In today’s digital age, businesses must be proactive in protecting their sensitive data and networks from cyber threats. One way to do this is through the use of breach and attack simulation (BAS) tools. BAS tools are designed to test the resilience of a company’s cybersecurity policies and procedures by simulating real-world cyber-attacks. This allows businesses to identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses in their systems before a malicious actor can exploit them. However, many business leaders may be unsure of the differences between breach and attack simulation, vulnerability scanning, and penetration testing.
Vulnerability scanning is the process of identifying and assessing vulnerabilities in a company’s systems and networks. This is typically done using automated tools that scan for known vulnerabilities and provide a report on any that are found. Penetration testing, on the other hand, goes one step further by actively attempting to exploit vulnerabilities in a company’s systems and networks. This is done by a team of ethical hackers who simulate real-world attacks to identify and assess the effectiveness of a company’s cybersecurity defences.
BAS takes a different approach by simulating real-world cyber-attacks in a controlled environment. This allows businesses to test their cybersecurity policies and procedures in a realistic scenario and identify any gaps or weaknesses. One of the challenges when deploying BAS is knowing how to deploy it within different customers’ unique technical architectures, to test all the critical security policies. Kedron provides this expertise as part of their service along with ongoing support and review. This means customers get the benefit of a delivered managed service but without the higher costs of a total outsource arrangement.
Kedron offers the ThreatSim product from Keysight, a market leading BAS solution, as part of their service. Many experts in the field, such as Gartner and Forrester, have stated that Breach and Attack Simulation is essential for enterprise security teams. Gartner states that “BAS solutions are essential for enterprise security teams to test the effectiveness of their security controls and identify vulnerabilities that need to be prioritized for remediation.” Forrester notes that “BAS has emerged to provide an attackers view, with deeper insights into vulnerabilities, attack paths, and weak/failed controls, making it an essential tool for any enterprise security team looking to proactively identify and remediate vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by attackers.”
In conclusion, breach and attack simulation is an important tool that should be used in addition to vulnerability scanning and penetration testing. It allows businesses to test their cybersecurity policies and procedures in a realistic scenario and identify vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.
Justin Pounds
Managing Director
Responsible for the development and delivery of the strategic growth plan with particular focus on sales, marketing and key partnerships.
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