Penetration Tester
Pen Testers, also known as Penetration Testers, simulate cyberattacks on an organization's information systems. These are authenticated tests to aid in the detection of security flaws and vulnerabilities before malicious attackers exploit them. A penetration test is designed to use all feasible ways to break into a computer system and identify security vulnerabilities before an attacker can gain access and exploit them.
Penetration Tester Skills
Here are some of the skills that a Penetration Tester should have:
Roles of a Penetration Tester
A Penetration Tester's key roles include:
- Creating a scope and setting goals: Before beginning any task, Penetration Testers should define the scope and aims of the test, which gives them a route plan for all they need to do.
- Learning about the target: The subsequent stage is to learn about the target's complexities to identify vulnerabilities that can be exploited.
- Understanding attack routes and regions: Patience and thoroughness are the keys to a successful pen-test. Penetration Testers must take their time to learn about the various attack routes and vulnerable regions.
- Documenting the pen test reports: The final step is to record these findings. Professionals must include information about any vulnerabilities that are discovered. And also provide alternatives and insights into how the organization can prevent future vulnerabilities.
Responsibilities of a Penetration Tester
A Penetration Tester is vitally responsible for detecting and responding to exploits or vulnerabilities on targeted networks and systems in any organization. In addition, the individual is responsible for a variety of tasks. A Penetration Tester's responsibilities include the following:
- Assess applications, network devices, and cloud infrastructures
- Create and carry out realistic social engineering attacks
- Analyze and test various forms of attacks
- Enhance penetration testing methodology
- Examine the code for security vulnerabilities
- Examine, analyze, document, and share results with IT teams and management
- Improve efficiency by automating common testing approaches
- Identify areas for improvement in security education and user awareness
- Perform additional testing to validate security improvements
- Stay updated with the most recent malware and security risks
Salary Trends for a Penetration Tester
According to Indeed, the average annual salary of a Penetration Tester is $114,622 in February 2022. A Penetration Tester’s income will be determined by several things such as location, experience, education, and certifications. Some businesses, such as finance and military contracting, tend to pay higher salaries than others. In India, the average annual income for a Penetration Tester is Rs.7,62,496.
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