Penetration Tester: Job Description, Key Skills, and Salary in 2022

A penetration tester is a cybersecurity professional who conducts pre-authorized cyber attacks on a computer or network environment to assess the resilience of these systems under real-world threat conditions. This article discusses the typical job description for a penetration testing role, the skills required in this career, and the expected salaries in 2022. 

Penetration Tester Job Description: Roles and Responsibilities

A penetration tester is a cybersecurity professional who conducts pre-authorized cyber attacks on a computer or network environment to assess the resilience of these systems under real-world threat conditions. 

Pen testers or penetration testers are tasked with simulating cyberattacks on a company’s endpoint systems and networks. These pre-authorized tests help in the detection of vulnerabilities and security flaws before bad actors may exploit them.

Computer systems were able to exchange data across communication networks from the 1960s. Security professionals soon discovered that these data exchanges were exposed to outside threats. Adequate protections had to be developed because of the growing importance of computers in industry and government. 

At the Joint Computer Conference in 1967, more than 15,000 computer professionals and representatives from the public and business sectors were present. They spoke about the problem of network intrusion, which is addressed today primarily via penetration testing. Early initiatives by the RAND Corporation contributed to developing a systematic penetration testing methodology.

Then, sophisticated computer security systems like Multics appeared, and up until around 2000, Multics served as the industry standard. Penetration testers use these test findings to provide suggestions and put solutions into practice that will increase the resilience of an organization’s information technology (IT) infrastructure.

As a penetration tester, one will attack a company’s existing digital systems to play an active, attacking role in cybersecurity. These tests may employ various hacking methods and techniques to uncover vulnerabilities that hackers might exploit. You’ll keep detailed records of your actions and compile a report about what you did and how effective you are at breaking security standards. Pen testing can be used by businesses to ensure that they are adhering to compliance standards. 

Often associated with penetration testers, ethical hackers are IT specialists who employ hacking techniques to assist corporations in identifying potential entry points into their systems. Companies can mimic cyber assaults to assess the strengths and vulnerabilities of their present security systems utilizing various methodologies, tools, and techniques. The extent to which a hypothetical actor, or hacker, may breach an organization’s cybersecurity protections and processes is referred to as penetration in this situation.

There are three settings that penetration testers commonly operate in:

• In-house: This usually enables you to familiarize yourself with the organization’s security procedures. Additionally, you could have a more significant say in the subsequent security updates and patches.
• Security company: The tests you may create and run when working for a security business are more varied.
• Freelance: Some penetration testers opt to operate as independent contractors. If you go this route, you’ll have more scheduling freedom, but you might have to spend more time finding clients at the beginning of your career.

Depending on the goals of a pen test, testers are given varying amounts of access to information about the target system. Sometimes the pen testing team starts with one strategy and sticks with it. Sometimes, its process changes as the testing team becomes more familiar with the system during the pen test. Pen test access comes in three tiers:

• Opaque box: The target system’s internal organization is unknown to the team. Pentesters behave like a hacker, searching for any openings that may be used from outside the organization.
• Semi-opaque box: One or more sets of credentials are known to the team in some capacity. The target’s core data structures, code, and algorithms are known. Pen testers could create test cases based on thorough design papers, including the target system’s architecture diagrams.
• Transparent box: Pen testers have access to systems and the artifacts that make up those systems, such as the source code, binaries, containers, and occasionally even the servers that host those servers. This method offers the highest degree of certainty in the shortest time.

See More: What Is a Secure Web Gateway? Definition, Benefits, and Best Practices

There are several pen-testing techniques, each of which provides information to attackers so they may execute their assault:

• External testing: External penetration testing targets the site, email accounts, domain name servers (DNS), and web applications. Access to and extraction of valuable data are the objectives.
• Internal testing: A tester accessing an application under its firewall simulates a hostile insider attack during an internal test. This is not always a simulation of a rogue employee. A typical starting point is a worker whose credentials were acquired due to a phishing effort. 
• Blind testing: The only information offered to a tester engaging in blind testing is the title of the evaluated business. Security personnel may watch instantaneously how an entire application attack might unfold. 
• Double-blind testing: In a double-blind test, security personnel are uninformed of the simulated assault beforehand. They won’t have the opportunity to strengthen their defenses before a breach attempt, as in the real world.
• Targeted testing: In this scenario, security officers and the testers cooperate and keep each other updated on their whereabouts. This handy training exercise lets a security team get quick feedback from a hacker’s viewpoint.

See More: Cybersecurity Specialist: Key Skill Requirements and Salary Expectations

Depending on the organization, a penetration tester’s everyday responsibilities will vary. All penetration tester positions share five fundamental responsibilities:

1. Conducts tests on apps and networks

A penetration tester must create tests that break into security-protected computer systems, networks, and web-based applications to find vulnerabilities.

2. Assesses physical security

You must evaluate the security of network hardware devices and server systems physically. During these physical evaluations, you should search for weaknesses and provide solutions for security problems, including temperature, vandalism, humidity, and natural catastrophes.

3. Conducts security audits

You will conduct security and network audits to assess how effectively a system adheres to predetermined standards. This will enable you to identify potential attack vectors for security system flaws.

4. Analyzes security policies

Security policies that provide protocols and guidelines for gaining access to and using IT resources are enforced by organizations. It will be your responsibility to evaluate the success of these policies, recommend changes, and try to improve the methodological material.

5. Writing security assessment reports

After conducting your research and testing, you will need to record your discoveries, compose security reports, and speak with the management and IT teams about remedies.

See More: Network Security Engineer: Job Role and Key Skills for 2021

Penetration Tester Key Skill Requirements in 2022

To become a penetration tester, one would need the following skill sets:

1. Knowledge of computer networks

Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) models and computer network architecture are two skill areas that every pentester should be familiar with. This includes knowledge of:

• Link-layer protocols: 802.3 (Ethernet/ARP), 802.1Q (VLANs), and 802.11 (Wi-Fi)
• Network-layer protocols: IP (IPv4, IPv6) and ICMP 
• Transport layer protocols: TCP and UDP 
• Application layer protocols: DNS, HTTP, HTTPS, DHCP, LDAP, FTP, SMTP, IMAP, POP, SSH, and Telnet, among others

One should know how these protocols operate and what they are used for. For instance, one should be able to fully explain what transpires when one visits a website and respond to inquiries like how are our browser and the remote server able to communicate? Or, on each OSI layer, how and what network protocols are used? Additionally, one should feel at ease utilizing packet capture programs like Wireshark. 

Penetration testers can prevent someone from sniffing personal data from a computer network by being familiar with standard network protocols and knowing which ones are safe and which are not. Finally, understanding network topology maps is necessary because network diagrams and schemas are regularly brought up in conversations with pentesting clients.

2. Understanding of different network components

Pentesters should know what kind of network software and hardware components are needed, how a typical enterprise sets up its network, what security measures are usually used, etc. This includes a deep knowledge of network switches, routers/gateways, firewalls, and virtual local area networks (VLANs). 

As a pen tester, you should also be able to look at how the network access controls (NAC) are set up and know how to get around them – such as through Media Access Control (MAC) cloning and man in the middle (MITM) attacks.

Also, penetration testers should know about the top companies that manufacture network solutions, like Brocade, Checkpoint, Cisco, F5 Networks, Fortinet, Juniper, and Palo Alto. This will help you understand their unique systems better, in addition to their vulnerabilities and how one might exploit them.

3. Familiarity with exploits and vulnerabilities outside of tool suites

There is often a question to see if the candidate knows more about a security vulnerability beyond what automated tools describe in an interview. Interview questions vary depending on the size and needs of the company. Pen testers need to know whether they will still be effective if a customer uses a security tool that recognizes a specific exploit. One doesn’t want testers to become helpless when they cannot use tool XYZ.

Additionally, one does not want testers to duplicate what vulnerability scanners report verbatim. It frequently happens that vulnerabilities are discovered for which there is no known exploit code. Is there a vulnerability here? Possibly, but one cannot exploit the vulnerability without exploit code. Although exploit writers aren’t strictly what companies seek, proficient pen testers need to know how to adapt existing exploits to make them operate in particular networks for testing.

4. Willingness to continually learn

Penetration testers cannot reasonably be experts in every topic; thus, they must actively learn new things and gain practical experience. Why not start up a virtual machine, create the susceptible device, get the code, and test it yourself instead of reading a write-up from a cybersecurity company on the newest and greatest exploit? Building muscle memory is a benefit of experiential learning.

Although penetration testing may not need “muscle,” it does require the capacity to recollect knowledge and put our understanding together in novel ways. Posting your learning videos is one of the most acceptable methods to demonstrate ongoing learning if you want to work as a penetration tester. Videos are fun for everyone and could be a fantastic opportunity to illustrate knowledge.

See More: What Is Privileged Access Management (PAM)? Definition, Components, and Best Practices

5. Knowledge of web communications and security technologies

This section may have been divided into two parts, but it makes more sense to merge them for a few reasons. The ability to register a web domain name, map it to a cloud-IP address, create secure certificates for the domain, and then use those certificates to secure web communication are all skills that testers need to possess. 

You also need to be familiar with web application security technologies. These days, web applications are a standard component of almost every assessment one conducts, so everyone needs to be familiar with them. Our evaluators must understand the design of web applications, how to spot input fields, and how to obtain data that one could use to abuse the web application’s functionality.

6. Ability to script or write code

Your code need not be of production quality, but a penetration tester who is also a programmer will reduce time while conducting an evaluation. Currently, Python, Perl, PoonerShell, and Bash are the critical languages in which you should keep at least a basic competency. Along with being fluent in these languages, you should have mastery over the keyboard so you can modify data in any format necessary to create that operational picture. 

7. Soft skills – public speaking, report writing, and being a team player

Every team member must be able to explain complicated concepts in a manner that even non-technical individuals can understand. Finding ways to practice your speaking and writing is a good idea if they are not your strongest areas. The highly talented technical wizards that everyone wants on their team but no one wants in front of a client are what one tends to avoid.

Even the most senior pen testing team members should be able to handle basic processes. Workflows will be more efficient when one is confident that one has the other’s best interests in mind.

See More: What Is a Security Vulnerability? Definition, Types, and Best Practices for Prevention

Penetration Tester Salary in 2022

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the employment outlook for the broader information security analysts is positive. The employment outlook for information security analysts is projected to expand 31% from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average projection for all professions. The optimistic forecast is based on the rising number of cyberattacks, which may negatively affect businesses like hospitals, banks, and other financial institutions that handle highly personal patient or customer data. 

Your location, experience, education, and certifications are just a few variables that will affect your pay as a penetration tester. Financial services and military contracts are two areas that frequently provide greater wages than others.

According to ZipRecruiter, the average annual income for penetration testing in the U.S. as of 15 June 2022 is $118,002. (as per June 15, 2022 data). That comes to around $56.73 per hour, in case you need a quick pay calculator. This amounts to $9,834 each month or $2,269 every week. The current range of penetration tester salaries in the United States is around $97,000 (25th percentile) and $132,500 (75th percentile), with high-income earners (90th percentile) earning $156,000 annually. 

ZipRecruiter estimates annual incomes between $63,000 and $178,500. There may be several prospects for progression and improved income depending on skill level, location, and years of experience. The typical salary range for a penetration tester can vary substantially (by as much as $35,500).

According to recent job posts on ZipRecruiter, there is a strong need for penetration testers in Chicago and Illinois. Chicago ranks first out of 50 states in the U.S. for penetration tester salaries. They are paid an average compensation of $121,448 annually. ZipRecruiter has determined the top 10 cities with the best-paying penetration tester jobs. San Mateo, California, is at the top of the list, followed closely by Daly City, California, and Berkeley, California. The average salary in these ten places is greater than the national average. Thus there are many options for a penetration tester to grow financially by moving. 

As a penetration tester, you will often receive various employee perks, such as bonuses, a corporate pension plan, private health insurance, a gym membership, and sponsored professional growth opportunities. Pen testers are highly sought after by businesses in all sectors because of their capacity to find vulnerabilities before a threat actor can.

See More: What Is Vulnerability Management? Definition, Lifecycle, Policy, and Best Practices

Takeaway

Today, there is a very high demand for penetration testers since it is one of the best ways to deal with zero-day threats. You can explore courses like CompTIA PenTest+, EC-Council Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), EC-Council Licensed Penetration Tester (LPT) Master, and others to learn how to become a penetration tester. These certification courses will prepare you with all the hard skills needed in a penetration tester job and give you a leg up in your career. 

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