833-847-3280
Schedule a Call

Can I do the Pen Test Myself?

Pen test

Conducting pen tests might seem easy enough with the right tools and some YouTube videos.  Sure, you can do the test yourself, but here’s why you shouldn’t.

Pen test certifications

Pen testers should have certifications that show they know what they are doing.  These certifications are provided by well-known accrediting bodies.  Additionally, you should be able to look them up in the accrediting company’s database to verify the tester has them.

Pen test experience

A dedicated pen tester has years of experience performing a variety of different penetration tests.  They know the tools well, can create their own scripts to look for known vulnerabilities while they manually test.  They comprehend how a certain exploit may hinder a network or application they are testing.  A pen tester will also have an idea on how a hacker’s mind works, therefore looking for vulnerabilities that aren’t as well known to the lay person.

Unbiased testing

By using a third party, you will be able to receive unbiased test results.  It’s easy to gloss over things when you know how everything is laid out and what security measures are in place.  Or you see a vulnerability and think it is minor and will mitigate later, but you don’t go back to it and leave a vulnerability exposed.  A dedicated pen tester will be looking at all the possible vulnerabilities because he or she will have little to no prior knowledge of what is being tested, except for PCI compliance instances.

More than a vulnerability scan

A good pen test is more than just a vulnerability scan.  A test should involve manual testing. There should be different results than simply a list of Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE).  Additionally, there are things a pen tester will find that a vulnerability scan cannot, such as default credentials on a firewall or server. (This is also your reminder to change those default credentials if you haven’t already.)

In conclusion, just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

Latest Posts

A transparent image used for creating empty spaces in columns
In today’s digital landscape, cyberattacks are relentless, sophisticated, and increasingly costly. Yet, many government regulations designed to protect sensitive data and critical infrastructure fall short, not because they lack good intentions, but because they fail to explicitly require penetration testing as a standard practice. This regulatory ambiguity…
A transparent image used for creating empty spaces in columns
 Every IT manager knows the drill. You schedule your annual penetration test, the security team arrives, runs their tools, and delivers a comprehensive report detailing vulnerabilities and recommendations. You check the compliance box, file the report, and get back to your daily grind. Fast…
A transparent image used for creating empty spaces in columns
When a major brand like Victoria’s Secret, MGM, or T-Mobile gets hacked, it’s all over the news. These companies are household names, and a breach affecting them often exposes millions of customer records, making it a national, or even global, story. But what about small…
A transparent image used for creating empty spaces in columns
 Choosing a penetration tester isn’t just about credentials or price; it’s about trust, depth, and the results they deliver. In today’s rapidly evolving cybersecurity landscape, selecting the right penetration testing partner is more critical than ever. At MainNerve, we’ve witnessed significant shifts in the…
A transparent image used for creating empty spaces in columns
Cybersecurity threats in 2025 are evolving faster than most organizations can keep pace with. In early 2025, a global financial institution paid out a staggering $75 million following a ransomware attack. The cause? A single, compromised endpoint tied to a legacy application that had gone…
A transparent image used for creating empty spaces in columns
   Targeted retesting focuses only on the vulnerabilities you’ve already remediated. It’s scoped tightly around the affected systems, configurations, or application components that were updated, patched, or re-engineered in response to findings from the original penetration test. This approach offers several key benefits: 1.…
contact

Our Team

Name(Required)
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
On Load
Where? .serviceMM
What? Mega Menu: Services