Dictionary · Hacking Techniques and Methodologies
Rules of Engagement
Ethics · Beginner
The written agreement that names which systems may be tested, when, which methods are forbidden, and whom to call if something breaks.
It is the boundary of a professional test. If a system is not listed, it is out. Emergency contacts matter because a test can still cause an outage by accident.
Example: A one-page agreement allows scans of 192.0.2.0/24 on Saturday and forbids testing the payroll host. The tester stops at that boundary.
Common misconception
- A verbal okay from one employee is a weak substitute. Professional tests rely on a written scope.