Modern Penetration Testing Methodology

Automated vulnerability scanners are not enough. To truly secure an application, you need human intelligence. Penetration testing (or pen testing) is a simulated cyber attack against your computer system to check for exploitable vulnerabilities.

The Pen Testing Phases

A rigorous ethical hacking engagement follows a strict methodology:

1. Reconnaissance: Gathering intelligence on the target (network topography, domain names, mail servers).
2. Scanning: Using tools to understand how the target responds to various intrusion attempts.
3. Gaining Access: Exploiting vulnerabilities (e.g., SQL injection, cross-site scripting) to uncover a target's weak points.
4. Maintaining Access: Seeing if the vulnerability can be used to achieve a persistent presence in the exploited system.
5. Analysis & Reporting: Providing a detailed brief on the vulnerabilities found and the steps required to remediate them.