenAI in phishing attacks has increased by at least 17% year-on-year, with experts prepared for more significant jumps. 42
57. The FBI’s IC3 department recently reported almost 21,500 complaints regarding BEC attacks in one year, with losses estimating more than $2.9 billion. 43
58. Companies that employ more than 1,000 people have between 83% and 97% chance of receiving BEC scams every week. 44
59. Up to 74% of attacks involve spear phishing. 45
60. 74% of companies claim insider threats are becoming more frequent. 46
61. 74% of all data breaches involve some kind of human element or error. 47
62. 44% of companies claim they suffered cloud data breaches due to human error. 48
Device and Cloud Security Threats
63. Up to 61% of companies are experiencing at least one cloud attack a year. 49
64. 21% of cloud incidents result in data breaches. 49
65. 27% of business operators experience public cloud security issues, with 23% of them alone caused by misconfigurations. 50
66. Over half of all cloud breaches occur in part due to human error. 51
67. It’s thought up to 70% of IoT or internet-connected devices are still vulnerable to attack. 52
68. In a study regarding healthcare systems – within the NHS – up to 46% of IoT devices have at least one known but unaddressed risk. 53
69. DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks are increasing by 20% year-on-year. 54
70. Law enforcement shut down 48 DDoS-for-hire platforms in one year, though their numbers are growing by 20% annually. 55
Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities and Breaches
Unfortunately, as cyberattacks become more sophisticated, many companies simply aren’t doing enough to protect themselves—and a huge number of firms are going out of business because of data breaches.
VikingCloud proprietary research reveals: 5
- 42% of companies rate their cyber defense as mature.
- 55% of companies believe modern cybercriminals are more advanced than their internal teams.
- 35% of companies report that the technology cyber criminals use is more sophisticated than the tech their team uses.
- 53% believe emerging AI attack methods create new risks for which they are unprepared.
Let’s explore some data regarding weaknesses, costs, and how quickly companies are bouncing back from even the biggest threats. You might be surprised by what we’ve found.
71. Experts recently discovered 612 new, unique common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVEs) in one quarter. 56
72. Average monthly CVEs considered critical leaped by 13% in a year. 57
73. Experts estimate a 25% rise in CVEs over a year period. 58
74. It’s thought that around 1.1% of CVEs have already been exploited and that 2% are weaponized. 59
75. Operating systems with the most recorded CVEs include Debian Linux (8,809), Android (7,245), Linux Kernel (6,010), and Fedora (5,122). 60
76. In a single year, over 40% of Log4j downloads were still considered vulnerable to hacking. 61
77. 38% of Log4j users were still using vulnerable versions of the application after threats were revealed and patched. 62
78. Vulnerabilities within the MoveIt framework exposed more than 93 million sensitive records. 63
79. Industries most affected by MoveIt vulnerabilities included education, health, and finance. 64
80. High-profile data breaches arising recently include Ticketmaster, which saw 560 million people’s details compromised and up for sale online. 65
81. On average, cross-industry, it takes companies 204 days to spot a data breach and 73 days to contain it. 66
82. Financial companies take an average of 177 days to identify breaches, and 56 days to contain them. 67
83. 9% of publicly traded U.S. companies reported data breaches in a year’s period, impacting 143 million people. 67
84. The use of stolen credentials appears in up to 31% of data breaches. 69
85. Across a decade, the number of U.S. data compromises per year increased from 614 to 3,205. 70
86. Data breaches increased by 72% over two years. 71
87. U.S. data breaches impacted an estimated 353 million individuals in one year alone. 70
88. The cost per capita of a data breach is increasing by around 1 USD per year. 12
89. Companies that find and contain data breaches within 200 days are saving $1 million more than those that don’t. 72
90. Using AI helps companies find data breaches 108 days faster than those that don’t. 72
91. It takes companies in the healthcare industry longer than any other to contain breaches. 73
92. However, it takes entertainment businesses up to 287 days on average to detect a data breach compared to healthcare businesses’ average of 255 days. 73
Industry-Specific Cybersecurity Statistics
Data breaches and cyberattacks can affect different industries in many different ways. Six of those most at risk—healthcare, finance, insurance, manufacturing, retail, and education—continue to lose mind-boggling amounts of money and sensitive data even in 2025.
Let’s dig into these sectors' challenges and where things might be headed.
HealthCare
93. The healthcare industry is the third-most attacked worldwide. 74
94. Ransomware attacks, in particular, are growing in number across the healthcare industry – growing by at least 25%. 74
95. 68% of healthcare officials claim to have witnessed an average of two attacks a year. 75
96. More than 70% of U.S. hospitals surveyed by the HHS are following NIST cybersecurity protocols to fight back against attacks 76
97. Costs incurred by data breaches in healthcare are falling by 10.6% yearly. 77
98. The overall cost of healthcare data breaches has increased by 53% since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. 78
99. The average cost of a data breach in healthcare was $9.77 million in 2024.78
Finance and Insurance
100. API and web application attacks on financial services companies increased by 65% over a year. 79
101. Financial services are the third-most attacked industry based on phishing alone.79
102. Malicious bot requests spiked by up to 69% year-on-year in the financial sector. 79
103. Data breach costs in the finance industry increased by around 2.3% year-on-year. 12
104. The average financial services firm pays $5.9 million per data breach. 81
105. The average cost of a data breach in financial services ranges from $5.86 to $6.08 million. 82
Manufacturing and Retail
106. On average, up to 44% of all computers used in manufacturing are affected by ransomware, and around 62% of ransomware victims in manufacturing pay the ransom demanded of them. 83
107. The average cost of a data breach in the manufacturing industry in 2024 was $5.56 million. 80
108. Around 62% of ransomware victims in manufacturing paid the ransom demanded of them. 83
109. Backdoor attacks account for 28% of malicious actions against the manufacturing industry. 84
110. 97% of U.S. top retailers have experienced third-party data breaches in the past year. 85
111. The average cost of security breaches in the retail industry rose by 18% year-on-year. 86
112. The retail industry accounts for 6% of all global data breaches annually. 87
113. The average data breach cost in the retail industry is $3.48 million. 24
Education Sector
114. There has been a 92% spike in attacks on K-12 educational establishments. 88
115. Educational businesses saw 265 attacks in the space of a year, an overall increase of 70%.88
116. The U.S. accounted for 80% of known ransomware attacks during this period. 88
117. 95% of ransomware attackers targeting higher-ed bodies attempt to access data backups. 89
118. 95% of higher-ed bodies that report ransomware suggest they experience significant revenue loss. 89
119. Each day of downtime costs schools up to $550,000. 90
120. The average cost of a data breach for higher-ed bodies is around $3.65 million. 91
121. Data breaches through ransomware cost the education sector more than $53 billion in downtime over a five-year period. 92
Cybersecurity Spending and Workforce Gaps
To fight cybercrime, businesses need to invest considerable time and money on resources and people. Thankfully, our research suggests most companies are taking security spending very seriously. After all, it’s better to invest money now than to risk losing massive amounts of business and recovery fees later.
What’s more, there continue to be worrying trends over cybersecurity job availability – there’s some serious skills gaps. Thankfully, a few statistics we’ve found appear to offer some hope.
Here’s what we’ve found with regard to how business owners are budgeting for data protection and planning for hiring and training.
Security Investment Trends
122. Global information security spending is set to increase by 15% for the year ahead. 93
123. Research shows yearly spending is estimated at $183.9 billion. 93
124. Investment in security services is expected to grow more than investment in software or network security. 93
125. Cybersecurity budgets are growing by about 8% per year. 94
126. The cybersecurity market has an annual growth rate of around 7.92% CAGR to the end of the decade. 95
127. Firms could reduce cybersecurity costs by an average of $2.2 million annually when investing in AI and automation tools. 12
128. Companies that actively use security automation and AI spend $1.8 million less per year on breaches than those that don’t. 96
129. Companies using security automation and AI also save more than $3 million per data breach. 97
130. The AI cybersecurity market is set to exceed $133 billion by 2030. 98
131. Identity and access management, a type of zero-trust security strategy, is set to exceed market worth of $24.1 billion by the year’s end. 99
132. At least 41% of businesses now use zero-trust security architecture. 100
133. 83% of IT SME professionals require employees to use multi-factor authentication, or MFA. 101
Cybersecurity Skills Shortage and Workforce Predictions
134. The cybersecurity industry has a talent shortage of four million professionals. 102
135. 45% of people claim skills shortages pose the biggest challenges to cybersecurity professionals. 102
136. Up to 570,000 cybersecurity roles remain unfilled in the U.S. alone. 103
137. Texas, Florida, California, Colorado, Illinois, Virginia, Maryland, and New York are the states with the most U.S. cybersecurity openings. 104
138. Research shows that U.S. cybersecurity jobs are expected to grow 33% by 2033. 105
139. Up to 17,300 new jobs for IT security analysts are projected to open each year across the next decade. 105
140. Growth of employment demand for information security analysts is 29% higher than the average demand for all occupations heading to 2033. 105
141. “Computer occupations” are expected to grow by 12%, again, 21% lower than information security analyst roles. 105
142. 63% of companies are considering implementing new technologies, such as GenAI, to support cybersecurity employment shortages. 5
143. Specifically, 41% of companies already leverage GenAI to address the cybersecurity skills gap. 5
144. It’s predicted GenAI will remove the need for specialized education for up to half of all entry-level roles in cybersecurity by 2028. 106
145. Around 40% of C-level executives intend to use GenAI to support critical skills shortages. 107
Key Takeaways and Recommendations for 2025
As we look to the future, understanding the numbers behind cybersecurity is critical to staying one step ahead of evolving threats. Here are 13 important statistics that could help you shape your cybersecurity posture for 2025 and beyond. We’ve split this section into risk mitigation and future trends worth watching – pulling from our own research along the way.
Mitigating Cybersecurity Risks
146. Proactive management of third-party software risks is vital – at least 29% of all data breaches involve third-party attacks. 108
147. Hiring talent to address growing threats is also important – and only 10% of firms are increasing their cyber hiring. 5
148. Up to 53% of companies feel they’re unprepared for cybersecurity risks and attack points posed by AI. 5
149. Research suggests companies adopting GenAI to support hyper-personalized training could result in 40% fewer employee-caused security incidents by 2026. 106
150. 56% of businesses intend to use AI to help train their cybersecurity professionals. 109
151. The worldwide zero trust security market is projected to be worth almost $133 billion by 2032. 110
152. 33.8% of business owners believe decentralized identity management will continue to be crucial for IAM (identity and access management), with 47.1% supporting passwordless access systems. 111
Future Trends to Watch
153. Business owners are most worried about GenAI model prompt hacking (46%), Large Language Model (LLM) data poisoning (38%), ransomware as a service (37%), GenAI processing chip attacks (26%), and API breaches (24%). 5
154. 41% of businesses are using AI to manage cyber alert fatigue. 38% use GenAI to support security patching, and 29% use it to automate management systems. 5
155. Cyber insurance policy numbers are increasing by around 11.7% yearly after a lull, and annual claims are increasing to more than 33,500. 112
156. The market size for cybersecurity insurance is set to top $20 billion. 113
157. Companies spend an average of 12% of IT budgets on measures for cybersecurity. 114
158. Businesses have increased the budget allocated to security by around 8.6% over the last half-decade. 115
FAQs
159. Ransomware is the biggest global cybersecurity threat, affecting 72.7% of organizations. 116
160. Google Cloud predicts major threats to cybersecurity in 2025 include AI attacks, continued disruption through ransomware, and evolving threats against Web3 companies. 117
161. Hundreds of millions of commercial and private devices will become vulnerable with Microsoft ending support for its Windows 10 operating system in October 2025. 118
162. Research suggests more than 2,300 unique cyberattacks occur every day. 15
163. There are at least 23,900 known cybersecurity vulnerabilities that could encourage these attacks. 84
164. As many as 88% of all cyber incidents are caused by human errors. 119
165. BEC attacks rely on human error and misjudgment and are responsible for more than half of all social engineering attacks. 47
166. Research claims that around 20% of breaches occur due to social engineering. 120
167. Verizon research further claims around 3,661 social engineering attacks were accounted for in its broad study, with 3,032 disclosing data. 121
168. 2021 was a huge year for cyberattacks – bolstered by the enormous data breach affecting the social media developer RockYou, which lost 8.4 billion passwords, affecting 32 million different accounts. 122
169. Companies can prepare for cyberattacks in many ways – by setting up firewalls, arranging penetration testing, and retraining employees – however, 54% of business owners are harnessing AI to mimic threats to prepare for them better. 5
170. Gartner research predicts that the cybersecurity market will expand to $212 billion by the end of the year. 93
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Cybersecurity has never been more important than it is right now. With the cost of cybercrime set to rise to as much as $23 trillion by 2027, businesses of all sizes are looking for new ways to test their strength against hackers, malware, and insider threats.
Penetration testing helps businesses to see what their security posture looks like to potential hackers and bad actors. By mimicking typical attack strategies and analyzing infrastructure vulnerabilities, we can build a clear picture of how our clients are at risk and what they can do to protect themselves.
In this guide, we take you through the basics of penetration testing, how we do it, and why it’s so important for businesses of all sizes to consider. Cyber threats are increasing in number and sophistication – it’s time to start testing how well you’re protected.
What is Penetration Testing?
A penetration test is a controlled, ethical attack on a network, application, or infrastructure. Ultimately, the aim is to find security vulnerabilities, exploit them, and make protective recommendations.
Penetration testing typically splits into two types:
- Internal penetration testing, which covers inner networks, user account weaknesses, and potential inside threats.
- External penetration testing, which analyzes the security of public-facing applications, APIs, and websites.
Who Performs Pen Tests?
Tests are carried out by trained cybersecurity professionals using various tools and techniques to mimic typical hacking behaviors. Our team goes a step further, too – by carefully analyzing the whole of our clients’ in scope environment to map vulnerabilities so we can offer confident remediation suggestions.
At VikingCloud, we help clients find hidden weaknesses in their security, map them out, test them, and advise on how to fix vulnerabilities.
Why is it Important?
Penetration testing is important because:
- It gives companies and their customers extra confidence regarding how data is stored
- It prevents loss of data, revenue, and reputation
- It’s a cost-effective way to account for data security without having to pay for the fallout of leaks and hacks
- It offers a complete overview of internal and external security postures, mapping out weaknesses and improvement areas
Yet, one in five companies reportedly still don’t test their software for security weaknesses. We’ve helped businesses of all sizes buck that trend for the better.
Penetration Testing Compliance
Many of our clients confirm that penetration testing is highly useful in supporting often complex industry compliance demands.
For example, merchant companies processing card payments must adhere to data protection policies laid out by PCI DSS standards. With a unique and comprehensive penetration testing plan, these companies can ensure cardholder information is secure against threats.
Other potential compliance demands facing companies include those set by the General Data Protection Regulation (or GDPR), concerning requisite safeguards for the data of European Union citizens.
Penetration testing can also help companies follow frameworks such as those set within ISO 27001, ensuring more careful compliance.
Penetration Testing Process
In our professional experience, penetration tests can differ slightly from case to case. However, there are six key steps that most professional tests follow:
- Reconnaissance: To start, testers analyze the systems and networks they’re working with. It’s here where they scope out ports, access points, data storage, and potentially vulnerable areas.
- Scanning: Now, testers run detailed scans of their client’s system(s) to check for potential weaknesses and attack vectors. They sometimes use tools to automate this process.
- Vulnerability Assessment: During stage three, penetration testers look carefully at scan results and determine which areas, if any, appear to be at particular risk of attack or exploitation. They also record to what extent these areas could be exploited.
- Exploitation: Using professional tools, testers exploit the vulnerabilities they’ve discovered. They record how long it takes to break into systems, what data can be accessed, what techniques work best, and what the overall risks are to the client.
- Reporting: Testers build complete reports of weaknesses and potential threats in plain English for clients to read and rebuild security strategies . For instance, testers might suggest a client revisits its password policy or retrains staff on social engineering.
- Post-reporting: The aftermath of penetration testing. Clients take report data and make changes to security measures based on professional advice. Testers can return to re-test software and hardware again later on – we personally recommend penetration testing your systems at least twice a year.
Penetration Testing Methods
There are a few different ways to run penetration tests, though they typically fall under three main umbrellas:
- Black box testing
- Gray box testing
- White box testing
Let’s briefly explore each of these methods and why companies choose them.
Black Box Testing
Black box testing is a “blind” approach to penetration techniques that puts testers in the dark. This testing method gives attackers no prior information regarding the target, therefore mimicking legitimate attacks as closely as possible.
Gray Box Testing
With gray box testing, companies provide testers with basic information regarding the systems of networks under attack. This means testers can offer a little more insight into the potential for hacking and what’s at stake while still keeping attacks credible and realistic.
White Box Testing
White box penetration testing gives attackers comprehensive details about client systems, network access points, and what hardware and software is used for. White box techniques help testers uncover all potential vulnerabilities but aren’t as close to real-world hacking as black box techniques.
Types of Penetration Testing
There are different types of penetration testing designed for varying client security needs. Our team typically carries out the following tests for a variety of clients:
- Network penetration testing: Testers run controlled hacks on firewalls, servers, and routers to assess internal and external network strength.
- Web application penetration testing: Testers attempt to exploit public-facing applications and sites, such as through web forms and outdated design elements.
- Wireless penetration testing: Testers check the strength of wireless devices and signals used by clients.
- Social engineering penetration testing: Testers assess client knowledge of security scams and test team members on their attitude to social engineering, phishing, and more.
- Physical penetration testing: Testers analyze on-premises security such as physical locks and data protection protocols.
- Cloud penetration testing: Testers specifically focus on analyzing third-party services and solutions that connect via a singular cloud.
- Mobile application penetration testing: Testers focus on analyzing apps developed for mobile devices.
Penetration Testing vs Automated Testing
Penetration testing is largely a manual process, following specific tools and exploitation choices tailored to a specific client. Our team follows manual pen testing because it offers the most authentic and comprehensive analysis for our clients.
Alternatively, some experts use automated penetration testing, which scans systems regularly to find basic weaknesses. Automated testing can be more cost-effective for businesses, but it’s less comprehensive at finding and remediating faults.
Penetration Testing Use Cases
We’ve worked with businesses across various industries to help identify security weaknesses and improve postures against hacking and malware.
For example, the VikingCloud team worked closely with a leading global tech firm to run tabletop pen testing exercises to assess its incident response strategies.
We discovered the firm was at particular risk from misconfigurations and cloud deficiencies – leading the client to boost its breach response training and enhance cloud security processes.
We also supported Worldline, the merchant and financial services tech partner, in rebuilding its security and compliance posture on the back of leaving a previous vendor.
The client particularly welcomed our open, simple approach to offering testing feedback and support, helping it weather an important period of growth.
How to Choose a Penetration Testing Provider
When hiring a professional penetration testing provider, look for a team that offers:
- Provable expertise: Do they have a portfolio of clients, case studies, and records of transformative results?
- Plain, open communication: Do they hide behind jargon and confusing processes, or do they build testing and remediation around you?
- Genuine service value: Pen testing cost will vary from firm to firm - but consider the expertise, tools, and support you receive for what you pay. Is it really worth looking for the lowest bidder?
- A range of adaptive services: Choose a team that’s able and willing to grow with you, and to run various pen testing techniques.
- Years of experience: Do the professionals on board have considerable experience in the industry, ethical hacking, and pen testing processes?
- Compliance expertise: Are they specialized in supporting companies with PCI DSS compliance, for example, and processing cardholder data?
Conclusion
Take it from us – and our clients agree – the best way to protect your business infrastructure and sensitive data against hackers and malware is to play them at their own game.
Penetration testing helps you spot weak areas in your setup you might otherwise miss. And, with the support of a professional testing team, you’ll know exactly how to remedy these weaknesses as soon as possible.
To learn more about how penetration testing services can help improve your security posture and boost customer and stakeholder confidence, get in touch with the VikingCloud team to set up a meeting.
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