Overview: Penetration Test (Pen Test)

Quick Definition

A Penetration Test is an investigation and a series of test attacks designed to evaluate a system's cybersecurity strangths and vulnerabilities. Penetration testing, carried out by specialized third-party companies, is particularly important for IT infrastructure providers, security system providers, and cloud-based providers that will store or transmit sensitive data of any kind.

The results of penetration testing often involve a list of attacks and compromises that were successfully carried out, after which organizations can work to remediate the system(s) in question and make them resistant to attack in going forward.