Penetration testing — security testing of systems and applications
Penetration testing — a ‘pen test’ — is a simulated attack on a computer system, network or application, carried out to find the security weaknesses that a real attacker could exploit. It lets you find and fix weak points before an attacker can use them.
Types of penetration testing
- Black box: the tester has no information about the system’s internals and focuses on external attacks, simulating realistic attack scenarios.
- White box: the tester has full access to and knowledge of the system’s internal architecture, including source code and network maps, for an in-depth analysis of the system.
- Grey box: a combination of the two — the tester has partial information about the system, balancing realistic attacks with detailed analysis.
- Network testing: focuses on network infrastructure such as routers and firewalls, to find vulnerabilities that could allow unauthorised access.
- Application testing: targets web, mobile or desktop applications to find vulnerabilities such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS).
- Social engineering: tests how well your organisation resists manipulation and attempts to obtain confidential information.
What penetration testing does
- Vulnerabilities found before attackers find them.
- A check of how effective your existing security controls are, and where more protection is needed.
- Support for compliance with standards and regulations such as ISO 27001, PCI DSS, the GDPR and Serbia’s Law on Information Security (Zakon o informacionoj bezbednosti).
- A better understanding across your organisation of potential threats and how to prevent them.
Benefits of penetration testing
- Better security, with a lower risk of cyber attacks and data theft.
- Protection for your reputation and your users’ trust.
- Lower costs, because problems are found before they cause damage.
- More trust from clients and partners, who can see your commitment to security.
How STANDARDISO helps
Regular penetration testing is a key part of a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy and helps protect the integrity of your systems and your users’ trust over the long term. Everyone on our team works in English, and we can prepare the test report in English, Serbian or both.
We agree the scope and rules of the test with you, organise the testing and then go through the findings with you — which matter most and how to fix them. Testing is carried out only with your written authorisation.