Python: Penetration Testing for Developers

Understanding what penetration testing is not

Other types of assessments and activities are often advertised or confused as penetration tests. Examples of these types of engagements include vulnerability assessments, large-scale reverse engineering projects, and hacking. Let's address each of these in turn so as to understand where penetration testing fits in.

Vulnerability assessments

A Vulnerability Assessment (VA) uses a VMS to scan for vulnerabilities. The good VAs then use an assessor to eliminate false positives, after which the actual risk rating of the findings may be adjusted on the basis of the business impact and the likelihood of exploitation. Often security consultants or penetration testers execute these assessments, which may require ...