A
penetration test, occasionally
pentest, is a method of evaluating the
security of a
computer system or
network
by simulating an attack from malicious outsiders (who do not have an
authorized means of accessing the organization's systems) and malicious
insiders (who have some level of authorized access). The process
involves an active analysis of the system for any potential
vulnerabilities that could result from poor or improper system
configuration, both known and unknown hardware or software flaws, or
operational weaknesses in process or technical countermeasures. This
analysis is carried out from the position of a potential attacker and
can involve active exploitation of security vulnerabilities.
