Vulnerability scanning and penetration testing (further – pentesting) are the basic and probably the most commonly used methods for identifying vulnerabilities in an organisation’s digital assets. They are often equated. However, despite the similarities, they are still two different methods.
Definitions and Key Differences
Vulnerability scanning is an automated test that identifies potential weaknesses and only reports them. Penetration testing, on the other hand, uses both robotic devices and manual procedures to detect vulnerabilities and attempts to exploit them by simulating a real hacker attack.
Although both methods serve the same purpose of vulnerability detection, they are significantly different in practice:
- Vulnerability scanning focuses on identifying as many known vulnerabilities as possible, while pentesting focuses on the scope and depth of the search, in-depth analysis.
- Scanning often produces false positives due to the use of automated tools. Testing, on the other hand, involves verifying the weaknesses found and providing evidence of their possible exploitation with criminal intent and determining their risk level.
Risk Assessment Approaches
Vulnerability scanning provides a comprehensive view of the potential risks to the system through the identification of known vulnerabilities. This process quantifies the level of risk by categorising vulnerabilities according to their criticality. This prioritisation helps organisations address the most significant threats by focusing on the most serious vulnerabilities.
At the same time, penetration testing provides a qualitative view of risk. It not only detects vulnerabilities, but also assesses their real-world impact through the simulation of attempts to exploit those vulnerabilities.
When to Use Each Approach
Organisations use vulnerability scanning to identify potential security issues on an ongoing basis, while penetration testing helps to assess the practical impact of exploiting these vulnerabilities through manual or automated attack methods.
Vulnerability scanning is typically performed on a regular basis to identify and prioritise potential threats, while penetration testing is often scheduled periodically or in response to specific system changes to test security controls.
Complementary Use of Both Methods
Scanning and penetration testing can be used separately, depending on the needs of the organisation. In addition, scanning can be used as one of the steps in a penetration test. From an organisation’s perspective, scanning is an operational planning tool (a quick search to plan the mitigation of minor and superficial vulnerabilities), while pentesting is an in-depth investigation and analysis to shape not only the tactics but also the strategy for protecting assets.
