Penetration Testing: Protecting Networks and Systems

This book is a preparation guide for the CPTE examination, yet is also a general reference for experienced penetration testers, ethical hackers, auditors, security personnel and anyone else involved in the security of an organization's computer systems. This book avoids a detailed analysis of the tools currently used by today's pen testers, which often come in and out of fashion, and, instead, focuses on the range of techniques employed by professional pen testers around the world. The author draws on his wealth of experience and provides real-world examples to illustrate the most common pitfalls that can be encountered during both the testing phase and also when delivering the final report. A successful penetration test not only discovers the vulnerabilities of a system but also determines the level of risk that those vulnerabilities pose to the organization. Readers of this book will gain a better understanding of how to conduct a penetration test, and also how to deliver a client-focused report that assesses the security of the system and whether the level of risk to the organization is within acceptable levels.