Beyond compliance: The business benefits of penetration testing
It goes without saying that the biggest benefit of carrying out regular penetration tests is protecting your business and customers from an attack and data breach. However, there are also a number of other benefits businesses can leverage.
Compliance is also crucial to avoid facing fines – from GDPR to PCI DSS and SWIFT CSP – but compliance and protection from an attack are far from the only factors to consider here. If you’re looking for funding, looking to be acquired, or simply looking to land more deals, it might be time to consider the business benefits of penetration testing.
Peace of mind
Pen-testing can highlight where your team needs training, where your software needs updating and where your system needs restructuring. Crucially, independent pen testers can make these recommendations without trying to sell you a solution.
Ultimately this gives you peace of mind. Once your team’s cybersecurity strategy has been thoroughly tested with both manual pen tests and automated tools, you’ll know what you’re working with. You can see what’s not working, improve your protocols and setup, and ensure a continuity of security throughout your organisation. Then you can keep building your company without worrying about cracks in the foundation.
Attracting and keeping customers
It’s not only your organisation that will appreciate a pen tested infrastructure. You’re also able to pass on that peace of mind to your clients – reassuring them that their data is safe with you.
Large organisations are aware of the risks involved in trusting other companies with their data. Some of our own clients require cover letters for the companies they work with, and they won’t link their data to your organisation unless they can see you’ve either had a clean pen test or you’re addressing any issues that were found.
So if you can promote the fact that you’ve had pen testing done to prospective clients, you’ll be more likely to get through their quality assurance gate. And once you’re through it, you’ll be able to appeal to other key stakeholders too, particularly strategic and financial partners, who need to feel at ease before they give the go ahead.
Attracting investors
Speaking of financial partners, it’s here that the rubber can really hit the road. Companies looking to merge with or buy other businesses often won't even consider acquisitions that they can't qualify as being data-secure.
Shareholders can be equally discerning. If Series A or Series B funding is in your long term plans, you need to act like a billion dollar company before you’re treated like one. That means having a robust information security strategy and being able to prove it’s airtight.
Protecting your brand
The pandemic has made it clear that businesses need to look beyond present efficiency to create systems that are robust for the future. So while your brand may be high and dry to date, you can’t afford to roll the dice on your reputation tomorrow.
Thorough penetration testing can ensure you avoid more than GDPR fines. It can ensure you steer clear of irreparable damage to your brand. If vulnerabilities are uncovered in testing, especially if they come up more than once, you’ll know how you need to act to mitigate risk. You’ll be able to address the issues, create a long term continuity plan, and keep growing long into the future.
A blueprint for data security success
So whether your destination is acquisition, funding or converting more leads, a bias-free audit can set your company in the right direction. Your IT teams might have carried you this far. But scanning for blind spots will do them a favour in the long run – and inspire trust in all onlookers, too.
Datavax is a trusted, neutral, and CREST-certified cybersecurity partner. To learn more, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
