Vulnerability scans and penetration tests are very different from each other, but both serve important functions for protecting a networked environment.
When people misunderstand the differences between penetration testing and vulnerability assessment, they are often missing a vital component in their overall network security profile and both are crucial for cybercrime prevention.
Vulnerability assessments search systems for known vulnerabilities. A penetration test attempts to actively exploit weaknesses in an environment. While a vulnerability scan can be automated, a penetration test requires various levels of expertise.
Differences between Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing
The table below lists the differences between vulnerability assessment and penetration testing:
| Vulnerability assessment | Penetration testing | |
| Frequency | At least quarterly, especially after new equipment is loaded or the network undergoes significant changes | Once or twice a year, as well as anytime the Internet-facing equipment undergoes significant changes |
| Reports | Provide a comprehensive baseline of what vulnerabilities exist and what changed since the last report | Concisely identify what data was compromised |
| Focus | Lists known software vulnerabilities that could be exploited | Discovers unknown and exploitable weaknesses in normal business processes |
| Performed by | Typically conducted by in-house staff using authenticated credentials; does not require a high skill level | Best to use an independent outside service and alternate between two or three; requires a great deal of skill |
| Value | Detects when equipment could be compromised | Identifies and reduces weaknesses |
| Timing |
|
|
SMT can help
