Cyber attacks are a risk for all businesses, regardless of size. A security test can reveal if your security measures can withstand external threats, and whether they are adequate and functioning correctly. Effective network security testing simulates an attack from a malicious source. Mapping the possibility of an attack and what consequences it can have on the organization.
So far so good, but how much does a network security test actually cost?
Pricing – Network Security Testing
The price of a network security test depends on several different factors. In this blog post we will have a closer look at the most important ones, and how they affect pricing.
A network security test can be conducted in several different ways, but it mainly comes down to how extensive testing you want to conduct.
The more extensive the network security testing is, the more manual labor is required. Naturally, manual labor costs more than automatic scanning. How extensive security testing your organization should choose, depends on how mature the organization is when it comes to IT security.
Another important price factor is scope. The larger the scope, the larger amount of time will be required to cover it, hence increasing the price.
Vulnerability Assessment or Penetration Testing?
The cheapest and simplest type of network security testing is vulnerability assessment. The assessment is mainly done with automated tools, and no vulnerabilities will be exploited. The objective is to efficiently locate known vulnerabilities, and it is only one of the phases in a complete security test, also called a penetration test.
If you want to simulate a cyber attack and understand the consequences of vulnerabilities being exploited, you should perform a penetration test. To simulate a professional and motivated hacker, extensive use of creativity and manual techniques is required.
Understanding the Customer’s Needs
As all customers have different needs and potential scopes for network security testing, a standard price would be very hard to set.
At Encripto we prefer inviting customers to have a meeting to get an understanding of their needs, before recommending scope and time frame. Prices will vary between different suppliers as well. Learn more about how to choose the best value supplier, and how to prepare for a security test.