Having the skill set of a hacker, you must be aware of the boundaries between ethical and criminal activities. Remember, performing any intrusive actions using a computing system to cause harm to another person or organization is illegal. Therefore, penetration testers must follow a code of conduct to ensure that they always remain on the right side of the law at all times.

In the remainder of this section, we will cover the following key points:

• Gaining written permission
• Being ethical
• Penetration testing contract
• Rules of engagement (RoE)
• Additional tips and tricks

Let's now have a look at these topics in detail.