Before performing a penetration test on a target organization, ensure that you have written permission from the organization. If additional permission is required from other authorities, please ensure that you acquire all the legal permission documents. Having legal, written permission is like having a get-out-of-jail-free card as a penetration tester. The tasks performed by a penetration tester involve simulating a real-world cyber attack on a target organization; this means actually hacking into their network by any means possible. Some attacks can be very intrusive and may cause damage or network outages; the written permission is used to protect yourself legally.