Though it may sound counterintuitive, good cyber security involves breaking stuff. With advanced persistent threats becoming an all-too-common occurrence, companies need talented pen testers to give their systems a good beating. It’s the only way to expose the hidden vulnerabilities that standard scanning simply won’t catch.

For a practice that involves breaking stuff, pen testing is remarkably creative. Since each organization’s systems are unique, pen testers need to come up with obscure and inventive ways of exploiting them. This requires a deep understanding of both network architecture and software development — a skillset you don’t see everyday.

A pen tester’s time is valuable, so it’s important to dedicate it to the highest-value functions. However, other necessities, like report preparation, system scanning and coordination, among pen testing teams can reduce the amount of time testers can dedicate to analysis. It’s an obstacle that many teams face. Fortunately, it’s one that can be remedied by employing the right tools.

Lunarline developed Sniper, our innovative pen testing tool, to enhance the efficiency of pen tests through smart automation. Sniper is the result of years spent refining our processes and identifying areas that could be facilitated through state-of-the-art software.

With Sniper, pen testers don’t need to wait for lengthy scans to complete. Results stream into the system in real-time, allowing testers to start analyzing results and organizing follow-up tasks right away. Auditing and reporting – tasks that can take up precious hours of testing time – are handled effortlessly, as Sniper logs a detailed record of every action performed and compiles a full report.

As is true of most teams, pen testing teams need to communicate effectively to get their jobs done. Sniper fosters collaboration by providing a built-in, encrypted chat system. This allows teams to coordinate roles, share ideas, and communicate with ease. All team members also have a shared view of test data and can collaborate on it in real time.

In many ways, pen testing is an art. But an artist is only as good as his tools. Visit our Sniper page to learn more about what makes this pen testing tool one your organization wants in its arsenal. Ready to get your own Sniper? Contact us now.