Risk management: Regular penetration testing can assist firms in locating possible security problems and addressing them before they are taken advantage of by criminal actors. In the long run, this can assist in lessening the likelihood of security incidents and data breaches. Penetration testing, for instance, can be used to determine the effectiveness of anti‐malware solutions and to locate and fix vulnerabilities in the network security architecture.

Incident response planning: As part of an organization’s incident response planning, penetration testing can be performed to detect possible security vulnerabilities and build plans for responding to security incidents. Penetration testing, for instance, can mimic a malicious attack to expose security flaws such as insecure configurations, a lack of patching, and inadequate access control.

Application security: Penetration testing can be used to find weaknesses in software utilized by a company, including web applications, mobile applications, and other software. This can assist in improving application security and avoiding threats like SQL injection and XSS.

Network security: Penetration testing can be utilized to uncover flaws in a company’s network infrastructure, such as firewalls, routers, and switches. As a result, the network’s overall security can be improved, and unwanted intrusions and data breaches can be avoided.

Third‐party security: Many businesses rely on third‐party suppliers and partners for a variety of services, such as IT infrastructure and software. In order to determine whether or not these outside providers are upholding adequate security measures, penetration testing can be performed.