Those responsible for a local computer network are aware of the great effort involved in setting up and maintaining it. It is important to configure all components to be functional and up-to-date. For all user devices, the desired software must be installed and the appropriate access rights defined. The most important task, however, is to develop the appropriate security concept to protect your own network against harmful attacks. Depending on the network size and required security standard, very different measures and components are possible – from ordinary software firewalls and antivirus programs to more complex hardware firewalls to solutions with additional components such as intrusion detection and intrusion prevention systems.

But if the defense concept is in place, efforts do not have to be over: regular security testing to verify network protection is a common practice in larger companies and government agencies. With so-called penetration tests, in short, pentests,  For example, detect the attack potential of the network, individual participating systems or even a single application. On the basis of the test results, one can then initiate appropriate optimization measures. How is such a test done exactly and what does it mean for the existing network?