Hacking can be a dirty word. It evokes images of a person sitting in the dark with a black hoodie on, hunched over a keyboard, in front of multiple screens, attacking an innocent business, or individuals, online. It automatically generates thoughts of terrible ransomware attacks and cyber criminal gangs with names such as Evil Corp.

But cyber criminals have a foe – ethical hackers. We hack companies to show them their weaknesses so they can fix them before they are breached.

Companies are aware that cyber attacks are increasing by 50% year on year. With organisational spending on cyber security at an all-time high, firms are spending significant amounts on their security infrastructure. I’m often asked: How can we know that our cyber security is working effectively?

My advice to companies is simple – invest in a red teaming test.

Red teaming is the practice of simulating a multi-layered cyber attack that tests the effectiveness of every aspect of an organisation’s security. Rather than running the risk of financial and reputational damage after being hit by a ransomware attack, hire ethical hackers to simulate an attack to unearth vulnerabilities, so that they can be addressed before it’s too late.

“The only real way you can determine the effectiveness of your security is by getting hacked. Red teaming tests employ both virtual and physical methods to probe for weakness, exactly as a cyber criminal would”