Like BMW drivers, most organisations somehow end up thinking they can never be hit.
Sure, you’ve paid for a Security ‘Solution’ you found online (which is the equivalent of those guards at the boom gate who you need to hoot at before they wake up), and your trial version of McAfee still has a week remaining. Does this mean your business is slightly more secure than a high school IT department? Sure. Does it mean you’re not a sitting duck, ripe for the taking? Nope – you’re at risk, and you can bet your Kaspersky on that.
True, through proper protection, educating the office Karen and adherence to protocol like those ladies at the entrance of Dis-chem, you drastically reduce your chances of having your private information leaked online (which, unless you’re a Kardashian, is never a good thing). The problem, however, is that Cyber Criminals are never static and are as crafty as those men at the robot who force you to pay them for washing your windshield. When it comes to hacks, breaches and being compromised, this is an industry that evolves faster than Apple can release a new phone with fewer features.
Fact is, Cyber Crimes are ever-evolving, constantly expanding and, if you’re not careful, the digital equivalent of the guys from Money Heist.
Most of us feel like we don’t have to worry, because an entry level position lets you fly under the radar like an old man in Survivor. To be fair, this does hold an element of truth – those at the very top are at a higher risk of being targeted – specifically those who can access the cash stash (who refuse to increase your pay). All it takes is one successful breach and your organisation is broke (and not Donald Trump “broke”, but MC Hammer broke). Your accounts can be cleared, staff going unpaid and your chances of bouncing back lower than a Paris Hilton IQ Test.
We know what you’re thinking: my monthly security bill looks like a petrol slip – how much more must I spend before my business is safe?
The unfortunate reality is that much like your place of residence, paying for ADT to stop by with a flashlight isn’t necessarily a guarantee of 100% safety. The only way to truly ensure that your house is a fortress is to evaluate which weak spots can be compromised and take the proactive, anticipatory steps required to make them impenetrable.
Enter Penetration Testing, which does NOT do what it’s name suggests…
This can get technical, but we’ll try to break it down – a Pentest approaches your infrastructure the way Mr Robot would, sees where it can break in and sets about trying to exploit chinks in your armour before someone does it for real.
We’ve all seen those movies where the thieves take on a security company and try to break into somewhere for a grand prize. Penetration Testing (despite the dodgy name) is exactly that – but instead of windows, fences and doors, these simulated attackers deal with digital weak points.
Servers, endpoints, web applications, networks – everything is assessed, evaluated and, if it seems like it can be broken, we try to knock it down so we know exactly how to fix it. Think of it as a way of breaking a few eggs to make an omelette (or, if that analogy isn’t hitting home, losing multiple sparring matches so that you can dominate in the ring).
Wait wait – didn’t we hear this before when you guys pitched Vulnerability Assessments?
Yeah, we get that a lot.
In reality, the two are alike the same way your Learners and Drivers Licenses are similar (except you can’t bribe your way into either). A Vulnerability Scan uses automated tools and provides you with a report on your weak points before moving on with life – useful to tell you about a problem, but a Pentest takes it a few steps further. With Penetration Testing, we simulate actual attacks, not just looking at the weakness and wishing you a good day, but rolling up our sleeves and pretending we’re breaking into the Spanish Royal Mint.
The whole process simulates an attack (rather than just telling you your weak points) in order to fully understand how a hacker would go about compromising your organisation.
Why are we telling you this?
Well, there’s a pitch (of course there is).
At Armata, nothing makes us happier than a secure business (and, of course, kicking would-be hackers to the curb). As such, we’re offering a special on Pre-packed, Pentest Lite Bundles guaranteed to make you look twice.
In our mission towards determining how vulnerable the people who handle your money are, we’ll conduct all the aforementioned security evaluations (it’s a long list) we discussed above, but push things a bit further by asking, “Can we build enough information to trick your higher ups into paying us money?”
Yup, like the Social Dilemma on Netflix which made everyone think they uncovered the Illuminati, we’re happy to conduct our own Social Engineering experiment – except we don’t recommend firing a CEO should we convince them to pay our Nigerian Prince’s ransom.
A standard Penetration Test for your business could cost over R200 000. We at Armata offer a three-day, Lite Penetration Test for R30 000. Normally, you pay the full amount upfront for this Pentest, but we’re willing to offer it to you for only R15 000, payable over instalments across three months should you sign up for the month of December!
See, despite setting your business up for a secure, long-term future, you’re also able to split the cost of doing so into a manageable monthly fee which eases the strain on your budget.
There are a few things you can’t put a price on: short lines at Home Affairs, a chance to date Irina Shayk, and your business safety. A Penetration Test allows us to step into the shoes (and minds) of Cyber Criminals so that your organisation never finds out the hard way just how vulnerable you really are. We believe that Cyber Security is a right, and that all businesses deserve a fighting chance – which is why we’re allowing you to enjoy maximum protection and a minimal price.
