The terms ‘ethical hacking and ‘penetration testing’ are often used interchangeably when referring to the process of probing an organisation’s systems, but they’re actually slightly different. Knowing where they deviate is essential as they’re each a core component of cyber security. You don’t want to call for an ethical hacker when you want a penetration tester or vice versa, because you’ll end … [Read more...]
February 4, 2020
September 13, 2019
Hacking with AWS: incorporating leaky buckets into your OSINT workflow
Penetration testing is often conducted by security researchers to help organizations identify holes in their security and fix them, before cybercriminals have the chance. While there’s no malicious intent for the researcher, part of his job is to think and act like a cybercriminal would when hacking, or attempting to breach, an enterprise network. Therefore, in this article, I will review … [Read more...]
February 6, 2019
Top 5 tips for tackling the rising threat of data breaches
Cyber security is a daunting topic. Every week there’s a new big data breach, experts are constantly warning that “you’re next”, and the threat of fines and other disciplinary action under the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) lingers over all of us. To help you understand how to address these issues, IT Governance Director Steve Watkins gave us his top five tips for staying … [Read more...]
November 20, 2018
No organisation is immune to cyber attacks
Hackers are becoming more skilled and sophisticated, and this is leaving Irish business owners and their systems extremely vulnerable and unable to protect themselves against cyber security threats. One of the most common tools a company can use to defend themselves against hackers is a penetration test. During a penetration test, an ethical hacker utilises the same techniques as a criminal hacker … [Read more...]
September 18, 2018
Penetration testing and the EU GDPR
Data breaches are on the rise and affecting Irish organisations, most recently Eir and Cork City Council’s Park by Phone service. Criminal hackers are gaining access to organisations’ networks using a variety of techniques, so ensuring your network is secure should be high on your agenda. Penetration testing is an effective method of determining the security of your networks and web applications, … [Read more...]
July 16, 2018
