According to a recent study, 33% of businesses have lost customers due to a security breach. In addition to short-term financial losses, such security breaches can damage a company’s brand, making it difficult for it to recover. All the effort and trust put into building a business over the years could be destroyed by the possible loss of financial data and client information in just one incident.
Privacy groups, however, have recently expressed worry regarding data harvesting methods used in penetration testing. Businesses are attractive targets for cyberattacks because they possess enormous volumes of client data. Customer data remains exposed without a thorough evaluation of payment systems and security procedures, increasing the possibility of significant data breaches.
An unauthorized entity obtained access to user profile data, including usernames, names, city information, gender information, email addresses, and scrambled passwords, at the online marketplace Poshmark. Despite the company’s use of the Bcrypt hashing algorithm, the hackers were nevertheless able to compromise consumer data.
Similar to this, the supermarket store chain Hy-Vee discovered a consumer payment breach brought on by malware that specifically targeted point-of-sale systems. Hackers were able to obtain tracking information, including card numbers, names, security codes, and expiration dates, as a result of the attack.
Penetration testing is now more important than ever as cyberattacks pose a serious danger to companies of all sizes. Penetration testing offers a practical way to satisfy Article 32 of the GDPR, which calls for routine testing and review of organizational and technical security measures.
Businesses must find a balance between protecting data security and preserving privacy as privacy groups voice concerns about data-collecting tactics in penetration testing. Companies may strengthen their cybersecurity defenses while preserving consumer trust and protecting vital data by implementing ethical and open data-collecting techniques during pen testing.
