The main reason penetration tests are crucial to an organization's security is that they help personnel learn how to handle any type of break-in from a malicious entity. Pen tests serve as a way to examine whether an organization's security policies are genuinely effective.

A web application penetration test is a type of ethical hacking engagement designed to assess the architecture, design and configuration of web applications. Assessments are conducted to identify cyber security risks that could lead to unauthorized access and/or data exposure.