What is penetration testing?

Penetration testing is a security-assessment method in which authorized testers attempt to circumvent or defeat a system's security controls — under agreed constraints — to find exploitable weaknesses before real attackers do.

What it means

NIST describes penetration testing as a methodology where assessors, working under specific rules, try to bypass a system's defenses. It is authorized, scoped attack simulation used to surface and document real vulnerabilities. It is the core activity behind offensive-security roles and credentials such as penetration tester and ethical hacker.

Sources

• National Institute of Standards and Technology — NIST CSRC Glossary: https://csrc.nist.gov/glossary

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