Many people are intrigued by the recent theft of the crown jewels from the Louvre Museum in Paris France. The thieves were able to attain the $100 million dollars’ worth of jewels in less than 8 minutes. When one considers the simplicity of how the heist was conducted, one wonders how the museum wasn’t prepared for such an incident.

In truth, a comprehensive physical penetration test may have exposed the serious security vulnerabilities that the thieves exploited. Some of the steps that would have been executed would have been:

  • Physical testers assess doors, windows, and maintenance access points for bypass feasibility
  • Pen testers would have conducted a camera coverage audit, visually verifying whether high-value displays (like the crown jewels) were under full observation
  • A simulated “red team” intrusion could have tested how quickly guards responded to triggered sensors or unusual movement. 

Had these simple pen test like steps been taken, the testers would have identified weak window and access controls that were easily exploitable with common tools as well as a blaring video blind spot.

 

Don’t Fall Victim like the Louvre

While your business may not have crown jewels on prem, it does have a variety of high value data that cybercriminals can financially benefit from. To steal that data, attackers won’t need a ladder truck. They won’t even have to be on premise. They can use a variety of attack methodologies including phishing email, deployable malware, misconfigured settings or exploitable attack surface.

The reality is that attackers have numerous avenues to steal your company’s data, which is why regular penetration testing is critical. Pen tests simulate how human attackers might exploit vulnerabilities, escalate privileges and attempt lateral movement within your enterprise. It not only identifies missing patches, but security gaps, misconfigurations and weak detection and response capabilities. Your next scheduled pen test could be the very security measure that keeps your business out of the headlines.

 

Explanation of Common Terms

Pen testing is a proactive process used to identify where your digital organization is most vulnerable and how attackers would most likely infiltrate your network and perform their malicious deeds. It can be considered part of a long-term offensive security strategy that incorporates multiple techniques:

  • Pen Testing: Targeted testing of systems, networks, or applications to find exploit paths and vulnerabilities. The test is conducted over a short period of time and is focused in scope and often announced.
  • Red Teaming: A covert simulation of an advanced adversary to test detection and response capabilities over a period of weeks or months. The goal is not to test vulnerabilities but the responsiveness of the security team who is not aware of the attack.
  • Adversarial Simulation: Automated platforms perform focused exercises that model specific real-world threat actors or campaigns using predefined attack playbooks and TTPs

 

Incidents Where Pen Testing Would Have Made a Difference

While stealing crown jewels may be the most famous heist of 2025, numerous cybersecurity breaches could have been prevented with proper penetration testing.

  • The Google/Apple database exposure in 2025 leaked more than 184 million login credentials. A cloud security pen test would have discovered that the database was hosted on an unprotected web server. Such a test would also have identified missing encryption and access control policies that allowed credentials to sit in plaintext.
  • In May 2025, hackers broke into TeleMessage¸a company that makes a secure messaging app used by U.S. government agencies and banks. The attackers got in within 15-20 minutes by exploiting basic security mistakes. A pen test would have identified a publicly accessible endpoint that was misconfigured.
  • In the case of the Power School data breach in December of 2024 that exposed the data of an estimated 62 students, a pent test would have found that A single compromised credential granted portal access to the entire SIS database due to poor segmentation and privilege controls.

 

Start 2026 off Right

Don’t let your business repeat the same costly mistakes others made in 2025. Schedule a penetration test in the first quarter of 2026 to identify vulnerabilities early, prioritize your security budget, and strengthen your organization’s defenses for the year ahead. Organizations in some industries won’t have a choice as frameworks such as PCI DSS v4 and HIPAA are requiring a pen test next year. While compliance mandates call for yearly assessments, best practices recommend conducting multiple tests throughout the year to address evolving threats. Penetration testing should also be performed by an independent third-party team to ensure objectivity and thoroughness.

That’s where HALOCK Security Labs comes in. Our proven penetration testing program proactively identifies risks, validates your controls, and helps you stay compliant with emerging cybersecurity frameworks. Our proven penetration testing program can help you manage risk and meet compliance obligations. Contact us today for more information and get your test on the calendar.

 

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