- "A penetration test, colloquially known as a pentest or ethical hacking, is an authorized simulated cyberattack on a computer system, performed to evaluate the security of the system."
Testing security defenses using ethical hacking techniques.
Network security: Understanding how networks operate and how to identify and exploit vulnerabilities.
Web application security: Understanding the principles of system security, coding, and software security.
Operating system security: Understanding the security features of Windows, Unix and Linux, and how to mitigate risks.
Cryptography: Understanding the basics of encryption and decryption, and how to use it in cybersecurity.
Data Security: Understanding the principles of data storage, access control, and data encryption.
Scanning and Enumeration: Understanding how to scan networks and systems to identify vulnerabilities and opportunities for exploitation.
Exploitation and Post-Exploitation: Understanding how to exploit vulnerabilities on networks and systems, and how to maintain access to those systems.
Social Engineering: Understanding the techniques used by attackers to manipulate people into revealing sensitive information.
Cloud Computing Security: Understanding the security principles, threats, and risks of cloud computing services.
Forensic Analysis: Understanding how to gather and analyze digital evidence to identify the root cause of a security incident.
Physical Security: Understanding the principles, threats, and solutions of physical security.
Mobile Security: Understanding the principles of mobile security, threats, and best practice of securing mobile applications.
Virtualization Security: Understanding the security principles of virtualized environments, threats and risks.
Incident handling and response: Understanding how to respond to security incidents, including incident management, mitigation, and recovery.
Security Assessment and Threat modeling: Understanding the steps to model different types of threat and to assess security posture.
Regulations and Laws: Understanding the frameworks of security regulations, data protection laws that act as the basis of Ethics in Cybersecurity.
Network Penetration Testing: This type of testing involves identifying vulnerabilities in network infrastructure, such as firewalls, routers, and switches.
Web Application Penetration Testing: This type of testing involves identifying weaknesses in web-based applications, including those that may be used for online transactions.
Wireless Penetration Testing: This type of testing involves identifying vulnerabilities in wireless networks, including Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Social Engineering Testing: This type of testing involves the use of psychological manipulation to gain access to confidential information.
Physical Penetration Testing: This type of testing involves attempting to bypass physical security measures, such as gates, locks, and biometric scanners.
Mobile Application Penetration Testing: This type of testing involves identifying weaknesses in mobile apps that may be used to steal data or install malware.
Cloud Computing Penetration Testing: This type of testing involves identifying vulnerabilities in cloud-based environments, including those used for storage and digital infrastructure.
Red Team vs. Blue Team Testing: This involves a staged "attack" by a Red Team against the defenses of a Blue Team.
Operating System Penetration Testing: This type of testing involves identifying vulnerabilities in operating systems, such as Windows, Linux or MAC OS.
IoT (Internet of Things) Penetration Testing: This type of testing involves identifying vulnerabilities in internet-connected devices, including home security systems, smart thermostats, and connected vehicles.
- "This is not to be confused with a vulnerability assessment."
- "The test is performed to identify weaknesses (or vulnerabilities), including the potential for unauthorized parties to gain access to the system's features and data, as well as strengths, enabling a full risk assessment to be completed."
- "The process typically identifies the target systems and a particular goal, then reviews available information and undertakes various means to attain that goal."
- "A penetration test target may be a white box...or a black box... A gray box penetration test is a combination of the two."
- "Security issues that the penetration test uncovers should be reported to the system owner."
- "Penetration test reports may also assess potential impacts to the organization and suggest countermeasures to reduce the risk."
- "The UK National Cyber Security Center describes penetration testing as: 'A method for gaining assurance in the security of an IT system by attempting to breach some or all of that system's security, using the same tools and techniques as an adversary might.'"
- "The primary goal focused on finding vulnerabilities that could be exploited by a nefarious actor and informing the client of those vulnerabilities along with recommended mitigation strategies."
- "Penetration tests are a component of a full security audit."
- "Several standard frameworks and methodologies exist for conducting penetration tests. These include the Open Source Security Testing Methodology Manual (OSSTMM), the Penetration Testing Execution Standard (PTES), the NIST Special Publication 800-115, the Information System Security Assessment Framework (ISSAF), and the OWASP Testing Guide."
- "CREST, a not for profit professional body for the technical cybersecurity industry, provides its CREST Defensible Penetration Test standard that provides the industry with guidance for commercially reasonable assurance activity when carrying out penetration tests."
- "Flaw hypothesis methodology is a systems analysis and penetration prediction technique where a list of hypothesized flaws in a software system are compiled."
- "The list of hypothesized flaws is then prioritized on the basis of the estimated probability that a flaw actually exists, and on the ease of exploiting it to the extent of control or compromise."
- "Network (external and internal), Wireless, Web Application, Social Engineering, and Remediation Verification."