The Basics of Hacking and Penetration Testing, Second Edition, serves as an introduction to the steps required to complete a penetration test or perform an ethical hack from beginning to end. The book teaches students how to properly utilize and interpret the results of the modern-day hacking tools required to complete a penetration test. It provides a simple and clean explanation of how to effectively utilize these tools, along with a four-step methodology for conducting a penetration test or hack, thus equipping students with the know-how required to jump start their careers and gain a better understanding of offensive security.Each chapter contains hands-on examples and exercises that are designed to teach learners how to interpret results and utilize those results in later phases. Tool coverage includes: Backtrack Linux, Google reconnaissance, MetaGooFil, dig, Nmap, Nessus, Metasploit, Fast Track Autopwn, Netcat, and Hacker Defender rootkit. This is complemented by PowerPoint slides for use in class.This book is an ideal resource for security consultants, beginning InfoSec professionals, and students. - Each chapter contains hands-on examples and exercises that are designed to teach you how to interpret the results and utilize those results in later phases - Written by an author who works in the field as a Penetration Tester and who teaches Offensive Security, Penetration Testing, and Ethical Hacking, and Exploitation classes at Dakota State University - Utilizes the Kali Linux distribution and focuses on the seminal tools required to complete a penetration test

Penetration testers simulate cyber attacks to find security weaknesses in networks, operating systems, and applications. Information security experts worldwide use penetration techniques to evaluate enterprise defenses. In Penetration Testing, security expert, researcher, and trainer Georgia Weidman introduces you to the core skills and techniques that every pentester needs. Using a virtual machine–based lab that includes Kali Linux and vulnerable operating systems, you’ll run through a series of practical lessons with tools like Wireshark, Nmap, and Burp Suite. As you follow along with the labs and launch attacks, you’ll experience the key stages of an actual assessment—including information gathering, finding exploitable vulnerabilities, gaining access to systems, post exploitation, and more. Learn how to: –Crack passwords and wireless network keys with brute-forcing and wordlists –Test web applications for vulnerabilities –Use the Metasploit Framework to launch exploits and write your own Metasploit modules –Automate social-engineering attacks –Bypass antivirus software –Turn access to one machine into total control of the enterprise in the post exploitation phase You’ll even explore writing your own exploits. Then it’s on to mobile hacking—Weidman’s particular area of research—with her tool, the Smartphone Pentest Framework. With its collection of hands-on lessons that cover key tools and strategies, Penetration Testing is the introduction that every aspiring hacker needs.

Learn how to break systems, networks, and software in order to determine where the bad guys might get in. Once the holes have been determined, this short book discusses how they can be fixed. Until they have been located, they are exposures to your organization. By reading Penetration Testing Basics, you'll gain the foundations of a simple methodology used to perform penetration testing on systems and networks for which you are responsible. What You Will Learn Identify security vulnerabilities Use some of the top security tools to identify holes Read reports from testing tools Spot and negate common attacks Identify common Web-based attacks and exposures as well as recommendations for closing those holes Who This Book Is For Anyone who has some familiarity with computers and an interest in information security and penetration testing.

The perfect introduction to pen testing for all IT professionals and students · Clearly explains key concepts, terminology, challenges, tools, and skills · Covers the latest penetration testing standards from NSA, PCI, and NIST Welcome to today’s most useful and practical introduction to penetration testing. Chuck Easttom brings together up-to-the-minute coverage of all the concepts, terminology, challenges, and skills you’ll need to be effective. Drawing on decades of experience in cybersecurity and related IT fields, Easttom integrates theory and practice, covering the entire penetration testing life cycle from planning to reporting. You’ll gain practical experience through a start-to-finish sample project relying on free open source tools. Throughout, quizzes, projects, and review sections deepen your understanding and help you apply what you’ve learned. Including essential pen testing standards from NSA, PCI, and NIST, Penetration Testing Fundamentals will help you protect your assets–and expand your career options. LEARN HOW TO · Understand what pen testing is and how it’s used · Meet modern standards for comprehensive and effective testing · Review cryptography essentials every pen tester must know · Perform reconnaissance with Nmap, Google searches, and ShodanHq · Use malware as part of your pen testing toolkit · Test for vulnerabilities in Windows shares, scripts, WMI, and the Registry · Pen test websites and web communication · Recognize SQL injection and cross-site scripting attacks · Scan for vulnerabilities with OWASP ZAP, Vega, Nessus, and MBSA · Identify Linux vulnerabilities and password cracks · Use Kali Linux for advanced pen testing · Apply general hacking technique ssuch as fake Wi-Fi hotspots and social engineering · Systematically test your environment with Metasploit · Write or customize sophisticated Metasploit exploits

Employ the most advanced pentesting techniques and tools to build highly-secured systems and environments About This Book Learn how to build your own pentesting lab environment to practice advanced techniques Customize your own scripts, and learn methods to exploit 32-bit and 64-bit programs Explore a vast variety of stealth techniques to bypass a number of protections when penetration testing Who This Book Is For This book is for anyone who wants to improve their skills in penetration testing. As it follows a step-by-step approach, anyone from a novice to an experienced security tester can learn effective techniques to deal with highly secured environments. Whether you are brand new or a seasoned expert, this book will provide you with the skills you need to successfully create, customize, and plan an advanced penetration test. What You Will Learn A step-by-step methodology to identify and penetrate secured environments Get to know the process to test network services across enterprise architecture when defences are in place Grasp different web application testing methods and how to identify web application protections that are deployed Understand a variety of concepts to exploit software Gain proven post-exploitation techniques to exfiltrate data from the target Get to grips with various stealth techniques to remain undetected and defeat the latest defences Be the first to find out the latest methods to bypass firewalls Follow proven approaches to record and save the data from tests for analysis In Detail The defences continue to improve and become more and more common, but this book will provide you with a number or proven techniques to defeat the latest defences on the networks. The methods and techniques contained will provide you with a powerful arsenal of best practices to increase your penetration testing successes. The processes and methodology will provide you techniques that will enable you to be successful, and the step by step instructions of information gathering and intelligence will allow you to gather the required information on the targets you are testing. The exploitation and post-exploitation sections will supply you with the tools you would need to go as far as the scope of work will allow you. The challenges at the end of each chapter are designed to challenge you and provide real-world situations that will hone and perfect your penetration testing skills. You will start with a review of several well respected penetration testing methodologies, and following this you will learn a step-by-step methodology of professional security testing, including stealth, methods of evasion, and obfuscation to perform your tests and not be detected! The final challenge will allow you to create your own complex layered architecture with defences and protections in place, and provide the ultimate testing range for you to practice the methods shown throughout the book. The challenge is as close to an actual penetration test assignment as you can get! Style and approach The book follows the standard penetration testing stages from start to finish with step-by-step examples. The book thoroughly covers penetration test expectations, proper scoping and planning, as well as enumeration and foot printing

Requiring no prior hacking experience, Ethical Hacking and Penetration Testing Guide supplies a complete introduction to the steps required to complete a penetration test, or ethical hack, from beginning to end. You will learn how to properly utilize and interpret the results of modern-day hacking tools, which are required to complete a penetration test. The book covers a wide range of tools, including Backtrack Linux, Google reconnaissance, MetaGooFil, dig, Nmap, Nessus, Metasploit, Fast Track Autopwn, Netcat, and Hacker Defender rootkit. Supplying a simple and clean explanation of how to effectively utilize these tools, it details a four-step methodology for conducting an effective penetration test or hack.Providing an accessible introduction to penetration testing and hacking, the book supplies you with a fundamental understanding of offensive security. After completing the book you will be prepared to take on in-depth and advanced topics in hacking and penetration testing. The book walks you through each of the steps and tools in a structured, orderly manner allowing you to understand how the output from each tool can be fully utilized in the subsequent phases of the penetration test. This process will allow you to clearly see how the various tools and phases relate to each other. An ideal resource for those who want to learn about ethical hacking but don‘t know where to start, this book will help take your hacking skills to the next level. The topics described in this book comply with international standards and with what is being taught in international certifications.

Get up to speed with various penetration testing techniques and resolve security threats of varying complexity Key FeaturesEnhance your penetration testing skills to tackle security threatsLearn to gather information, find vulnerabilities, and exploit enterprise defensesNavigate secured systems with the most up-to-date version of Kali Linux (2019.1) and Metasploit (5.0.0)Book Description Sending information via the internet is not entirely private, as evidenced by the rise in hacking, malware attacks, and security threats. With the help of this book, you'll learn crucial penetration testing techniques to help you evaluate enterprise defenses. You'll start by understanding each stage of pentesting and deploying target virtual machines, including Linux and Windows. Next, the book will guide you through performing intermediate penetration testing in a controlled environment. With the help of practical use cases, you'll also be able to implement your learning in real-world scenarios. By studying everything from setting up your lab, information gathering and password attacks, through to social engineering and post exploitation, you'll be able to successfully overcome security threats. The book will even help you leverage the best tools, such as Kali Linux, Metasploit, Burp Suite, and other open source pentesting tools to perform these techniques. Toward the later chapters, you'll focus on best practices to quickly resolve security threats. By the end of this book, you'll be well versed with various penetration testing techniques so as to be able to tackle security threats effectively What you will learnPerform entry-level penetration tests by learning various concepts and techniquesUnderstand both common and not-so-common vulnerabilities from an attacker's perspectiveGet familiar with intermediate attack methods that can be used in real-world scenariosUnderstand how vulnerabilities are created by developers and how to fix some of them at source code levelBecome well versed with basic tools for ethical hacking purposesExploit known vulnerable services with tools such as MetasploitWho this book is for If you’re just getting started with penetration testing and want to explore various security domains, this book is for you. Security professionals, network engineers, and amateur ethical hackers will also find this book useful. Prior knowledge of penetration testing and ethical hacking is not necessary.