Cybercriminals and hackers are highly skilled at identifying and exploiting weaknesses in IT systems. Their attacks can compromise sensitive data, disrupt business operations, and cause financial and reputational damage. To effectively prevent cyberattacks, businesses must take a proactive approach by identifying and addressing vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.
Penetration testing, also known as ‘ethical hacking’, is a critical step in identifying vulnerabilities in your business’s IT infrastructure. At Vantage IT, our structured approach ensures thorough testing with minimal disruption to your operations. In this article, we’ll provide a step-by-step breakdown of what to expect during the process.
Before testing begins, our team will meet with you to discuss the scope, goals, and potential risks of the penetration test. This ensures we focus on the right areas, such as external networks, internal systems, web applications, or employee security awareness. We also create a testing schedule to minimise disruptions to your business’s operations.
Next, our security experts gather information about your IT environment, including identifying publicly available data, checking for outdated software, and scanning for potential weaknesses. This phase is largely passive and will not affect your employees’ work or business operations.
Using advanced security tools, we conduct automated scans to detect known vulnerabilities in your systems, including weak passwords, unpatched software, and misconfigured settings. While this process is generally non-intrusive, some network slowdowns may occur. We recommend scheduling this phase outside peak business hours.
This is where ethical hackers attempt to exploit identified vulnerabilities in a controlled manner. Using real-world attack techniques, we assess the extent of security weaknesses. While this phase is more intrusive, we take precautions to avoid disrupting operations. We also work closely with IT teams to ensure critical services remain functional.
If vulnerabilities allow unauthorised access, we test whether attackers could gain higher privileges or move laterally within your network. This crucial step helps to determine the severity of security flaws. Employees may experience minor disruptions, such as temporary system lags, but we ensure that no data is altered or lost.
After testing is complete, we provide a detailed report which outlines vulnerabilities, potential risks, and recommended fixes. We also offer a debriefing session to help your IT team to understand and address security gaps. Since no active testing occurs at this stage, there is no disruption to business operations.
At Vantage IT, we understand that penetration testing shouldn’t be at the expense of your daily business operations. Therefore we will:
By investing in penetration testing with Vantage IT, you can gain critical insights into your business’s security net and proactively address weaknesses before they are exploited by criminals.
For more information, please book a callback with our team.
06/10/2025
