Fwd: Re: Requesting Informational Interview

["Rob" <wia () ignoranceisbliss info>]

---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
Subject: Re: Requesting Informational Interview
From:    Aarón Mizrachi <unmanarc () gmail com>
Date:    Tue, June 16, 2009 1:27 am
To:      wia () ignoranceisbliss info
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

On Lunes 15 Junio 2009 19:30:10 Rob escribió:
> Hello all.
> I am sure you all have seen many of these questions posed on this list,
as
> well as others.  I am aware of the typical answers of, write a program,
compile a new LiveCD, etc.  But I was hoping to try something a little
bit
> different.
> I have found myself in a precarious situation.  I have been in between
jobs since October and am now finding myself able to attend some
schooling.  On this path to schooling, I was posed with a very
interesting
> question.
> "How did the others that do what I want to do, get there?"
> I want to be a pen-tester.
> I have been working with computers for over fifteen years - eight of
those
> professionally (Help Desk, SysAdmin, InfoSec Admin).  I am fluent in
Windows and can get done what I need to in Linux.  I am good at just
about
> everything, with the exception of databases, coding and routing.  I am
almost entirely self-taught and simply have not done that type of work,
yet...  I did attend a class at a school that I will not name (they have
earned no plugs through me), though many of you have heard of it.  I
also
> certified afterwords.  It is a certification that is very similar to a
CISSP, though is is more technically based.
> So, to all of you pen-testers out there, if I could please ask you for
10-15 minutes of your valuable time.  If you could either reply
privately
> to the questions below - allowing me one reply with any questions that
you
> may have invoked.  Or if you would prefer to be contacted via phone - a
private message with a number and the best time to be contacted, would
be
> appreciated.  If unsure, please choose the first choice.
> My questions:
> I am trying to discover the best path, to get me from here to there.
What
> was it that you did to get there?

You must understand the difference between the different kinds of security

professionals, and it will help you to get what you want.

your choice: Pentester.

A pentester its a security prober/tester. His mission is to understand and

test what is going bad on security and document it, in other words:

- Test for bugs/mistakes on security
- Measure the risk and evaluate scenarios...
- Make recommendations.

-------

I like to define pentester as an alchimist of security matter... It will 
require a lot of knowledgement about the matter, its more experimental
rather
than a science.

The main factor in his succeed is: How deep he goes.

As deep you go, as deep your reputation goes up because the goal of
pentesting
is prove that some more formal audit is required.

--------

I dont like to mention this word: hacker. But a pentester need to act like a
hacker. Ethical Hacker.

Then, i recomend you to get a course/book in Ethical Hacking (CEH
Certification
should be good for that pourporse).

There are two main points...

1. How to exploit it:
CEH course or similar. Also you need to correlate the explotation (Called 
Escalation.). Escalation is the word.

AND.

2. The core of security:
Know what is security. You as admin should know about it. You need to know
the
risks... Know to measure the value of the information... By example: Some 
people dont even think that emails list and names of some company are 
important. But you could measure the risk:

- SPAM. (Low threat), but cause a downgrade in coorporation bandwidth -
Password prediction. With sufficient data about the people, an attacker
could
predict the password (some common passwords like social security number, 
passport number, telephone number, whatever)
- Coorporate Spy proposals / Corruption. Some mid-range workers could be
prone
to corruption. Email could be the way to find it.


> What do you think are the good parts of the job?
Good earnings and fun with a good portion of adrenaline.

Also there is no schedule to follow also. You can do this work at 3am or
11am,
and explain that a real hacker wont select a 8am-5pm schedule.

And if you are good, the results will ever put you a smile.

The result are a definitive thing. Unlike another computer related topics
(like
programming or admin some system), when you end. You certainly finish.
There is
no things like: Oh, please, this button could be at the left side of the 
window? or... I unintentionally deleted the MS Word Icon, you can put it
there
again?

> What do you think are the bad parts of the job?
Heh. The report is boring.

> What is it about pentesting that keeps you coming back?
> Do you have any recommendations on what to watch out for?
There are some useful theory learned on CEH courses. But i also recommend 
practice. Public wargames and "The virtual machine" are pretty useful.

> If you were able to do it all over again, would you go back into
pentesting?

Maybe yes.

I like pentesting. But learn the skills to be a pentester make you different.
An admin could be curious to watch the files in your managed systems. But, a
pentester should be curious, should investigate everything on the
system...
> From numbers, to passwords... From files to registry and logs..

You should act as a medic when you are a pentester. More deepest you go, more
you know about the people, but it should be only for professional
pourporses.

I wont say lies: You will know more than you can handle.... And you will need
to forget everything that you know that are not so useful for your test. At
the beginning is really hard.

> --
> Thank you so much for your time.  It is very much appreciated.
> Rob Thompson
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
This list is sponsored by: Information Assurance Certification Review
Board
> Prove to peers and potential employers without a doubt that you can
actually do a proper penetration test. IACRB CPT and CEPT certs require
a
> full practical examination in order to become certified.
> http://www.iacertification.org
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------

-- 
Ing. Aaron G. Mizrachi P.

http://www.unmanarc.com
Mobil 1: + 58 416-6143543
Mobil 2: + 58 424-2412503
BBPIN: 0x 247066C1





------------------------------------------------------------------------
This list is sponsored by: Information Assurance Certification Review Board

Prove to peers and potential employers without a doubt that you can actually do a proper penetration test. IACRB CPT 
and CEPT certs require a full practical examination in order to become certified. 

http://www.iacertification.org
------------------------------------------------------------------------