Pentester – main responsibilities and skills to learn

What Does a Penetration Tester Do?

Some penetration testing jobs carry other titles, such as “ethical hacker” or “assurance validator.” These positions have similar duties to a penetration tester: to seek, identify, and attempt to breach existing weaknesses in digital systems and computing networks. These systems and networks include websites, data storage systems, and other IT assets.

Many people confuse penetration testing with vulnerability testing. However, these two cybersecurity specializations have distinct differences. Vulnerability testers look for flaws and weaknesses during a security program’s design and setup phases. Penetration testers specifically seek out flaws and weaknesses in active systems.

Penetration testing teams simulate cyberattacks and other security breaches designed to access sensitive, private, or proprietary information. They utilize existing hacking tools and strategies and devise their own. During a simulated attack, pen testers document their actions to generate detailed reports indicating how they managed to bypass established security protocols.

Penetration testing teams help their employers avoid the public relations fallout and loss of consumer confidence that accompany actual hacks and cyberattacks. They also help businesses and organizations improve their digital security measures.

Key Soft Skills for Penetration Testers

• A Desire to Learn: Hackers and cybercriminals constantly change their strategies and tactics as technology continually evolves. Penetration testing professionals need to stay updated on the latest developments on both fronts.
• A Teamwork Orientation: Penetration testers often work in teams, with junior members undertaking duties with lower levels of responsibility while reporting to senior members.
• Strong Verbal Communication: Team members must articulate their findings in clear, easy-to-follow language that people without advanced technical knowledge or skills can understand.
• Report Writing: Strong writing skills serve penetration testing professionals well because their duties include producing reports for management and executive teams to review.

Key Hard Skills for Penetration Testers

• Deep Knowledge of Exploits and Vulnerabilities: Most employers prefer candidates whose knowledge of vulnerabilities and exploits goes beyond automated approaches.
• Scripting and/or Coding: Testers with good working knowledge of scripting and/or coding can save time on individual assessments.
• Complete Command of Operating Systems: Penetration testers need advanced knowledge of the operating systems they attempt to breach while conducting their assessments.
• Strong Working Knowledge of Networking and Network Protocols: By definition, understanding how hackers and cybercriminals operate requires penetration testers to understand networking and network protocols like TCP/IP, UDP, ARP, DNS, and DHCP.

A Day in the Life of a Penetration Tester

Pen testers spend most of their time conducting assessments and running tests. These duties may target internal or external assets. Pen testers can work both on site and remotely.

During the morning, the tester or testing team decides on a strategy for the project at hand and sets up the required tools. In some cases, this involves rounding up what professionals call “open source intelligence” or OSINT, which real-life hackers draw on when trying to bypass security measures and initiate attacks.

In the afternoon, teams carry out the tests they spent the morning designing. Other duties include carrying out simulations to assess other aspects of internal risk. For instance, penetration testing teams may target select employees with phishing scams or other false breaches to see how those responses affect established security protocols.

Penetration Tester Main Responsibilities

• Plan and Design Penetration Tests: Penetration testers must develop experiments and simulations that evaluate the effectiveness of specific, existing security measures.
• Carry Out Tests and Other Simulations: After planning and designing assessments, penetration testing teams carry out investigations and document their outcomes.
• Creating Reports and Recommendations: Penetration testing teams convey findings into reports to present to their supervisors and other key organizational decision-makers. Depending on the intended audience, these reports may use either lay or technical language.
• Advise Management on Security Improvements: Senior members of penetration testing teams often interface directly with management-level employees, communicating the level of risk posed by specific vulnerabilities and offering advice on how to address them.
• Work With Other Employees to Improve Organizational Cybersecurity: Penetration testing professionals cooperate with other cybersecurity and IT personnel to educate employees on steps to boost the organization’s cybersecurity levels.

Salary and Career Outlook for Penetration Testers

The BLS predicts explosive growth in the cybersecurity field. The projected employment growth for security analysts is 31% from 2020-2030, which far outpaces the average rate for all other occupations.

As of September 2021, Payscale reported a typical base salary of nearly $87,000 per year for pen testers. At the low end (bottom 10%), pentesters earn about $59,000 per year. At the high end (top 10%), they make up to $138,000 per year. Pay rates in major metro areas and leading tech hubs tend to be on the higher end of the scale.The projected employment growth for security analysts is 31% from 2020-2030, which far outpaces the average rate for all other occupations.

As in many career paths, experience and education influence earning potential. With additional experience and skills, professionals can make more money.