What does a pentester do and how to become one?

In an era of digital transformation, cyber security has become a key component of any company's strategy, regardless of size. Dynamically evolving threats, such as ransomware, AI-assisted phishing and deepfakes, require proactive solutions that minimize the risk of attacks. Following the colloquial principle "prevention is better than cure," companies are increasingly investing in prevention mechanisms and specialists in the field to avoid the costly consequences of cyber attacks and data breaches.

With the number of cyber attacks on the rise, the demand for professionals involved in the protection of information systems continues to grow. One of the most sought-after professions in this field is the pentester, also known as a penetration tester or ethical hacker.

Pentester - what exactly does it mean and how to become a pentester?

A pentester (from penetration tester) is an IT security specialist who is responsible for detecting and identifying potential vulnerabilities in IT systems. Unlike malicious hackers, an ethical hacker acts legally, with the consent and knowledge of the owner of the system under test. The term ethical hacker is not coincidental here, because one of the pentester's tasks is to break into systems, so he can bring a simulation of an actual cyber attack, such as SQL Injection, phishing, brute-force, Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) or Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF), but under controlled conditions. By doing so, it can identify vulnerabilities in systems, networks or applications, and its specific role here is not only to detect vulnerabilities, but also to provide specific remediation recommendations for enterprises.

If we were to encapsulate this in one sentence, we would write that a pentester must think like a hacker in order to outsmart, preempt and secure systems against his potential actions.

What does pentester do - Terminal with the result of the ping command on the laptop screen and a card "#100DAYSOFCode"

Penetration testing, or security testing of IT systems

The main task of a penetration tester is to carry out controlled attacks on IT infrastructure to detect vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by cybercriminals.

Pentester simulates real-world attack methods to test the effectiveness of existing defenses, thus de facto testing the security of IT systems.

This process, called penetration testing, includes the following activities:

Analysis and evaluation of information systems,
vulnerability scanning,
Conducting simulated attacks,
identification of security vulnerabilities,
Creating detailed reports with recommendations.

Tools used in the work of a pentester

What tools are used by the pentester in penetration testing? Depending on the vulnerabilities being tested and their categories, the following items can be listed:

Category	Examples of tools	Application
Network scanning	Nmap, Wireshark	Identification of open ports, traffic analysis
Application tests	Burp Suite, OWASP ZAP	Detecting vulnerabilities in web applications
Breaking passwords	John the Ripper, Hashcat	Testing the strength of passwords
Exploitation	Metasploit, Cobalt Strike	Exploitation of vulnerabilities found

Key pentester skills

Starting with technical skills, it is certainly necessary to mention here in-depth knowledge of computer systems, with emphasis on Linux, but also Windows and macOS, of course. It is worth mentioning here in the context of Linux that there is a dedicated distribution of the operating system that includes a set of penetration testing tools in the form of Kali Linux.

Knowledge of computer networks and network protocols(TCP/IP, HTTP, DNS, SSL/TLS) is also essential, as well as the basics of cryptography or operation of the aforementioned pentester tools.

A pentester's job also includes analyzing code to evaluate it for vulnerability. So the ability to code and knowledge of programming languages such as Python, JavaScript, C++, PHP or PowerShell to automate tasks and create custom tools is also key here.

Similarly obvious in this profession is knowledge of the techniques used by cyber criminals, that is, knowledge of various types of attacks, such as SQL Injection, Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) and Buffer Overflow.

As for soft skills, the ability to think analytically and creatively, inquisitiveness and perceptiveness, communication skills are important here , and resistance to stress is also useful.

What does a pentester do - glasses through which you can see a computer screen with a code

How to become a pentester?

Well, a solid foundation for this profession can certainly give a degree in computer science, but graduates of other sciences can also find themselves in such a position.

Those with knowledge of computer science, can gain experience or even test their aptitude in this area by doing internships at IT security companies or corporate security departments. In the meantime, one can also try to obtain industry-recognized certifications such as CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker) or OSCP (Offensive Security Certified Professional) or even CPENT (Certified Penetration Testing Professional).

If you catch the bug, all that remains is to take a postgraduate course, such as the one offered by the Centre for Postgraduate Studies at PJAIT, in IT Security Testing, which allows you to gain comprehensive preparation for the role of an IT security tester.

Learn more about the postgraduate program offered at PJAIT!

The postgraduate program at PJAIT combines theory with practice, which includes hundreds of simulated attacks in a cloud environment. This will allow you to gain knowledge and practical skills related to identifying vulnerabilities and security holes in IT systems.

The game is worth the candle, as pentesters' earnings are extremely attractive, especially for experienced professionals, who can earn from PLN 10,000 to even PLN 14,000 net per month. So, if you are interested in cyber security and want to grow in this field, a career as a pentester may be the perfect choice for you.