Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (VAPT) - A Guide to Selecting the Right Vendor
Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (VAPT) is a critical activity when deploying any application system in organizations of various scales and sizes. VAPT helps in correcting overlooked bugs that might be compromised and helps in preventing or creating safeguards against cybersecurity issues. In today’s world, prevention against cybersecurity incidents is crucial, and you need to create defenses at multiple levels. VAPT becomes important for this purpose.
When rolling out any system, it’s necessary to perform this testing rigorously and thoughtfully. Conducting a security-related assessment of any application requires expertise. This expertise includes a good understanding of tools, market trends, ongoing cybercrimes, and relevant technologies. VAPT is not a regular day-to-day task but is required on an ad-hoc basis when planning to roll out patches, addressing new security incidents, or deploying new systems.
Most organizations don’t set up their own VAPT teams due to the specialized expertise required. Instead, they opt for third-party services or hire vendors to perform VAPT on their application systems. This makes vendor selection crucial in the VAPT process. To select the right vendor, follow these steps:
- Discuss the types of customers the vendor handles, focusing on your specific industry and sector.
- Inquire about the systems similar to yours that the vendor has experience with.
- Learn about the resources that would be allocated, including their background and experience in VAPT.
- Request 7–10 sample reports to understand the quality of their assessments.
- Investigate how the vendor stays updated with the latest trends and technologies, and how they communicate new issues to clients.
- Inquire about the tools and technologies the vendor uses for VAPT.
- Ask specific questions related to security standards like OWASP Top 10.
When engaging a vendor, it’s important to discuss penalty clauses in case of oversight. If the vendor guarantees that everything is working fine after VAPT, but an issue occurs in their area of testing, there should be provisions for compensation for monetary or reputational losses.
It’s always advisable not to solely rely on big names when selecting a VAPT vendor. Focus on the quality of work, as the consequences of a security breach can be severe, potentially leading to monetary losses, reputational damage, or even business closure. Consider these factors carefully when selecting a VAPT vendor to ensure the security of your systems and data.
