CompTIA PenTest+ Study Guide

Exam PT0-002

Mike Chapple, David Seidl

• Publisher: Sybex
• Year: 2021
• Print ISBN: 9781119823810
• eBook ISBN: 9781119823827
• Edition: 2
• Topic: Computer Science
• Subtopic: Certification Guides in Computer Science
• Index: Computer Science

Prepare for success on the new PenTest+ certification exam and an exciting career in penetration testing 

In the revamped Second Edition of CompTIA PenTest+ Study Guide: Exam PT0-002, veteran information security experts Dr. Mike Chapple and David Seidl deliver a comprehensive roadmap to the foundational and advanced skills every pentester (penetration tester) needs to secure their CompTIA PenTest+ certification, ace their next interview, and succeed in an exciting new career in a growing field. 

You'll learn to perform security assessments of traditional servers, desktop and mobile operating systems, cloud installations, Internet-of-Things devices, and industrial or embedded systems. You'll plan and scope a penetration testing engagement including vulnerability scanning, understand legal and regulatory compliance requirements, analyze test results, and produce a written report with remediation techniques. 

This book will: 

• Prepare you for success on the newly introduced CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Exam 
• Multiply your career opportunities with a certification that complies with ISO 17024 standards and meets Department of Defense Directive 8140/8570.01-M requirements 
• Allow access to the Sybex online learning center, with chapter review questions, full-length practice exams, hundreds of electronic flashcards, and a glossary of key terms 

Perfect for anyone preparing for the updated CompTIA PenTest+ certification exam, CompTIA PenTest+ Study Guide: Exam PT0-002 is also a must-read resource for aspiring penetration testers and IT security professionals seeking to expand and improve their skillset. 

Chapter 1
Penetration Testing

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THE COMPTIA PENTEST+ EXAM OBJECTIVES COVERED IN THIS CHAPTER INCLUDE:

Domain 1: Planning and Scoping

• 1.3 Given a scenario, demonstrate an ethical hacking mindset by maintaining professionalism and integrity.
  • Background checks of penetration testing team
  • Adhere to specific scope of engagement
  • Identify criminal activity
  • Immediately report breaches/criminal activity
  • Limit the use of tools to a particular engagement
  • Limit invasiveness based on scope
  • Maintain confidentiality of data/information
  • Risks to the professional

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Hackers employ a wide variety of tools to gain unauthorized access to systems, networks, and information. Automated tools, including network scanners, software debuggers, password crackers, exploitation frameworks, and malware, do play an important role in the attacker's toolkit. Cybersecurity professionals defending against attacks should have access to the same tools in order to identify weaknesses in their own defenses that an attacker might exploit.

These automated tools are not, however, the most important tools at a hacker's disposal. The most important tool used by attackers is something that cybersecurity professionals can't download or purchase. It's the power and creativity of the human mind. Skilled attackers leverage quite a few automated tools as they seek to defeat cybersecurity defenses, but the true test of their ability is how well they are able to synthesize the information provided by those tools and pinpoint potential weaknesses in an organization's cybersecurity defenses.

What Is Penetration Testing?

Penetration testing seeks to bridge the gap between the rote use of technical tools to test an organization's security and the power of those tools when placed in the hands of a skilled and determined attacker. Penetration tests are authorized, legal attempts to defeat an organization's security controls and perform unauthorized activities. The tests are time‐consuming and require staff who are as skilled and determined as the real‐world attackers who will attempt to compromise the organization. However, they're also the most effective way for an organization to gain a complete picture of its security vulnerability.

Cybersecurity Goals

Cybersecurity professionals use a well‐known model to describe the goals of information security. The CIA triad, shown in Figure 1.1, includes the three main characteristics of information that cybersecurity programs seek to protect:

• Confidentiality measures seek to prevent unauthorized access to information or systems.
• Integrity measures seek to prevent unauthorized modification of information or systems.
• Availability measures seek to ensure that legitimate use of information and systems remains possible.

FIGURE 1.1 The CIA triad

Attackers, and therefore penetration testers, seek to undermine these goals and achieve three corresponding goals of their own. The attackers' goals are known as the DAD triad, shown in Figure 1.2:

• Disclosure attacks seek to gain unauthorized access to information or systems.
• Alteration attacks seek to make unauthorized changes to information or systems.
• Denial attacks seek to prevent legitimate use of information and systems.

FIGURE 1.2 The DAD triad

These two models, the CIA and DAD triads, are the cornerstones of cybersecurity. As shown in Figure 1.2, the elements of both models are directly correlated, with each leg of the attackers' DAD triad directly corresponding to a leg of the CIA triad that is designed to counter those attacks. Confidentiality controls seek to prevent disclosure attacks. Integrity controls seek to prevent alteration attacks. Availability controls seek to keep systems running, preventing denial attacks.

Adopting the Hacker Mindset

If you've been practicing cybersecurity for some time, you're probably intimately familiar with the elements of the CIA triad. Cybersecurity defenders spend the majority of their time thinking in these terms, designing controls and defenses to protect information and systems against a wide array of known and unknown threats.

Penetration testers must take a very different approach in their thinking. Instead of trying to defend against all possible threats, they only need to find a single vulnerability that they might exploit to achieve their goals. To find these flaws, they must think like the adversary who might attack the system in the real world. This approach is commonly known as adopting the hacker mindset.

Before we explore the hacker mindset in terms of technical systems, let's explore it using an example from the physical world. If you were responsible for the physical security of an electronics store, you might consider a variety of threats and implement controls designed to counter those threats. You'd be worried about shoplifting, robbery, and employee embezzlement, among other threats, and you might build a system of security controls that seeks to prevent those threats from materializing. These controls might include the following items:

• Security cameras in high‐risk areas
• Auditing of cash register receipts
• Theft detectors at the main entrance/exit of the store
• Exit alarms on emergency exits
• Burglar al...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Table of Contents
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Acknowledgments
• About the Author
• About the Technical Editor
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: Penetration Testing
• Chapter 2: Planning and Scoping Penetration Tests
• Chapter 3: Information Gathering
• Chapter 4: Vulnerability Scanning
• Chapter 5: Analyzing Vulnerability Scans
• Chapter 6: Exploiting and Pivoting
• Chapter 7: Exploiting Network Vulnerabilities
• Chapter 8: Exploiting Physical and Social Vulnerabilities
• Chapter 9: Exploiting Application Vulnerabilities
• Chapter 10: Attacking Hosts, Cloud Technologies, and Specialized Systems
• Chapter 11: Reporting and Communication
• Chapter 12: Scripting for Penetration Testing
• Appendix A: Answers to Review Questions
• Appendix B: Solution to Lab Exercise
• Index
• End User License Agreement