Hacking For Dummies® 3rd Edition

Chapter 3. Developing Your Ethical Hacking Plan

In This Chapter

• Setting ethical hacking goals

• Selecting which systems to test

• Developing your ethical hacking testing standards

• Examining hacking tools

As an ethical hacker, you must plan your ethical hacking efforts before you start. A detailed plan doesn't mean that your testing must be elaborate. It just means that you're clear and concise about what to do. Given the seriousness of ethical hacking, make this as structured a process as possible.

Even if you only test a single Web application or workgroup of computers, establishing your goals, defining and documenting the scope of what you'll be testing, determining your testing standards, and gathering and familiarizing yourself with the proper tools for the task is critical. This chapter covers these steps to help you create a positive ethical hacking environment so you can set up for success.

Note

Always make sure you have approval from management, executives, or your clients before you start implementing your ethical hacking plan.

Do you need insurance?

If you're an independent consultant or have a business with a team of ethical hackers, consider getting professional liability insurance (also known as errors and omissions insurance) from an insurance agent who specializes in business insurance coverage. This kind of insurance can be expensive, but will be well worth the expense if something goes awry and you need protection. Many customers even require the insurance before they'll hire ...