Penetration testing, often called pen testing, is a simulated cyberattack designed to find vulnerabilities before real hackers do. It’s a proactive security measure used by organizations to assess the strength of their defenses and compliance with security standards.
What does a penetration test involve?
- Planning: Define scope, goals, and rules of engagement.
- Reconnaissance: Gather public information about the target (e.g., domains, subdomains, IPs).
- Scanning and Enumeration: Identify open ports, services, and potential entry points.
- Exploitation: Attempt to breach the system using known vulnerabilities or misconfigurations.
- Post-Exploitation: Assess how deep an attacker could go—e.g., accessing sensitive data or escalating privileges.
- Reporting: Document findings and provide recommendations for remediation.
Penetration testing can target networks, web applications, wireless systems, or even employees (via phishing). Tests can be:
- Black Box: No internal knowledge is provided.
- White Box: Full access to source code and architecture.
- Gray Box: Partial access simulating a rogue employee or insider threat.
Common tools include Kali Linux, Burp Suite, Metasploit, and Nmap. Certifications like OSCP, CEH, and GPEN are highly valued for penetration testers.
Pen testing isn’t just about breaking in—it’s about improving security. By thinking like attackers, ethical hackers help organizations fix weaknesses before real damage occurs.