RE: What is being a pen tester really like?

["William Woodhams" <William.Woodhams () wegmans com>]

I could have not said it any better.

Bill Woodhams
Systems Technician
Development Group-Technical Systems
Wegmans Food Markets
Direct:(585) 429-3183
William.Woodhams () wegmans com

-----Original Message-----
From: Arian J. Evans [mailto:arian.evans () anachronic com] 
Sent: Tuesday, August 01, 2006 3:58 PM
To: pen-test () securityfocus com
Subject: RE: What is being a pen tester really like?

Was this post a successful troll, or is the level of
technical competence in the pen-testing space so
commoditized that "nor does it require deep technical
skill" == 2006 pen testing?

Wow.

I struggle regularly to explain the difference between
a "vulnerability assessment" and a pen test, due to the
fact that too many folks pimp pen test offerings that
are just automated VA with a personal touch, like Paul
described. That, however, is the problem, not the answer.

It is not pen-testing if there is no penetration.

</charlatan>

Forgive me, mom, for that sentence,

-ae 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Paul Melson [mailto:pmelson () gmail com] 
> Sent: Friday, July 28, 2006 2:28 PM
> To: rahul.joshi2 () googlemail com
> Cc: pen-test () securityfocus com
> Subject: RE: What is being a pen tester really like?
>
> -----Original Message-----
> Subject: What is being a pen tester really like?
>
> rahul.joshi2 () googlemail com wrote:
> > I am currently a Java developer but I'm seriously thinking 
> of changing
> paths to 
> > a career in security and pen testing. 
> >
> > What I would like to know is what is being a pen tester really like?
>
> Despite what you may have heard, being a successful 
> pen-tester (meaning, you
> get hired and make a living at it) is not very hard, nor does 
> it require a
> lot of very deep technical skill.  What it really requires is 
> good verbal
> and written communication skills, the ability to work well 
> with clients, and
> the ability to explain security (even inaccurately) in terms 
> of business
> value.  Do those things, and you can be successful.
>
> The dirty truth about pen testers is that most of them have a 
> handful of
> tools and scripts (like Nessus and Retina) and run them with the same
> configs against every customer and have the same canned 
> recommendations
> based on the results that their tools spit out.  Hell, most 
> vuln scanners
> spit out their own remediation recommendations for the pen 
> tester to simply
> hand over to their customers.  Additionally, for a pen test 
> to have the
> appearance of being successful, it only needs to find some of the
> vulnerabilities present on a network or in an application.  
> Unlike being a
> network engineer or an sysadmin where your work has to stand 
> up to the 24/7
> scrutiny of a live environment, being a pen tester means only 
> needing to be
> right more often than you're wrong.  
>
> Not to take away from the skills or experience of any 
> individual pen testers
> out there.  There are some Mario Andretti's out there driving 
> school busses,
> if I may.  
>
>
> PaulM
>
>
>
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Concerned about Web Application Security?
Why not go with the #1 solution - Cenzic, the only one to win the Analyst's
Choice Award from eWeek. As attacks through web applications continue to rise,
you need to proactively protect your applications from hackers. Cenzic has the
most comprehensive solutions to meet your application security penetration
testing and vulnerability management needs. You have an option to go with a
managed service (Cenzic ClickToSecure) or an enterprise software
(Cenzic Hailstorm). Download FREE whitepaper on how a managed service can
help you: http://www.cenzic.com/news_events/wpappsec.php
And, now for a limited time we can do a FREE audit for you to confirm your
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