Re: Email Pen-testing

["Al Smolkin" <UnODir () hotpop com>]

It is your job as a pen-tester to completely outline to the higher staff exactly what and where you will be doing, and 
that includes social engineering. It is the 
management of the bank's job to educate their employees (or hire you to do so) prior or after the pen-test.

Be forewarned, though. Make sure that you go over every detail with the management. Don't forget in describing the test 
to dot the "I"s and cross the "T"s, 
otherwise, your butt could easily end up in the proverbial sling.

as far as the social engineering goes overall, remember, Kevin Mitnick made a career out of it.

Al Smolkin
CEH, CCNA






On 20 Mar 2004 16:22:18 -0000, Blake wrote:

> Wanted to get your opinion on something...
>
> Doing a pen-test for a small bank which was proving very difficult to get it. A friend of mine suggested I send a 
> backdoor trojan attachment via an email. If 
they clicked on it, the backdoor performs maybe a boxscan, grab passwords, and connects out to the Internet. --Much 
like a virus.
> I think this type of testing is becoming more relevant nowadays, especially with whats out there. It reinforces 
> properly configured antivirus software and 
user awareness.
> I spoke with a previous customer of mine about the idea. He said he would be very upset if he was not told prior to 
> that type of test as part of normal pen-
testing.
> Generally speaking, my code of ethics doesn't allow me to social engineer. I don't like lying and misleading people. 
> Also people tend to hate you after 
they've been punk'd.
> What's your ideas on the email pen-tesing?
>
>
> -Blake
>
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