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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
Sources
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When it comes to understanding hacker behavior, penetration testing exercises is one of the most reliable security analyses you can run.
It’s a great way to learn more about how your security posture looks to outside threats – and professional pen testers can make recommendations so you’re protected against the worst vectors.
Wireless penetration testing is a subtype of this security process which revolves around wireless networks. Specifically, it’s a thorough analysis of, and a controlled attack against, a company's wireless infrastructure.
In this guide, we’ll break down how wireless pen testing can help spot vulnerabilities, fix common flaws, and ensure businesses have robust security controls inside and out.
What is Wireless Penetration Testing?
Wireless penetration testing is a thorough security assessment of networks and devices connected through wireless signals.
Wireless pen testing is a type of penetration test through which security experts mimic attacks against these networks using hacking tools and techniques.
It’s a form of ethical hacking. By simulating real-world attacks, testers can advise their business clients where any wireless weaknesses may lie, and what actions they should take to remedy them.
The world is becoming increasingly dependent on wireless technology. Therefore, this penetration testing subtype is, likewise, becoming increasingly popular – and relevant.
Benefits of Wireless Penetration Testing
Here are several strong benefits to using a wireless pen testing methodology.
Identify Vulnerabilities
It’s not always easy to spot wireless network security problems from the inside. Penetration testers run wireless tests as part of a thorough auditing process to find potential flaws. Then, they test these network vulnerabilities before mounting a cyber attack.
Potential vulnerabilities that wireless testing might spot include:
- Poor firewall support
- Inadequate access controls
- Lack of multifactor authentication (where appropriate)
- Vulnerability to social engineering
- Lax security politics and information security measures in general
- Evidence of a rogue access point
- Unsecured wireless devices (e.g. routers without WPA2-PSK)
All issues listed could lead to unauthorized access and data breaches via WiFi networks – and this is only scratching the surface.
Enhance Network Security
After finding these vulnerabilities and running simulated attacks, penetration testers suggest ways their clients can tighten up their security postures.
For instance, they might suggest:
- Installing a new range of hardware and software
- Practicing better password security and entropy (to prevent brute force and dictionary attacks)
- Retraining staff to be more vigilant re: social engineering
- Removing or adding wireless access points
- Avoiding using outdated or less secure wireless encryption standards (e.g., WEP or original WPA)
Compliance Assurance
Many businesses that hold and process customer data will have a range of compliance and regulations to follow.
For example, companies that process card payments must adhere to PCI DSS regulations. Similarly, any companies doing business in or around the European Union must adhere to GDPR compliance.
Security testing can help businesses tighten their posture and adhere to compliance standards relevant to their industries. Doing so can prevent user data leakage and prevent loss of capital and reputation.
Protect Sensitive Data
Above all, wireless pen testing is ideal for protecting sensitive data shared over WiFi. To provide customers a reputable and reliable service, you must safeguard their data at all costs!
A wireless network penetration test ensures that any devices you use on your network – IoT or otherwise – are airtight. Security professionals make recommendations and take steps to keep data private to your network alone.
How to Secure Wireless Networks
Although penetration testers can help with the mitigation of security threats, there are still some best practices you should follow to ensure your wireless network is secure at all times.
Here are a few quick tips to keep in mind:
- Set unique passwords. Using default usernames and passwords for routers and devices gives cybercriminals easy access to your networks. Set complex passwords using a variety of characters.
- Use a recognized encryption standard. Older encryption protocols like WEP and WPA are no longer efficient enough to protect against evolving cyber threats. Encrypt data more securely using WPA3 for the best results.
- Restrict access controls. Ensure that only verified and authorized users can access your wireless network. Filter MAC addresses to ensure guests can log in on separate channels so you can control who sees what.
- Use and update firewall and antivirus / malware protection. Always protect your routers and other devices with host-based firewalls and software you can use to scan for and quarantine viruses and malware.
- Set a unique SSID. Your SSID, or Service Set Identifier, should be unique to each WiFi router. Like passwords, don't use the default options – set a unique phrase only you can access.
Steps for Conducting Wireless Pen Testing
Let’s explore some typical steps wireless penetration testers follow to analyze and attack client networks. Keep in mind that this process may vary depending on your needs. For example, some testers might recommend automated vulnerability scanning for ongoing protection.
1. Wireless Reconnaissance
To start, penetration testers thoroughly read and analyze the networks they intend to attack. This means gathering details on how a wireless network is laid out, which hardware is in use, and what security policies are in place.
The recon process helps testers understand how specific networks operate, and plan ahead with specific tools. It’s wise for testers to understand where access points are, for example, so they can launch specific types of attack.
2. Identify Wireless Networks
In most cases, wireless penetration testers will not only consider their target networks, but also those in the vicinity. This is additional reconnaissance – because it helps testers to understand where vulnerabilities might lie elsewhere.
Testers could, for example, spot potential interference issues or areas of weakness that might affect their clients.
3. Vulnerability Scanning
At this stage, testers run thorough vulnerability scans and checks to see if there are any flaws or gaps in wireless postures. For example, they might spot poor password security, completely unsecured hardware and access points, or even outdated software or firewall firmware.
In which case, testers will note down these vulnerabilities and keep them in mind for exploitation – the next stage in the process.
4. Exploitation
Once testers have a clear map of identified vulnerabilities and potential weaknesses in a wireless network, they will start to exploit them. This is the active part of the testing process.
This means they will arrange a series of tools and line up techniques that hackers might typically use to gain access for nefarious purposes.
Remember, exploitation and attacking in penetration testing is simulated. It is purely an exercise in education – so that clients can see where certain issues might lie.
5. Reporting
At the end of scanning, testing, and exploitation, penetration testers compile reports that break down what they’ve found.
These reports advise their clients on what weaknesses exist, how they can be patched, and why action is necessary.
These reports offer clear breakdowns of action taken in plain language so stakeholders and anyone using the networks understand what's at stake. This also helps them understand the remediation steps.
Tools for Wireless Pen Testing
As you might imagine, professional penetration testers use various tools and software to test wireless networks and devices that depend on them. Several of their tools might use common network protocols such as Bluetooth.
Here are just a few typical tools in the pen tester’s kit:
- Wireshark, a protocol analysis tool that helps testers see data traveling across networks
- Kismet, a network sniffer that shows testers where data packets travel – it’s also used to detect networks
- Airsnort, a specialized encryption cracking tool
- Reaver, a brute force tester that specifically retrieves encrypted passwords via WPA and WPA2
- Aircrack-ng, a series of wireless penetration testing tools that thoroughly audit networks – it’s commonly used to help crack certain encryption keys
Conclusion
Simply setting up basic wireless security for your network and devices is no longer enough to protect against evolving threats.
Wireless pen testing is one of several types of penetration testing services we recommend to help keep your business, its data, and your users safe against unseen foes and bad actors.
If you’d like to know more about penetration testing and how it can benefit you and your customers, get in touch with the VikingCloud team.
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