Five Skills That Will Boost Your Penetration Testing Career
Penetration testing is a fulfilling and lucrative position within the cyber security industry. Otherwise known as ethical hackers, pentesters work with companies to exploit weaknesses in their network, systems, and applications to ultimately create a safer online environment.
Due to the environment pentesters work in, it is vital to have a strong knowledge base consisting of practical education and hands-on experience. In addition, pentesters are often puzzle solvers by nature, curious about the online world, creative, and detail-oriented enough to find and flesh out every vulnerability for their clients.
Many of the best pentesters have expertise in a wide range of cyber security subjects giving them a more holistic view of their working environment, but among that wide range of subjects is a condensed list of keys the most successful pentesters have mastered. Whether you want to break into the industry or you’re a seasoned veteran who’s looking to expand their knowledge, here are five skills you need to master your career.
Threat Hunting
Threat hunters proactively search for weaknesses in an organization’s network. They work inside an organization’s initial online defenses to search for vulnerabilities a cyber criminal can exploit once they’ve bypassed the company’s firewall. Because bad actors can spend months collecting data and searching for ways to move laterally within a network for more valuable information, threat hunters are tasked with digging deep inside a company’s network and thinking like a cyber criminal.
Threat hunting courses help train current and aspiring cyber security professionals in the art and science of hunting within a company’s perimeters. Our introductory Threat Hunting courses provide an overview of what threat hunting is as well as Digital Forensics and Incident Response. Additional threat hunting courses provide students introductions into endpoint analysis, malware, and endpoint detection solutions. Our Cyber Security training includes access to virtual labs where students can practice their newly developed skills.
Mobile Application Security
Mobile phones are a substantial vulnerability for companies, even more so when employees connect their personal phones to networks. As a result, ethical hackers that can skillfully test mobile operating systems and applications while being able to effectively communicate vulnerabilities are attractive to organizations concerned with mobile network security.
As with most Cyber Security training, mobile application security courses involve hands-on practice with tools specific to mobile app pentesting. If you’re taking our iOS & Mobile App Pentesting course or our Android & Mobile App Pentesting course, you can also take the eMAPT certification test at the end of the course for a strong resume builder. For a more comprehensive overview, our mobile application security learning path includes more than 11 hours of expert-led training.
Web Application Security
Businesses continue to make the transition to allow employees to work remotely and collaborate across multiple offices. Even consumer products such as online banking and online shopping are expanding rapidly into more advanced web applications, all of which provide malicious actors opportunities to steal personal information.
Web application penetration testing courses can train pentesters in the nuanced art of attacking web applications. Whether it’s HTML5 or Web 2.0 attacks, most organizations are looking for InfoSec professionals that have experience or are certified in web app security.
Wi-Fi Security
With so many devices, including laptops, tablets, and mobile phones, connecting to a company’s Wi-Fi network, robust security standards are necessary to prevent cyber criminals from exploiting the growing number of access points. Most successful penetration testers are familiar with the nuanced architecture of Wi-Fi networks and can search for and exploit weaknesses.
With our Penetration Testing Professional, Windows Exploit Development and Linux Exploit Development courses, you can learn a wide array of Wi-Fi security concerns and how to address them as a pentester.
Incident Response
Incident response and management training teaches you to effectively analyze, manage, and report cyber security vulnerabilities, allowing you to comprehensively communicate issues quickly and clearly. Penetration testers experienced in incident management are highly valuable because they help companies address their security needs quickly, potentially saving time and money.
When training for incident handling, you’ll learn the basics of how to analyze and immediately respond to security concerns. Our Incident Handling & Response course teaches you how to detect and hunt cyber security intrusions through open-source IDS tools and SIEM solutions, communicate issues, and proficiently handle large-scale attacks.
What separates beginner pentesters from their veteran colleagues is more than just years of experience. Those ethical hackers who move forward in the information security industry possess in-depth skills that make them more attractive to employers. If you’re interested in bridging that knowledge gap or you’re ready to take your training to the next level, check out our library of cyber security courses.
