Penetration Testers on the Front Lines of Cyber Security

Of all the interesting careers in the field of information security and cyber security, the critical role of the avg internet security penetration tester, or pen test specialist, is one of the most fascinating.The term “ethical hacker” avg antivirus free is often used to describe the work www.avg.com/activate of pen testers, whose job involves infiltrating computer systems to detect and address avg.com/retail   vulnerabilities that non-ethical hackers Install Avg With License Number activation could exploit to cause untold havoc.

The job requires you to possess cutting-edge technical skills, communication skills and also confidence, because part the job is to outsmart some very savvy bad guys as the stakes grow higher every day. CybersecurityVentures.com estimates that the cost of cyber crime worldwide will skyrocket to $6 trillion a year by 2021, with hackers hitting high-profile organizations like Target avg antivirus free, Facebook, Equifax and even government agencies like the NSA and the Department of Homeland Security.

Penetration Testers Needed [The Cyber Security Skills Gap]

With so much at stake, and with the high level of technical expertise required for such key information security positions as avg.com/retail   pen tester and vulnerability assessor, it is extremely challenging for avg internet security employers to find qualified individuals to fill a growing number of jobs. The talent shortage has led to widespread reporting on a “dangerous” cyber security workforce skills

This is also one of the key factors driving the high salaries paid to cyber security professionals. For example, the website CyberSeek.org, which works to “help close the cyber security skills gap (by providing) avg antivirus free detailed, actionable data about supply and demand in avg internet security the cyber security job market,” lists the average salary for Penetration Install Avg With License Number activation and Vulnerability Testers 

The average salary for information security analyst, a related position, is listed by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 

But what does a penetration tester do? Of course, the primary objective of pen testing is to identify security www.avg.com/activate weaknesses avg internet security in both systems and policies. To excel in this role, you will need a wide range of skills:

• Coding skill required to infiltrate any system
• Comprehensive knowledge of computer security, including forensics, systems analysis and more
• Insight into how hackers exploit the human avg.com/retail   element to gain unauthorized access to secure systems
• Clear understanding of how computer security avg antivirus free breaches can disrupt business, including the financial and managerial implications
• Exceptional problem-solving skills
• Communications skills to document and share your findings

[RELATED] Should You Become a Cyber Security Engineer? >>

Penetration testing is typically tailored to the individual organization and the industry it operates in; some industries Install Avg With License Number activation, such as health care and banking, rely on pen testing to maintain compliance with industry security standards.

The work is often performed by outside contractors who are brought in to uncover potential blind spots missed by developers who build the systems, applications and software. These ethical hackers www.avg.com/activate run the gamut avg internet security from experienced developers with advanced degrees and avg.com/retail   pen testing certifications avg antivirus free to self-taught hacker savants; some are even former black-hat hackers who use their talent and skill to help organizations safeguard their systems.

Penetration Tester Job Description

In addition to the skills described above, an unwritten part of your job description as a penetration tester also includes an ability to “think like the enemy” in order to combat the full range of techniques and strategies that avg antivirus free hackers might employ, or even to anticipate new ones.

Your work will likely also involve planning and executing tests, documenting your methodologies, creating detailed reports about your findings and perhaps also being involved in designing fixes and improving security avg internet security protocols.

Cybrary, a cyber security and IT workforce development and networking company, also lists the following job requirements:

• Perform penetration tests on computer systems, networks and applications
• Create new testing methods to identify Install Avg With License Number activation vulnerabilities
• Perform physical security assessments of systems, servers and other network devices to identify areas that require physical protection
• Pinpoint methods and entry points that attackers may avg antivirus free use to exploit vulnerabilities or weaknesses
• Search for weaknesses in common software, www.avg.com/activate web applications and proprietary systems
• Research, evaluate, document and discuss avg.com/retail   findings with IT teams and management
• Review and provide feedback for information security fixes
• Establish improvements for existing security services, including hardware, software, policies and procedures
• Identify areas where improvement is needed avg internet security in security education and awareness for users
• Be sensitive to corporate considerations when performing testing (i.e. minimize downtime and loss of employee productivity)
• Stay updated on the latest malware and security threats

Penetration Tester Career Path

An article by industry website DarkReading.com (“So You Want To Be A Penetration Tester”) explains that the job involves elements of both excitement and tedium, but chances are your work will not involve scenes like avg antivirus free “Tom Cruise in ‘Mission Impossible’ Install Avg With License Number activation hacking into avg internet security a CIA computer while dangling horizontally from cables in a heavily protected room.”

The advice offered there includes starting out as a programmer or systems administrator, gaining essential knowledge avg.com/retail   about how systems work that finding flaws in them almost becomes “second nature.” Hands-on experience is strongly emphasized.

The article urges would-be pen testers to be aware that it is a service that has a beginning, middle and end — and quotes security consultant David Maynor as saying, “The beginning is the assessment avg.com/retail  , the middle is the fun part like breaking into a system, and the end is the documentation avg internet security and Install Avg With License Number activation communication  www.avg.com/activate of those findings to a client. If you don’t do all those things, I don’t think you are doing pen testing very well.”

For penetration testing consultants, much of avg antivirus free the work can involve telecommuting, with long hours spent at the keyboard, but the job can also include considerable travel to and from job sites.