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Australian businesses are busier than ever fighting cyber threats.
In the last financial year alone the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) answered over 36,700 calls to the Australian Cyber Security Hotline, responded to over 1,100 cyber security incidents and received over 87,400 cybercrime reports. Ransomware was in 11% of incidents they responded to.
At the same time the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) recorded 527 notifiable data breaches in the first half of 2024 and a record 595 in the second half, ending the year with 1,113 notifications. That was a 25% increase in 2023.
So where should you focus your limited security budget and time: vulnerability scanning or penetration testing?
Many companies must weigh the benefits of each against their often-limited security budgets. Penetration testing is generally more expensive than vulnerability scanning which is a key factor for companies when allocating resources.
This is because it’s labour intensive and thorough, requiring skilled professionals to simulate real world attacks. As a managed services provider that works with both SMBs and enterprises here’s our take.
The TL;DR
- Vulnerability scanning is automated detection of known weaknesses across your environment. It’s a preventative measure to identify issues before they’re exploited. It’s broad, repeatable and ideal for ongoing hygiene.
- Penetration testing is a human led attempt to exploit weaknesses and prove business impact. It’s focused, time bound and ideal for changing windows and high-risk systems.
- Most organisations need both. Use scanning to manage exposure continuously, then use pen testing to validate controls and demonstrate exploitability where it matters most.
First, the short definitions
Vulnerability scanning is an automated sweep for known weaknesses across your systems. It matches software and configuration data against a database of known issues, typically giving each finding a severity. It’s broad, quick and repeatable.
Vulnerability scans can be run on a scheduled basis and will complete in as little as several minutes to as long as several hours. This is typically used as the first step in a broader vulnerability assessment process, helping organisations identify and categorise security weaknesses efficiently.
Penetration testing is a controlled, human led attempt to exploit vulnerabilities the way a real attacker would. The main difference between penetration testing and vulnerability scanning is the live human element which allows for a more thorough and adaptive assessment.
This type of assessment is designed to assess the real-world impact of vulnerabilities and determine if critical security objectives are met. It validates actual risk and impact and frequently uncovers security gaps that scanners can’t see.
Both are essential but they answer different questions: scanning asks “what’s likely wrong”, while pen testing proves “what could really happen if someone tried”. Each serving a unique purpose in a comprehensive security strategy.
If you’re unsure which you need first a structured cyber risk assessment will clarify where risk concentrates across assets and users.
Why this matters now
Globally attackers are getting faster. CrowdStrike reported the average eCrime breakout time dropped to 48 minutes in 2024, with the fastest observed at 51 seconds. That’s how quickly an intruder can move laterally after the initial foothold.
How do they get in?
Verizon’s 2025 DBIR highlights that stolen credentials remain the number-one initial access vector at 22%, followed by exploitation of vulnerabilities at 20% and phishing at 16%. Vulnerability exploitation jumped 34% year on year.
Translation for defenders: you need disciplined patching and credential controls, not one or the other. Vulnerability scanning helps identify potential vulnerabilities and potential exposures that exist within your environment before attackers can exploit them.
Google Mandiant’s M-Trends 2025 Report also notes exploits were the initial infection vector in 33% of its investigations and global median dwell time rose to 11 days. Even modest dwell time is enough for attackers to escalate privileges and stage exfiltration if you’re not detecting early.
Vulnerability scanning: a routine health check for your environment
What it does well
- Breadth and cadence: Regular scans give you continuous visibility across servers, workstations, cloud workloads and edge devices. Vulnerability scanning scans systems including network devices such as switches, providing a comprehensive view of potential weaknesses. They are the fastest way to spot newly disclosed issues in common software before they’re exploited in the wild.
- Cost effective risk reduction: Automated scanning is relatively cheap to run weekly or monthly and the results integrate nicely into change, patch and backlog processes. Automated tools allow you to schedule scans alongside other critical tasks without disrupting business operations.
Where it struggles
- Context and false positives: A scanner can’t always tell if a finding is exploitable in your config or reachable in your network.
- Blind spots: Logic flaws, chained issues, identity weaknesses and control gaps aren’t reliably detected by automation. While vulnerability assessments are important for ongoing security, they may not detect all issues without the right tool or methodology.
Practical tip for AU organisations: align patching SLAs with the ACSC Essential Eight maturity model and its November 2023 updates which emphasise tighter timeframes for higher-risk vulnerabilities based on observed exploitation speed.
If you have many assets and limited time, start with an assessment to prioritise what to scan first and how often.
Penetration testing: your controlled real-world attack
What it does well
- Validates impact: A pen test simulates real-world attacks, allows penetration testers to examine defences in depth and analyse how hackers could exploit vulnerabilities in web applications and internal systems. This deep, targeted approach provides a realistic assessment of your organisation’s security measures by showing how a weakness could actually be exploited in your environment, what data and systems are reachable and how far a compromise could spread.
- Finds what scanners miss: Testers chain small issues into a viable path, probe identity and privilege misuse, test business logic and pressure-test your detection and response.
Where it has trade-offs
- Point in time: A pen test is a snapshot. New vulnerabilities can appear next week.
- Cost and lead time: Skilled hands are required to execute complex techniques but the process is subject to human error. Realistic scoping and thorough work takes time and budget.
Good times to pen test
- After major changes such as new internet-facing apps, cloud migrations, mergers or significant infrastructure security uplift
- To satisfy regulatory or customer assurance requirements
- When tabletop exercises show detection or response gaps you want to validate
- As part of ongoing security development and to validate your organisation’s security measures, schedule penetration tests regularly
Practical tip: use your latest vulnerability scan output to seed pen test scoping. Ask testers to validate the highest-risk findings, hunt for exploit chains between identity, app and network layers and provide detailed reports and actions to improve defences based on the findings. Penetration tests can take around 1-3 weeks to complete depending on the type of test and number of systems tested so plan accordingly to minimise disruption.
Side-by-side comparison
| Dimension | Vulnerability scanning | Penetration testing |
| Primary purpose | Broad, continuous discovery of known weaknesses | Real-world exploitation to validate impact |
| Method | Automated checks against CVEs and misconfigurations | Human-led recon, exploitation and lateral movement |
| Output | List of findings with severities and evidence | Narrative attack paths, proof-of-concepts, business impact |
| Cadence | Weekly to monthly, plus ad hoc after high-profile CVEs | Annually, or after major change or events |
| Best for | Patch pipeline, compliance hygiene, asset coverage | Board-level risk discussion, control assurance, purple-teaming |
| Limits | Can over- or under-state risk without context | Point in time, higher effort and cost |
Not sure how to scope this for your environment or budget? Our cyber consulting and strategy team can shape the right mix and cadence for you.
How to combine both for better outcomes
Before you start, ensure all digital assets are accurately inventoried and assessments are implemented in a way that encourages optimal network security.
- Baseline and asset coverage: Provide an accurate inventory of all digital assets, ensure all areas of the organisation are included. Inventory internet-facing and high-impact assets, then enable scheduled scanning with KEV-driven prioritisation to cut noise and focus on vulnerabilities attackers are actually exploiting.
- Patch with purpose: Implement steps to ensure remediation actions are taken promptly. Tie remediation SLAs to Essential Eight guidance, with faster SLAs for critical issues and exposed services.
- Prove the big risks: Penetration testing provides ways to test controls and actions taken. Run a focused pen test to validate the most material attack paths your scanners and logging hint at.
- Measure detection and response: Use pen test findings for purple-team drills and to improve alert fidelity and playbooks, bearing in mind the breakout-time window.
- Rinse and repeat: Ensure ongoing improvement by working with third party vendors and storing assessment results securely. Fold findings back into your scanning profiles and patch cadence. Retest after major change or when new critical CVEs land.
How often to test
Set cadence using the Essential Eight maturity model and the business value at risk. Many insurers also expect evidence of ongoing vulnerability management and periodic testing as a condition of cover.
Vulnerability scanning
- Internet-facing services: run daily scans as standard to catch rapidly exploited issues.
- Everything else: scan on a fortnightly cycle, adjusting by criticality and rate of change. Include cloud and SaaS, remote endpoints and internal networks using authenticated scans for depth. Align the schedule and patch SLAs to your Essential Eight target maturity.
Penetration testing
- Baseline: conduct a full pen test annually.
- Risk-based: add tests as required when risk justifies it – for example before major go-lives, after material architecture changes, or for systems where the risk versus value is high. Retest to verify fixes.
Not sure how often to test based on your risk profile or obligations such as Essential Eight, APRA CPS 234 or PCI DSS? Cyber security consultants can help design a cadence to fit your change calendar and budget.
Quarterly actions
Follow these steps and actions to get vulnerability management right.
- Turn on authenticated scans for servers, endpoints and cloud workloads. Unauthenticated scans miss configuration-level detail that attackers exploit. Schedule these tasks to avoid disruption.
- Integrate Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) into your ticketing to auto-flag high-likelihood exploits for expedited remediation. Manage these tasks alongside other business-critical operations.
- Tighten patch SLAs in line with Essential Eight, with an emergency path for internet-facing criticals. Schedule these tasks to minimise operational impact.
- Exercise your incident response using pen test artefacts so your team can contain threats inside the breakout-time window, not the next business day. Make sure these steps are part of your regular security tasks.
Where TechBrain fits
Establishing a program or need to uplift a light-on team? We can run scanning as a managed service, design a risk-based remediation workflow and coordinate targeted penetration testing that moves the needle for your board.
We will provide ongoing support and development for your security team to continually improve vulnerability assessments, penetration testing and security strategies.
Unclear on your exposure? Start with a discussion with TechBrain security Team, we can discuss pathways to set the right priorities and define KPIs fit for your organisation. For ongoing governance, our team can map these activities to Essential Eight maturity targets and your industry obligations.
Contact TechBrain today to discuss your cyber security needs and find solutions for your business.
FAQs
Is a vulnerability scan the same as a penetration test?
No. A scan lists known weaknesses. A pen test attempts to exploit them to prove impact and uncover chained paths.
Do we need both?
Yes, in most cases. Scanning keeps hygiene under control. Pen testing checks whether the controls actually stop realistic attack paths.
Will a pen test disrupt operations?
A well-scoped test uses rules of engagement to reduce operational risk. Testing of live production is carefully controlled and coordinated with your change window.
How long do they take?
Scanning can run and report in hours or days, depending on scope. Pen testing typically spans days to weeks including scoping and re-test.
What about cloud and SaaS?
Include cloud configuration scanning and web app or API testing. For identity-centric risks, pen testing should attempt to move from a low-privilege identity to sensitive data through misconfigurations, weak MFA or session handling.
How often should we scan and test?
Everyday for internet-facing services as per Essential 8 maturity guidelines.
Sources and further reading
- Australian Signals Directorate, Annual Cyber Threat Report 2023–24. Key figures on calls, incidents, cybercrime reports and ransomware share. Cyber.gov.au
- OAIC Notifiable Data Breaches: 527 notifications in Jan–Jun 2024, 595 in Jul–Dec 2024, 1,113 in 2024 total. OAIC
- Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report 2025: initial access vectors and growth in vulnerability exploitation. Verizon
- CrowdStrike 2025: average time to breakout and fastest seen. CrowdStrike
- CISA KEV: use for prioritisation. CISA
- ACSC Essential Eight (Nov 2023): updated patching guidance. Cyber.gov.au
