Deciding which cybersecurity method is right for your company can feel overwhelming. Between vulnerability scans, cybersecurity audits, and penetration testing, it can be difficult to determine which option will truly give you the insight you need. While all three play important roles in having strong security, they serve very different purposes, and they offer very different levels of depth.
Understanding these differences is essential. A vulnerability scan identifies network weaknesses. A cybersecurity audit evaluates network compliance. But a penetration test goes a step further and demonstrates how those weaknesses could be exploited in the real world by an attacker.
Vulnerability Scans
A vulnerability scan is typically the first stage when trying to improve your security. It uses automated tools to evaluate networks in search of security flaws and weaknesses. These scans are almost always fully automated and are designed to identify and flag issues for the security team to review.
Most scans pull information about:
- Faulty code
- Open ports
- Missing network patches
- Weak or reused passwords
Basic scans generally produce a list of vulnerabilities that need to be addressed, often without much context or any remediation steps. Vulnerability scans are helpful and can be run whenever needed by a security team. However, these scans are a surface-level tool. They identify known vulnerabilities, but they do not attempt to exploit or demonstrate real-world implications. In many cases, hackers are capable of running similar automated scans themselves.
Cybersecurity Audits
A cybersecurity audit is a comprehensive, manual assessment of an organization’s cybersecurity risks. Audits can be conducted by internal IT teams or by third-party experts. Their primary purpose is to identify vulnerabilities, while also validating that policies and procedures meet the minimum required standards.
Audits reveal:
- Security and risk baselines
- Minimum security thresholds
- Whether policies and procedures are being followed
- Whether security measures are working as designed
Unlike vulnerability scans, audits provide deeper contextual analysis. They evaluate compliance against standards and assess the organization’s overall security posture. Audits are particularly valuable for checking regulatory compliance. With that, audits do not simulate attacks. They assess whether controls exist and whether they align with requirements, but they do not actively test how those controls would stand up against a real-world attacker.
Penetration Testing
A penetration test is a live security assessment that launches a mock cyberattack against a system to find vulnerabilities. When penetration testers uncover weaknesses, they don’t just make a list of them; they attempt to exploit them in ways that mimic the behavior of real attackers. This approach provides security teams with an in-depth understanding of how an attacker might actually gain access.
Penetration testing:
- Uses both automated tools and manual techniques
- Simulates real-world attack behavior
- Exploits vulnerabilities to demonstrate actual risk
- Eliminates false positives that automated scans might produce
- Gives detailed reports explaining risk, impact, and mitigation steps
Because penetration testing is conducted live and involves skilled professionals, it looks at every possible vulnerability within a business’s environment. Instead of simply identifying weaknesses, it demonstrates which ones are truly exploitable and how damaging they could be.
The result is not just a list of flaws, but a clear understanding of what the risk is and how it was found. Security teams can then use this information to design stronger network controls and defenses that are built to withstand real-world threats and potential attackers
Why Penetration Testing Gives More Insight
Vulnerability scans generate found technical weaknesses. Cybersecurity audits validate compliance and evaluate policies. Both are valuable for cybersecurity, but penetration testing works to provide actual proof. It proves whether a vulnerability can actually be exploited and poses a risk for your company. It shows how an attacker would act within your systems. It demonstrates real-world impact instead of theoretical risk.
When organizations rely solely on scans or audits, they may know what should be fixed or what meets compliance requirements. With penetration testing, they understand what could actually happen in a live attack.
For companies serious about strengthening their cybersecurity posture, penetration testing provides deeper, more actionable insight. It moves beyond surface-level findings and policy validation, and gives a realistic picture of how secure your environment truly is. In today’s technological world, that level of information isn’t just helpful, it’s essential for protecting your company.
Through our specialized security division, RedLens InfoSec, we conduct rigorous penetration testing to proactively uncover weaknesses before they’re exploited. Contact us today to learn more and get started!
