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AI Penetration testing

Penetration testing, also known as pen testing or ethical hacking, is a simulated cyberattack on a business's computer system, network, cloud infrastructure, as well as web and mobile applications. It's carried out by authorized security professionals who spot vulnerabilities that could be exploited by malicious actors.

A delicate challenge

86%

of respondents in the Economist survey claim their organization had at least 1 data breach in the last 3 years.

47%

of the Economist survey participants admit their companies will likely experience a data breach in the next 3 years.

91%

organizations acknowledge the need to better understand which cybersecurity practices are best suited for them.

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The critical role of pen testing

Pen testing is a regular annual procedure that resembles a medical checkup: it assesses the overall health of your cybersecurity system and identifies potential vulnerabilities that could be exploited. While no system is completely immune to threats, regular penetration testing is a crucial step in proactively maintaining a strong security posture and safeguarding your business's valuable assets.

In what cases do companies perform pen testing?

Recent security incidents
✓ Data breaches or cyberattacks
✓ Suspected vulnerabilities
Significant system changes
✓ New software or hardware integration
✓ Network infrastructure updates
✓ Mergers or acquisitions
Regulatory compliance
✓ Industry-specific regulations like SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR, or PCI DSS
✓ Government regulations, such as the EU AI Act
Other third-party requirements
✓ Client or stakeholder concerns
✓ Insurance requirements
Business changes
✓ Geographic expansion
✓ New product or service launches
Proactive risk management
✓ Regular security assessments
✓ New cybersecurity threats

Who needs pen testing

Penetration testing is not just for tech giants. From finance and healthcare to retail and manufacturing, any organization that values its reputation can benefit from a thorough security assessment.

AI companies
As AI technologies become more prevalent, so does the need to secure their applications and underlying infrastructure.
Retail and e-commerce platforms
Online and brick-and-mortar retailers process large volumes of customer data and payment information, which makes them attractive targets for cybercriminals.
Firms from highly regulated industries
Pen testing is often mandatory for entities operating in finance, healthcare, or any other sector with strict compliance requirements.
Critical infrastructure providers
If your operations depend on power grids, transportation networks, or manufacturing plants, pen testing reduces risks that could disrupt essential services.

How pen testing protects AI companies

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It safeguards AI infrastructure
AI businesses rely on complex infrastructure that needs meticulous security oversight.
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It helps protect user data
Pen testing finds weaknesses in data handling and storage practices and helps guarantee that user data remains confidential.
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It builds trust and confidence
Strong security posture is indispensable from trust of customers, partners, and investors. Pen testing is the right way to achieve that.
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It validates security controls
With pen testing, AI organizations can assess the effectiveness of their security controls.

The importance of pen testing for AI companies will only grow with the introduction of new regulations. They will likely impose stricter requirements on the security and safety of AI systems. In that case, pen testing is a crucial tool for compliance.

Pen testing types

Web app pen test

Finds vulnerabilities within your website, web applications, and their components (APIs and backend servers).

Mobile app pen test

Assesses the security of mobile apps on various platforms.

Network pen test

External

Simulates attacks from outside the network, like those a hacker would initiate over the internet.

Internal

Simulate attacks from within the network, such as a compromised employee device or malicious insider.

Cloud pen test

Pinpoint vulnerabilities within a company’s cloud infrastructure, applications, and services.

LLM vulnerability test

Detect hallucinations, prevent data breaches, and make sure your generative AI tool remains trustworthy.

Pen testing strategies

Black box

We have no prior knowledge of the target system's internal workings and rely on publicly available information and our own skills to discover vulnerabilities.

Grey box

We have limited understanding of the target system, typically similar to that of a privileged user or someone with basic internal knowledge.

White box

We have full access to the target system, including source code, architecture diagrams, and credentials.

Pen testing process at Unidatalab

1

Pre-engagement

Our experts evaluate your security concerns and goals. We assemble the pen testing team and assign specific roles.

2

Reconnaissance

We collect publicly available information. Techniques like open-source intelligence (OSINT), social engineering, and footprinting are used to gather intelligence.

3

Manual testing and exploitation

Experienced pen testers manually probe the target environment. They attempt to exploit these vulnerabilities with various techniques and tools, simulating real-world attack scenarios.

4

Post-exploitation

If successful in exploiting vulnerabilities, our team analyzes the extent of the compromise and potential impact. This phase helps assess the effectiveness of existing security controls and incident response mechanisms.

5

Reporting and remediation

Unidatalab prepares a report with the results of the pen test. It includes a list of identified vulnerabilities, their severity levels, potential impact, and recommended remediation steps. Depending on the agreement, we may provide a client with guidance on remediation.

6

Additional testing

After the organization implements the recommended remediation measures, the pen testers conduct a retest to validate the effectiveness of the changes.

The whole cycle of pen testing takes up to 2-3 weeks

Advantages of manual pen testing

Awareness of evolving threats
Pen testers at Unidatalab stay informed about the latest attack techniques, emerging vulnerabilities, and exploit tools. This vigilance guarantees that our testing methodologies are continuously updated to match the tactics of real-world attackers.
Profound understanding of vulnerabilities
We know how to identify vulnerabilities that may not be immediately obvious. Our pen testers possess a deep understanding of system architectures, programming languages, and security protocols. This expertise allows them to pinpoint the root causes of vulnerabilities.
Expert remediation
Our team delivers meticulous reports detailing each finding, along with prioritized recommendations for remediation. We consider your specific business context and available resources to develop practical solutions that strengthen your security posture.
Contextualized insight
Unidatalab experts acquire a bird’s eye view of your security practices and align them with your specific industry context and business logic. This approach strengthens your organization against cyber threats and ensures your security strategy serves your goals.

AI-powered pen testing

Reinforcement learning
Set up AI algorithms that analyze attack patterns and outcomes, and enable reinforcement learning models to adapt defense strategies in real-time.
AI-powered vulnerability scanning and analysis
Find patterns and anomalies in system behavior, and potentially uncover zero-day vulnerabilities that traditional tools might miss.
Threat intelligence and predictive analysis
Go beyond reactive security. Examine massive amounts of data from various sources so as to find emerging threats and predict attack patterns.
Phishing simulations
Use AI to create challenging phishing simulations. Continuously monitor and analyze employee responses and improve resilience.
Adaptive network defense testing
Simulate cyberattacks and test the effectiveness of network defense mechanisms in a controlled environment with AI instruments.