Understanding Different Types of Risks

The discussion highlights the various types of risks encountered in penetration testing, emphasizing that each vulnerability can present multiple risks depending on its context. Reputational risk, for instance, is significant in external penetration tests, where vulnerabilities on third-party resources can damage an organization's brand without directly compromising its internal network. An example shared involves open mail relays, which allowed hackers to send phishing emails, resulting in blacklisting of the client's domain, thus illustrating the potential for severe reputational damage. The need for context in assessing vulnerabilities is underscored, indicating that different scenarios carry varying levels of risk even if rated similarly on vulnerability assessment tools.