Offensive security

Penetration Tester

Paid to break in, and then to write it all down.

Penetration testers attack systems with permission to find vulnerabilities before criminals do. The hacking is the fun part and roughly a third of the job; the report is the deliverable clients actually pay for.

A day in the life

1. 9:00aScope confirmation and rules of engagement with the client
2. 9:30aReconnaissance and enumeration of the target
3. 12:00pLunch
4. 1:00pExploitation attempts and privilege escalation
5. 3:30pDocument findings with reproduction steps and evidence
6. 5:00pWrite the report — the actual deliverable