Penetration testing – detecting and exploiting vulnerabilities Training Course

How to Test Network and Service Security

• Penetration testing – what is it?
• Penetration testing vs. audit – similarities, differences, and what is appropriate?
• Practical challenges – what can go wrong?
• Scope of testing – what do we want to check?
• Sources of best practices and recommendations.

Penetration Testing – Reconnaissance

• OSINT – gathering information from public sources.
• Passive and active network traffic analysis methods.
• Identification of services and network topology.
• Security systems (firewalls, IPS/IDS systems, WAF, etc.) and their impact on testing.

Penetration Testing – Vulnerability Discovery

• System and version fingerprinting.
• Searching for vulnerabilities in systems, infrastructure, and applications.
• Vulnerability assessment – i.e., "does it hurt?"
• Sources of exploits and their customization possibilities.

Penetration Testing – Attack and Gaining Control

• Types of attacks – how they are conducted and their outcomes.
• Attacks using remote and local exploits.
• Attacks on network infrastructure.
• Reverse shell – how to manage a compromised system.
• Privilege escalation – i.e., how to become an administrator.
• Ready-made "hacking tools".
• Analysis of a compromised system – interesting files, saved passwords, private data.
• Special cases: web applications, WiFi networks.
• Social engineering – i.e., how to "break" a human if systems cannot be breached.

Penetration Testing – Covering Tracks and Maintaining Access

• Logging and activity monitoring systems.
• Log cleaning and covering tracks.
• Backdoor – i.e., how to leave yourself an entry point.

Penetration Testing – Summary

• Report preparation and its structure.
• Report delivery and consultation.
• Verification of recommendation implementation.