Cymulate

Man vs machine: Can attack simulation provide the same security posture as penetration testing?

Cyber security teams have long relied on penetration testing to safeguard systems and pre-empt the worst possible cyber attack scenarios. But as the cyber criminals rapidly switch their tactics and automate their activities, financial services organisations are at risk of losing sight of their adversaries, with many unaware of how operationally effective their security technologies are against the latest attack strategy. As a result, organisations are exploring the potential of automated penetration testing and attack simulation technology, which runs an open framework to simulate red and purple teaming across an organisation. But how effective can these technologies get, and can a machine ever be smart enough to pre-empt the cyber criminal’s next move, or will there always be a role for human-led pen testers? This expert panel debated the future of penetration testing and assess how advanced FSIs are in automating their cyber defences.