Penetration Tester

A Junior Pentester assesses computer systems security through vulnerability assessments and penetration tests, and reports those findings to stakeholders. Use this guide to becoming a Pentester! A Penetration Tester helps companies identify weaknesses in their security. If you've heard the term "ethical hacker" or "white hat hacker", this applies to pentesters. They break into systems only to help companies create more robust defences through consultations and reporting. Pentesters submit detailed breakdowns of any vulnerabilities they have discovered, which is essential for companies to understand security weaknesses and actions to address them. These attacks aren't simulations - you're actually trying to break a company's security! Or at the very least, you'll perform malicious actions with the access or data you gain. However, you'll be doing it in a controlled testing environment. The goal is to help educate a company on how they can make essential security improvements by wearing an attacker's shoes to find security gaps. Penetration Testers are a huge asset to organisations seeking to test the strength of their information security. Some larger companies hire pentesters in-house, while others make use of agencies or freelancers. Becoming a Pentester means building a foundation of cyber security knowledge first. You'll need to be familiar with information systems and network architecture as well as common exploits and testing methodologies. As a result, this is a very competitive entry-level career. Junior Penetration Testers will often have IT Analyst or System Administration roles before specialising. Once you're in, the scope for growth and specialisation is enormous. You might excel at web application security, malware development, or even managing offensive ("red") security teams. Depending on the company, Junior Pentesters might work on the same projects as more experienced professionals. Sometimes they work on less critical parts of a company's security and may contribute to reports rather than own them outright. Penetration Testers handle end-to-end testing and reporting, while offensive team managers coordinate the entire strategy for testing a company's cyber defences.

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