VAPT

What Does VAPT Mean?

Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (VAPT) is a market segment in information technology (IT) that combines two types of vulnerability tests into a single offering. VAPT tools and services can assess vulnerabilities within a system or application and help administrators prioritize which vulnerabilities should be addressed first.

VAPT tools and services are used to help businesses:

• Comply with GDPR and PCI DSS regulations.
• Avoid data breaches.
• Improve the organization's security posture.

Techopedia Explains VAPT

VAPT tools have both vulnerability assessment and pen testing features. Vulnerability assessment is the systematic examination of an information system or products to identify security deficiencies. Pen testing then verifies the extent to which a system, device or process can resist active attempts to compromise its security.

Importance of VAPT

There are many reasons why businesses need VAPT services. Some of the key reasons are:

– To comply with security regulations: Many industries are regulated by laws that mandate VAPT. For example, the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard requires businesses that process credit card payments to undergo VAPT on a regular basis.

– To avoid data breaches: VAPT can help identify vulnerabilities that can be exploited by hackers to gain access to sensitive data. By fixing these vulnerabilities, businesses can reduce the risk of data breaches.

– To improve security posture: VAPT not only helps businesses find and fix vulnerabilities, but it also provides them with an opportunity to assess their overall security posture. This information can be used to make improvements in the security infrastructure.

How VAPT Works

The first step in VAPT is to identify all the systems and applications that need to be tested. This can be done manually or using a tool. Once the list is ready, each system or application is scanned for vulnerabilities using a VAPT tool. These tools use various methods to scan for vulnerabilities, such as network mapping, port scanning, and banner grabbing.

Once the vulnerability assessment is complete, a penetration test is conducted on the systems or applications with known vulnerabilities. The aim of this test is to exploit the vulnerabilities and gain access to sensitive data or take control of the system.

VAPT Software Tools

There are many VAPT tools available in the market, each with its own set of features and capabilities. When choosing a VAPT tool, it is important to consider your business’s needs and requirements. Popular VAPT tools available today include:

Acunetix

Acunetix offers a wide range of features including DAST scanning, network mapping, and manual pen testing. It also has a reporting feature that provides insights into your website’s security posture.

Arachni

This VAPT tool focuses on web application security testing. It offers features for DAST scanning, manual pen testing, and reporting. Arachni is a popular VAPT tools among web developers.

Astra Security

Astra is known for helping developers and security experts to collaborate. This comprehensive VAPT tool offers DAST scanning and manual pen test capabilities. Astra VAPT comes with an intuitive dashboard that can be used to manage vulnerabilities.

Burp Suite

A comprehensive VAPT tool with capabilities for web application security testing, network analysis, and manual pen testing. Burp Suite is one of the most popular VAPT tools among penetration testers.

Invicti

Invicti, formerly known as Netsparker, allows scans to be scheduled for specific times. This feature can be useful for scanning brick and mortar websites after business hours.

Wapiti

Wapiti is a popular open source choice among penetration testers because of its ease of use and ability to generate detailed reports.

Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP)

OWASP ZAP is a popular choice among penetration testers because of its flexibility and extensibility.