Dictionary · Hacking Techniques and Methodologies
Penetration Testing
Assessment phases · Intermediate
An authorized, scoped exercise that tries to demonstrate the impact of weaknesses and then reports how to fix them. Permission and rules come before any test.
It is a controlled test with a start, a stop, and a written target list. The valuable result is the report and the fixes, not ongoing access.
Example: A signed test of a training application shows that one flaw exposes test data. The report tells the developers exactly what to change.
Common misconception
- A test without written permission is not this service. Permission is part of the definition.