No company is free from risks and vulnerabilities. No matter how robust the digital infrastructure or how strict the cybersecurity measures are, some level of residual risk will always remain. That’s why many organizations include penetration testing in their risk assessment and security program.

During a recent client engagement, the DGC penetration testing team identified a previously unknown vulnerability affecting the Autodesk Licensing Service, a software component bundled with nearly all licensed Autodesk products. The vulnerability exists in a software component common to most Autodesk products and impacts nearly all organizations using licensed Autodesk software in any capacity.

Technology has shaped the world magnificently and has become a driving force for businesses and organisations. From academia to big enterprises, everyone is enjoying the perks of technological advancement in the form of applications, IoT devices, online shopping and businesses, portals, etc. including amateur to non-technical people, everyone now utilises some form of a networked-enabled communication system such as email, social media, etc.

IoT devices are ubiquitous in our daily lives—whether it’s at home with connected home automation devices, or at work with connected factories, hospitals, and even connected cars. According to Gartner, there were over 20 billion IoT devices in 2020. As businesses globally over the past decade have transformed their processes with more embedded IoT-driven intelligence, these billions of connected devices have also become a soft target for cyber criminals.

A vulnerability assessment is the process of identifying IT security weaknesses in your network, operating systems, firewalls, and hardware, and then taking steps to fix them. Penetration testing, also known as “pen testing,” is an intentional, simulated cyberattack against your IT systems to find vulnerabilities and test the efficacy of cybersecurity controls. Both are essential components of a comprehensive vulnerability management and network security protocol.