What is the Value of Penetration Testing and What to Look for in Pen Testing Companies Why Penetration Testing? With data breaches projected to cost businesses an estimated loss of $6,000 billion in 2021, penetration testing companies, as a counter to cybersecurity attacks, are turning out to be some of the most effective weapons in the business' cyber defense arsenal. Data breaches can occur when hackers exploit holes in network firewalls, vulnerabilities at the point where applications interface with the system, and through identity theft of employees or customers using online fraud.