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Penetration testing simulates attackers' techniques and methods to access an enterprise's networks, web applications, and computer systems. The goal is to find security vulnerabilities that hackers could exploit. Enterprises can hire an expert penetration testing company or create an in-house team to assess their security posture.

However, while it may seem like using your in-house team is the best option, here are six reasons you should consider outsourcing your penetration testing to an expert pentesting provider.

Benefits of hiring an expert penetration testing company

Hiring a professional penetration testing company ensures an unbiased and objective assessment of the ground realities. Their constructive comments can offer insights into your preparedness and provide valuable recommendations. Here are the 6 benefits of using an external company:

1. Cost-effective

Developing an internal staff of cybersecurity monitoring experts and keeping them on the roll can strain resources and bloat operating costs. Although vital to assessing an organization's security processes, penetration testing is not something companies conduct daily. Hence, regularly paying a team for penetration testing with widespread frequency may not be the best way to allocate resources. By outsourcing pen test services, you can avoid recurring, heavy costs and still receive expert services from highly experienced individuals.

2. Provide highly skilled and certified experts

A penetration testing company hires testers from across the world. In essence, you can tap into the pool of experts without having to undergo the hassle of recruiting members for your in-house team. If your team focuses solely on development and lacks any security experience on staff, such a pool of talent can be an exceptional resource.

Professional testers assist with security testing and know how to employ the newest technologies and processes. Your business may not have the time or money to support an internal team to keep up with the recent security testing advancements or maintain a state-of-the-art infrastructure, unlike a penetration testing company that comes armed with experts and the latest technologies.

3. More comprehensive results

While a hard-put internal team may offer inputs to speed up the development process to meet production schedules, external security testing resources provide you with objective test results. A third-party tester can also assess your internal team's response to potential threats and provide valuable insight to strengthen your security posture. As a result, the insightful findings will help you address issues before they worsen or get exploited by malicious agents. 

4. Flexibility and availability

Delegating security testing to an outside vendor is a wise decision if you need testing completed within a tight deadline, but all the developers are engaged in other tasks. A penetration testing company absorbs the pressure of assessing the environment within a timeframe while leaving your personnel to accomplish other tasks. 

This adaptability is even more crucial if you employ a continuous testing model. The automated testing necessary for this strategy can be carried out by outside experts. It would be best to have a team that stays current with all the newest innovations because this strategy uses rapidly evolving technology — something in-house teams aren't always able to do. Once you've hired an outside agency or contractor for quality assurance, they may assist you with this project stage whenever you need it. 

5. An extra layer of protection

Cybersecurity companies protect your company's data just as they safeguard their information. Outsourcing is beneficial since you are given an additional layer of security. Companies offering penetration testing services employ thorough and effective security checks and correct procedures, significantly reducing human error or internal employee blunder.

6. Regulatory compliance

Professional pen-testers typically have extensive knowledge of regulatory compliance and provide testing designed to assist you in passing those audits, many of which ask for external pen-testers. 

Conclusion

External or impartial third-party evaluations are more likely to uncover flaws from a hacker's point of view than from an internal perspective, which is why third-party pen testing or outsourced pen testing is considered more secure than internal pen testing. Pen testing is typically far more effective when performed by an outside penetration testing company. Contact Packetlabs now to learn about the various penetration testing services that can help bolster your security without straining resources.