Penetration testing vs vulnerability scanning: 7 main differences

As cyber threats evolve in complexity, more organizations are turning to external cybersecurity services to protect their systems. According to Statista, 51% of companies from 27 European Union countries choose to outsource their security tasks. Among the most in-demand services are penetration testing and vulnerability scanning, crucial for identifying and addressing security risks early. But how to decide which one suits your needs better? To help you select, we compared them and highlighted the key differences between penetration testing vs vulnerability scanning.

How does penetration testing work?

Penetration testing simulates a real cyberattack on a system or network to evaluate its security and resilience against potential threats. Performed by ethical hackers, the process uses various tools and techniques to exploit vulnerabilities uncovered through scanning or other methods. Pentesting can be internal or external. Internal one simulates attacks from within an organization's network, while external testing focuses on identifying vulnerabilities in public-facing systems to mimic outside threats.

Penetration testing helps verify the effectiveness of security controls, assesses the potential impact of a breach, and provides recommendations for improvement. Often referred to as "white hat" or ethical hacking, it makes authorized attempts to breach a system's defenses to understand better the tactics an attacker might use. Penetration tests involve various methods, including:

• Employing social engineering tactics to gain unauthorized access to systems and databases.
• Exploiting identified vulnerabilities in network infrastructure, services, and applications.
• Sending phishing emails to compromise critical user accounts.
• Exploiting unencrypted passwords shared across the network to access sensitive data.
• Conducting passive and active reconnaissance to gather available information on the target system.

How does vulnerability scanning work?

Vulnerability scanning identifies, categorizes, and prioritizes security weaknesses in digital networks, computers, applications, and cloud environments. Organizations use this scanning to define their security posture and cyberattack exposure, enabling them to take corrective measures to mitigate risks.

Vulnerability scanning is performed using software tools to search for known vulnerabilities that can be caused by configuration errors, outdated software, or missing patches. Once detected, these vulnerabilities are ranked by severity, offering a prioritized list to guide remediation efforts. There are two key types of vulnerability scans:

• IT infrastructure vulnerability scans: Typically performed by IT or cybersecurity teams, these scans assess internal IT systems, including networking equipment, file servers, individual computers, IoT devices, peripheral devices, critical applications, and internal processes.
• Application or web vulnerability scans: Conducted by application security or DevSecOps teams, these scans focus on software libraries, APIs, and supply chain components to detect known vulnerabilities in applications or websites.

Read more: How to outsource penetration testing: Executive's guide

Penetration testing vs vulnerability scanning: 8 key differences

When considering penetration testing vs vulnerability assessment, it's important to mention that both aim to identify security vulnerabilities, but they differ in methods, scope, and outcomes. Understanding these differences can help you find the right solution for your organization's security needs.

Depth of testing

Penetration testing offers a more in-depth analysis than vulnerability scanning. While vulnerability scanning focuses on identifying known vulnerabilities, pen testing goes further by trying to exploit them.

Penetration testing also evaluates a system's defensive mechanisms, determining whether they are robust enough to fend off real-world cyberattacks. This comprehensive approach offers a detailed understanding of a system's overall security posture.

In contrast, vulnerability scanning provides a snapshot of a system's security by identifying vulnerabilities without exploiting them or simulating real attacks. As a result, it doesn't fully reveal the potential impact of these vulnerabilities or assess the effectiveness of the system's defenses.

Ease of conducting

Vulnerability scanning is relatively straightforward to perform. It includes setting up an automated tool, scheduling routine scans, and generating reports. This process can be managed without extensive technical expertise, making it a practical security solution for many organizations.

One of the most significant differences between vulnerability scanning vs penetration testing is that the last one demands a high level of expertise. The security tester must possess a deep understanding of various technologies, system vulnerabilities, and attack techniques and be able to creatively apply this knowledge to exploit weaknesses. To leverage the high level of expertise, you can partner with a cybersecurity consultant to ensure your penetration testing will be coordinated carefully. At N-iX, we have a team of experienced security professionals who can conduct assessments with minimal disruptions.

Risk analysis

Both vulnerability assessment and penetration testing play key roles in risk analysis, but they approach it differently. Vulnerability scanning offers a broader overview of potential risks by identifying exposures. It provides a quantitative assessment, ranking vulnerabilities based on severity. This helps businesses prioritize their security efforts, addressing the most critical weaknesses first.

In contrast, penetration testing offers a qualitative view of risk by not only identifying vulnerabilities but also attempting to exploit them. This process reveals the potential consequences of exploitation, demonstrating the real-world impact of a vulnerability. Insights gained during penetration testing make it a valuable tool for thorough risk analysis.

Reporting

Vulnerability assessments use the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) database to identify known vulnerabilities in the system. These reports provide a detailed breakdown of each found issue for risk analysis, including compliance implications, and offer step-by-step guidance for remediation.

Penetration testing reporting extends beyond merely listing vulnerabilities to provide a more narrative account. These reports include attack methodology, proof of concept, exploitation chain, impact assessment, and customized remediation recommendations. Pen testing usually comes with retest service as well. After the remediation phase, the security team retests the vulnerabilities to asses whether the applied fixes are properly done.

Accuracy of results

Vulnerability scans often report vulnerabilities, some of which may be false positives, while others may be true positives with minimal associated risk. As a result, each finding requires careful validation and appropriate action.

On the other hand, penetration tests typically generate fewer false positives. The testing process rigorously verifies exploitability, confirming whether an attacker can access protected data or disrupt operations. However, false positives can arise in pen testing because of the differences between test and production environments.

It is also important to mention that both vulnerability scans and penetration tests can sometimes miss vulnerabilities, leading to false negatives.

Time to conduct

Understanding the nuances of penetration testing vs vulnerability scanning can help calculate how long it takes to conduct them. Vulnerability assessment is an automated process that can rapidly assess whether any known issues exist in the system. This speed allows businesses to conduct frequent vulnerability scans, helping them maintain an up-to-date view of their security posture.

In contrast, penetration testing is a more time-intensive process. Pen testers leverage their skills and experience to uncover weaknesses that automated tools may miss. This involves a thorough and detailed analysis to identify potential vulnerabilities.

Operational disruption

Vulnerability scans check networks, systems, hardware, and software for known vulnerabilities, potentially causing network bandwidth issues and system instability. More advanced tests evaluate network equipment and identify misconfigurations, increasing system demands. Thus, most organizations schedule scans during off-hours to reduce operational disruptions.

While penetration testing can also disrupt operations, organizations usually establish a test environment for hackers to probe for highly disruptive tests. This ensures that a successful attack won't impact live operations or result in data loss or failure. If a vulnerability is found, it is usually confirmed in the production environment with the owner's consent.

Penetration testing vs vulnerability scanning: Choosing the right one for your needs

The choice between vulnerability assessment vs penetration testing depends on the intended outcome:

• Vulnerability scans are used to scan infrastructure and identify known vulnerabilities. These scans are helpful for routine checks, can be quickly conducted by automated tools, and are essential for finding established weaknesses. However, they do not assess exploitability or the potential impact of a breach.
• Penetration tests are best for examining known vulnerabilities to define if they can be exploited and evaluate the potential consequences. Penetration tests can also uncover security gaps not classified as vulnerabilities, offering a deeper insight into an organization's risk exposure. However, pen testing requires strong expertise to achieve better outcomes.

In the discussion of penetration testing vs vulnerability scanning, it's essential to understand that their combination can provide better results, identifying more mistakes and security gaps. To avoid the headaches, risks, and consequences of a breach, enterprises should regularly conduct both penetration testing and vulnerability scanning. Considering the high cost of a data breach, investing in prevention is an important investment.

Conduct security assessments with N-iX

To help you choose between vulnerability testing vs penetration testing or pick the combination of both, the N-iX security operation team can guide you and find the right one for your needs. We have successfully delivered more than 100 security projects for organizations of all sizes across various industries, such as finance, healthcare, energy, retail, and more. This diverse experience in technology consulting acquired during 21 years of presence on the international market has enabled us to identify the security needs of the enterprise and implement the most effective strategies to safeguard IT infrastructure. N-iX also follows the leading cybersecurity standards, including ISO 27001, ISO 9001:2008, ISO/IEC 27701:2019, PCI DSS, CyberGRX, FSQS, and more.