Penetration testing (pen testing) is a core activity in ethical hacking, designed to simulate real-world attacks and identify security gaps.
Stages of Penetration Testing:
Planning and Reconnaissance:
Understand the target system, gather information, and define objectives.
Techniques: Open-source intelligence (OSINT) and footprinting.
Scanning and Enumeration:
Identify active systems, open ports, services, and vulnerabilities.
Tools: Nmap, Nessus, or OpenVAS.
Gaining Access:
Exploit identified vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access.
Tools: Metasploit Framework, SQLmap.
Maintaining Access:
- Assess the possibility of persistent access for long-term exploitation.
- Focus on detecting backdoors and advanced persistent threats (APTs).
Analysis and Reporting:
Document findings, provide remediation suggestions, and deliver reports to stakeholders.
Penetration testing helps organizations understand their security posture and prioritize improvements.