Top 5 Reasons to Invest in Penetration Testing in 2025

Today, nearly every business is deeply connected to the internet: websites, mobile apps, social media accounts, cloud data storage, electronic payments, and more. This greatly enhances convenience and speeds up workflows, but it also introduces additional risks and the potential for significant financial losses.

The statistics are clear: each year, the financial impact of cyberattacks continues to grow. According to the FBI, losses from cybercrime reached $16 billion in 2024 - an increase of 33% compared to 2023. These numbers clearly show that protective measures like penetration testing are not just reasonable, they’re essential. Here are just a few reasons why.

1. The rise of sophisticated cyberattacks

Hackers are increasingly leveraging new technologies for cyberattacks. AI-driven threats and zero-day exploits are making traditional security measures less effective. Today’s most common attacks are often targeted specifically at small and medium-sized businesses. Penetration testing helps thoroughly assess an IT system’s resilience against such advanced scenarios.

2. Massive data breaches via third-party services

Modern businesses often suffer the consequences of breaches at third-party providers, such as CRM platforms, marketing tools, or even chatbots. In 2024, the use of stolen credentials increased by 71%, accounting for 30% of all incidents. While companies can't always control the security of external services, they are still responsible to their clients for any data loss. Pentesting allows businesses to audit their own infrastructure and assess associated risks.

3. Cloud infrastructures introduce new risks

The widespread shift to cloud services and hybrid data storage models has opened “new doors” for cyberattacks. In 2024, data breaches involving public clouds resulted in average losses of $5.17 million. Pentesting helps identify mistakes that often go unnoticed in daily operations, such as misconfigured access rights, exposed APIs, or vulnerabilities in CI/CD pipelines. Without regular testing, cloud infrastructure can remain full of holes, even if it appears modern and secure.

4. Changing legislation and new security standards

In 2025, new regulations came into effect in the U.S. and EU requiring companies to demonstrate concrete cybersecurity measures. For example, the NIS2 Directive is now actively enforced - it obliges businesses not only to “be secure” but to document and prove it. Where once testing was done internally for peace of mind, it’s now a legal necessity to avoid fines and penalties.

5. Demands from partners and clients

In 2025, cybersecurity has become a core part of a company’s reputation. Partners increasingly require certification or proof of pentesting before signing contracts. Banks, insurance firms, and large vendors want evidence that a company takes its digital resilience seriously.