How often should we conduct pentests?

Table of Contents

Introduction

Penetration testing, or pentesting, is an important part of keeping your systems safe. But how often should you do these tests? The answer depends on several things, including how strong your security is, the rules you need to follow, and your budget.

Frequency Depends on Security Maturity

How often you need to do pentests depends on how advanced your security program is. For most businesses, doing pentests once or twice a year is a good start. But this can change based on your needs.

Challenges to Regular Penetration Testing

Budget Restrictions

Finding money for regular pentests can be hard, especially for small businesses. Pentests can be expensive and may not fit into your budget easily.

Leadership Priorities

Sometimes, the leaders in your company might not see security as a top priority. This can make it hard to get support for regular pentests.

Where to Start

Many businesses don’t know where to start with penetration testing. It can seem confusing and overwhelming at first.

Confusion with Other Assessments

It’s important to know the difference between penetration tests and other types of security checks like vulnerability assessments. Pentests are more detailed and involve simulating real attacks to find weaknesses.

Things to Consider

Regulations

Depending on your industry, there might be rules that tell you how often you need to do pentests. Make sure you know and follow these rules.

Our Recommendations

At Least Once or Twice a Year

If you’re just starting with security, doing pentests once or twice a year is a good idea. As you get better at security, you might do them more often. Regular testing helps you find and fix problems before hackers can take advantage of them.

After Major Changes

Do a pentest after you make big changes to your systems, like adding new software or making major updates. These changes can create new security risks, so it’s important to test your defenses.

Partnering with a Pentesting Firm

Working with a good pentesting firm can improve your security. These experts can do thorough tests and help your team learn to do better tests on their own. This teamwork can make your security stronger over time.


How valuable can a pentest be for your organization?

Our experts can help you perform a free Business Impact Assessment to find out

What best describes you?
What is your business type?

Bottom Line

Penetration testing is key to keeping your systems safe. By thinking about your security maturity, following rules, and managing your budget, you can figure out how often to do pentests. Regular testing, especially after big changes, and working with experts will help keep your business secure.

If you liked this post, follow us on LinkedIn for more frequent cybersecurity content!