The Pentester BluePrint

3Education of a Hacker

Many would-be pentesters come from system admin, network security, and application security backgrounds, and though they have some experience with vulnerability scanners, their hacking knowledge may be lacking. Learning to hack can be challenging, and this is often the most difficult part of becoming a pentester. So, starting out, future pentesters have to focus their energy on learning how to hack.

In this chapter we will cover hacking skills, the hacker mindset, and the Pentester Blueprint Formula for becoming a pentester.

Hacking Skills

Learning to hack is an important part of pentesting, and it is required to go beyond performing security vulnerability assessments. Hacking is the part of pentesting that makes it so attractive to those wanting to become pentesters. Hacking skills are best developed through hands-on experience and repetition, and as you develop your knowledge and hacking skills, you will build your base knowledge of vulnerabilities and how to exploit them. This will help you to reduce the research time required for the easier exploits and improve your efficiency.

It's important to keep notes on how to validate and exploit vulnerabilities. Note-taking applications like OneNote, Evernote, Keepnote, and Cherry Tree make note taking and organization easier and more effective. Evernote has a web clipping function that allows you to clip ...