In this chapter, we defined security testing as it relates to this book, and we identified an abstract methodology that consists of the following steps: planning, nonintrusive target search, intrusive target search, data analysis, and reporting. More importantly, we expanded the abstract model when it came to intrusive target searching, and we defined within that a methodology for scanning. This consisted of identifying live systems, looking at open ports, discovering services, enumeration, identifying vulnerabilities, and finally, exploitation.

Furthermore, we discussed what a penetration test is and that it is a validation of vulnerabilities and is associated with one step in our scanning methodology. Unfortunately, most clients do not understand that when you validate vulnerabilities, it requires you to run code that could potentially damage a machine or, even worse, damage their data. Because of this, once they discover this, most clients ask that it not be part of the test. We created a baseline for what penetration testing is in this chapter, and we will use this definition throughout the remainder of this book.

In the next chapter, we will discuss the process of choosing your virtual environment.