What Is Penetration Testing? Complete Beginner Guide

Organizations depend on websites, applications, APIs, cloud infrastructure, networks and databases every day.

But how can an organization know whether its security controls actually work?

One important answer is penetration testing.

Penetration testing, often shortened to pentesting, is a structured form of security testing in which authorized testers assess whether weaknesses in a system can be used to compromise security.

NIST describes penetration testing as a methodology where assessors work under defined constraints and attempt to circumvent security features. NIST's guidance also covers planning, conducting and evaluating technical security assessments and developing mitigation strategies. (NIST Penetration Testing Glossary)

Important: Penetration testing must be authorized. Only test systems you own, deliberately vulnerable training environments, bug-bounty targets whose rules explicitly allow your activity, or systems covered by written permission and a defined scope.

This article explains penetration testing from the beginner level, including its purpose, types, methodology, phases, tools, reports, skills, career options and safe ways to practice.

What Is Penetration Testing?

Penetration testing is a controlled security assessment designed to identify and validate weaknesses in a system, application, network or environment.

The basic idea is:

Organization
      ↓
Defines Scope
      ↓
Authorizes Testing
      ↓
Security Tester
      ↓
Assesses Security
      ↓
Finds Potential Weaknesses
      ↓
Validates Findings Within Rules
      ↓
Reports Results
      ↓
Organization Remediates
      ↓
Retest

The purpose is not simply to "break into a system."

The purpose is to answer questions such as:

Can a security control be bypassed?
Can a vulnerability be exploited under the agreed test conditions?
How far could an attacker potentially progress?
What data or functionality could be affected?
Which controls prevented further access?
How should the organization fix the problem?

Why Do Organizations Perform Penetration Testing?

Security tools can identify potential weaknesses, but organizations also need to understand how those weaknesses behave in realistic attack scenarios.

Penetration testing can help an organization:

Validate security controls
Identify exploitable weaknesses
Understand attack paths
Assess the impact of security weaknesses
Verify whether security controls work as expected
Prioritize remediation
Improve security architecture
Support certain compliance or assurance activities

NIST SP 800-115 states that technical security testing can be used to find vulnerabilities and verify compliance with policies or other requirements. (NIST SP 800-115)

Penetration Testing in Simple Words

Imagine an organization asks a security team:

"Test our approved systems and tell us how an attacker might compromise them, but stay within these rules."

The testers then work within the agreed scope.

They identify systems, analyze services, look for weaknesses, validate findings where permitted, document evidence and report the results.

That is the basic concept of penetration testing.

Penetration Testing vs Vulnerability Assessment

These two activities are related but should not automatically be treated as identical.

Vulnerability Assessment	Penetration Testing
Identifies potential weaknesses	Can validate whether selected weaknesses can be exploited under defined constraints
Often broader coverage	Often more focused and deeper
Can rely substantially on automated scanning	Combines tools with human analysis and controlled testing
May produce many suspected findings	Can demonstrate practical security impact for selected findings
Useful for exposure identification	Useful for validating security under an agreed attack scenario

NIST's penetration-testing definition specifically describes attempting to circumvent or defeat security features under constraints. (NIST Glossary)

Penetration Testing vs Ethical Hacking

Ethical hacking is a broad term frequently used for authorized offensive-security activity.

Penetration testing is a more specific structured testing activity.

A simple way to remember the relationship is:

Cybersecurity
     ↓
Ethical Hacking
     ↓
Penetration Testing

This is a simplified conceptual hierarchy rather than a universal industry taxonomy.

What Is the Goal of a Penetration Test?

The goal depends on the engagement.

An organization may want to determine whether:

An external attacker can reach internal services
A web application can be compromised
Authentication controls can be bypassed
Authorization rules are enforced correctly
Sensitive information can be exposed
Security monitoring detects suspicious activity
Cloud configurations expose important resources
Network segmentation actually limits access

A good penetration test is therefore driven by business and security questions, not simply by running as many tools as possible.

Types of Penetration Testing

Penetration testing can be divided in several ways.

1. External Network Penetration Testing

The tester examines systems exposed to the internet within the approved scope.

Typical areas include:

Internet-facing services
Remote access systems
Public web applications
Exposed APIs
Public cloud endpoints

2. Internal Network Penetration Testing

This examines security from inside an organization's network.

The assessment may consider:

Internal services
Network segmentation
Authentication
Access controls
Endpoint exposure
Privilege boundaries

3. Web Application Penetration Testing

This focuses on websites and web applications.

Areas can include:

Authentication
Authorization
Session management
Input validation
Business logic
API interactions
Security configuration

OWASP's Web Security Testing Guide provides a structured reference for web application security testing. (OWASP WSTG)

4. API Penetration Testing

Modern applications frequently depend on APIs.

Testing may examine:

Authentication
Authorization
Input handling
Rate controls
Data exposure
Object-level access controls

5. Mobile Application Testing

This evaluates mobile applications and their communication with backend systems.

6. Cloud Penetration Testing

Cloud testing can involve identity, permissions, exposed services, storage, network controls and configuration.

Cloud providers may have specific rules governing security testing, so authorization and provider policies must always be checked.

7. Wireless Security Testing

This evaluates approved wireless infrastructure and security configurations.

8. Social Engineering Testing

Some organizations authorize controlled assessments of human security awareness.

Because real people are involved, the rules should be especially clear regarding targets, scenarios, data handling and prohibited actions.

Black Box vs White Box vs Gray Box Testing

Penetration tests can also be categorized by how much information the tester receives before testing begins.

Type	Tester Knowledge
Black Box	Limited information, similar to an external attacker perspective
White Box	Extensive information may be provided, such as architecture or source code
Gray Box	Some relevant internal knowledge is provided

The choice depends on what the organization wants to learn from the assessment.

Penetration Testing Methodology

A penetration test should follow a structured methodology.

NIST SP 800-115 describes phases for planning, conducting and evaluating technical security assessments. Its penetration-testing model includes planning, discovery, attack and reporting, with additional discovery potentially occurring during the assessment. (NIST SP 800-115)

A modern practical workflow can be represented as:

Planning
   ↓
Discovery
   ↓
Enumeration
   ↓
Vulnerability Analysis
   ↓
Controlled Validation
   ↓
Impact Assessment
   ↓
Reporting
   ↓
Remediation
   ↓
Retesting

Phase 1: Planning

Planning happens before technical testing begins.

The testing team and organization should establish:

Scope
Objectives
Authorized targets
Testing window
Permitted techniques
Prohibited techniques
Data-handling requirements
Emergency contacts
Reporting expectations

This is sometimes formalized in a Rules of Engagement (RoE) or another written testing agreement.

Planning is critical because an otherwise useful technical action can become an incident if it is performed against the wrong system or outside the agreed scope.

What Is Scope?

Scope defines what the penetration test is allowed to cover.

For example, a fictional scope could look like:

IN SCOPE
- test.example.com
- app.example.com
- 203.0.113.10

OUT OF SCOPE
- production payment system
- third-party infrastructure
- employee personal devices

The actual scope should come from the client or authorized owner.

Phase 2: Discovery

During discovery, the tester learns about the environment.

NIST describes discovery as including information gathering and scanning, such as identifying hosts, ports, services and other system information. (NIST SP 800-115 PDF)

Examples include:

Identifying authorized hosts
Finding available services
Understanding network architecture
Identifying technologies
Recording application endpoints

Tools such as Nmap may be useful during this phase.

Phase 3: Enumeration

Enumeration means collecting more detailed information about identified systems and services.

For an authorized target, a tester may investigate:

Service names
Version information
Application endpoints
Authentication mechanisms
Available features
Network relationships

The objective is to understand the attack surface.

Phase 4: Vulnerability Analysis

Next, the tester looks for potential weaknesses.

Sources of information can include:

Manual testing
Automated scanners
Configuration reviews
Public vulnerability databases
Application behavior
Source code, when provided

NIST notes that vulnerability analysis can involve comparing discovered services, applications and operating systems with vulnerability information, while human analysis can identify issues that automated scanners may miss. (NIST SP 800-115)

Phase 5: Controlled Validation

A potential vulnerability is not always a confirmed vulnerability.

A tester may need to determine whether the issue can actually produce the suspected security impact.

This is where controlled validation becomes important.

The validation must remain within the authorized rules.

A tester should avoid unnecessary:

Data modification
Data destruction
Service disruption
Privacy exposure
Access to unrelated systems

NIST's penetration-testing methodology describes the attack phase as verifying potential vulnerabilities by attempting to exploit them under the test conditions. (NIST SP 800-115)

Phase 6: Impact Assessment

Finding a weakness is only part of the analysis.

The tester should determine what the weakness could actually affect.

For example:

Weakness
   ↓
Possible Exploitation
   ↓
Access Obtained
   ↓
Affected Resource
   ↓
Business / Security Impact

Impact might involve:

Confidentiality
Integrity
Availability
Privacy
Business operations
Regulatory exposure

Phase 7: Reporting

A professional penetration test ends with a report.

The report should make the findings understandable to the people responsible for fixing them.

A typical finding can contain:

Finding title
Severity or risk information
Affected asset
Description
Evidence
Impact
Reproduction information appropriate to the engagement
Remediation guidance
References

Example Finding Structure

Finding:
Insufficient Access Control

Affected Asset:
Authorized test application

Description:
The application did not consistently enforce
access restrictions for a tested resource.

Impact:
An unauthorized user may gain access to
information outside their permitted scope.

Recommendation:
Enforce authorization checks on the server
for every protected resource and action.

Retest:
Verify that unauthorized requests are denied.

A useful report separates evidence from assumptions and explains the remediation clearly.

Phase 8: Remediation

After the report, the organization should address the findings.

Examples of remediation include:

Updating vulnerable software
Changing insecure configurations
Improving authentication controls
Fixing authorization logic
Restricting unnecessary network access
Improving security monitoring
Removing unused services

Phase 9: Retesting

After remediation, the tester may perform a retest.

The purpose is to verify whether the reported issue has been addressed.

Finding
   ↓
Fix
   ↓
Retest
   ↓
Fixed? ─── No → Further Remediation
   |
  Yes
   ↓
Close Finding

This makes penetration testing more useful than simply publishing a list of vulnerabilities.

What Tools Are Used in Penetration Testing?

There is no single penetration-testing tool.

Different tools serve different purposes.

Tool	Typical Use
Nmap	Network discovery and service identification
Wireshark	Network traffic analysis
Burp Suite	Web application testing
OWASP ZAP	Web application security testing
Metasploit	Controlled security validation and testing
Gobuster	Authorized content/resource discovery
Security scanners	Automated identification of potential weaknesses

Tool selection should depend on the scope and the security question being investigated.

Automation vs Manual Testing

Modern penetration testing commonly combines both.

Automated Testing

Automation can quickly inspect large numbers of assets or detect common patterns.

Manual Testing

Human analysis is important for:

Business logic
Context
Unexpected behavior
Access-control relationships
Prioritization
Interpreting false positives

NIST notes that manual vulnerability-analysis processes can identify new or obscure vulnerabilities that automated scanners may miss, although manual analysis can be significantly slower. (NIST SP 800-115)

Web Application Penetration Testing

Web application testing is one of the most common areas beginners encounter.

Before testing a web application, understand:

HTTP requests and responses
Headers
Cookies
Sessions
Authentication
Authorization
APIs
Databases
JavaScript
Server-side processing

OWASP's Web Security Testing Guide organizes web security testing into areas including information gathering, configuration and deployment management, identity management, authentication, authorization, session management, input validation and other security categories. (OWASP WSTG)

Network Penetration Testing

Network penetration testing generally examines network-accessible systems and services.

Typical concepts include:

Network discovery
Port identification
Service identification
Firewall behavior
Segmentation
Remote-access services
Configuration review

A beginner can start by learning Nmap in a local lab and understanding why particular ports are exposed.

Internal vs External Testing

             Organization
                  |
       +----------+----------+
       |                     |
    Internet               Internal
       |                     |
 External Test            Internal Test
       |                     |
 Public Exposure       Internal Controls

External testing focuses on what an outside attacker might reach.

Internal testing focuses on what an attacker or compromised device might do after gaining an internal foothold.

The two tests answer different security questions.

Penetration Testing and Risk

A penetration test should not only say:

"This vulnerability exists."

It should help answer:

What is affected, how serious is it, what could happen, and what should be fixed first?

A simplified risk model is:

Likelihood
    +
Impact
    ↓
Risk Context
    ↓
Remediation Priority

Actual risk-assessment methods can be much more detailed than this simplified model.

Severity vs Business Impact

Technical severity and business impact are related but not always identical.

For example:

System A: Important vulnerability on a temporary test server.

System B: Similar technical issue on a critical business application.

The business context of System B may make remediation much more urgent.

A strong penetration-testing report therefore includes context rather than presenting technical severity in isolation.

What Is a Rules of Engagement Document?

A Rules of Engagement (RoE) document defines how the penetration test should be conducted.

It can specify:

Scope
Testing dates
Permitted methods
Prohibited methods
Source IP addresses
Emergency contacts
Data-handling requirements
Notification procedures
Third-party restrictions

The exact structure varies by organization and engagement.

Why Scope Is So Important

Suppose an organization owns:

app.example.com
api.example.com
mail.example.com

But only these are authorized:

app.example.com
api.example.com

The security tester should not assume that mail.example.com is included just because it belongs to the same organization.

This is why scope must be clear before testing starts.

Common Penetration Testing Standards and Methodologies

Different organizations use different frameworks and methodologies.

Examples include:

NIST SP 800-115
OWASP Web Security Testing Guide
OSSTMM
PTES
Organization-specific testing methodologies

There is no single methodology that fits every penetration test.

NIST SP 800-115 provides recommendations for planning and conducting technical security assessments rather than claiming to be a complete testing program for every environment. (NIST SP 800-115)

Penetration Testing vs Security Audit

These activities can overlap, but they have different purposes.

Security Audit	Penetration Test
Examines compliance, controls and processes	Tests security against defined attack scenarios
May focus strongly on documentation and control requirements	Focuses strongly on practical security behavior
Can be evidence-oriented	Can include active technical testing

Penetration Testing and Compliance

Some organizations conduct penetration testing to satisfy internal assurance requirements or support regulatory and contractual obligations.

However, penetration testing should not be reduced to a compliance checkbox.

The real technical value comes from finding meaningful weaknesses, understanding their impact and improving the security of the environment.

What Skills Are Needed for Penetration Testing?

1. Networking

TCP/IP
Ports
DNS
Routing
Firewalls
Network services

2. Linux

Command line
Permissions
Processes
Networking
Logs
Shell scripting

3. Windows

Windows administration
PowerShell
Services
Permissions
Enterprise concepts

4. Web Technologies

HTTP
HTML
JavaScript
Cookies
Sessions
APIs
Databases

5. Programming

Python is useful for automation and scripting. Basic JavaScript and SQL are particularly useful for web application security.

6. Security Fundamentals

Authentication
Authorization
Cryptography
Vulnerabilities
Threats
Risk

7. Reporting

A security tester should be able to explain technical problems clearly.

Do Penetration Testers Need Programming?

Advanced programming is not mandatory for every entry-level penetration-testing role.

However, programming becomes increasingly useful for:

Automation
Custom tooling
Application analysis
Data processing
Security research
Understanding application internals

A practical beginner combination is:

Python
+
Bash
+
SQL
+
Basic JavaScript

Safe Penetration Testing Practice

Beginners should not practice by scanning random internet systems.

Use controlled environments instead.

Good Practice Options

Your own computer
Virtual machines
Intentionally vulnerable applications
Security training platforms
Capture-the-flag environments
Authorized bug-bounty targets
Systems covered by written permission

For example, you can practice Nmap against your own machine:

nmap 127.0.0.1

For web security, you can deploy an intentionally vulnerable local application and test it inside your own lab.

Simple Penetration Testing Lab

                 Your Computer
                       |
             +---------+---------+
             |                   |
          Tester VM          Target VM
             |                   |
             +---------+---------+
                       |
                Practice Network

The target should be deliberately configured for security practice.

This gives you an environment where you can learn without affecting unrelated systems.

Example Beginner Lab Workflow

You could create two virtual machines:

VM 1 → Security Testing Machine
VM 2 → Deliberately Vulnerable Lab Machine

Then follow this conceptual process:

Identify Target
      ↓
Discover Services
      ↓
Understand Application
      ↓
Identify Potential Weaknesses
      ↓
Validate Safely
      ↓
Document
      ↓
Fix
      ↓
Retest

The important learning outcome is understanding the complete process rather than memorizing attack commands.

What Is a Penetration Testing Report?

A penetration-testing report is the formal record of the assessment.

A professional report often includes:

Executive Summary

A high-level explanation for management.

Scope

What was tested and what was excluded.

Methodology

How the assessment was performed.

Findings

Detailed vulnerabilities and evidence.

Risk Analysis

How the issues affect the organization.

Recommendations

How the organization can reduce or eliminate the risk.

Retest Results

Whether previously reported issues were fixed.

What Makes a Good Finding?

A useful finding should answer five questions:

1. What is wrong?
2. Where is it happening?
3. What evidence proves it?
4. Why does it matter?
5. How should it be fixed?

This simple structure can make technical security reports much easier to understand.

False Positives in Penetration Testing

Security tools can report potential issues that do not actually represent exploitable vulnerabilities.

This is called a false positive.

For example, an automated scanner might flag a software version as potentially vulnerable, but a specific deployment could have additional protections or configurations that change the actual risk.

Human analysis is therefore important.

What Is a False Negative?

A false negative occurs when a real problem exists but a testing process fails to identify it.

This is one reason why security testing should not rely on a single automated scanner.

Combining:

Automated Testing
+
Manual Analysis
+
Configuration Review
+
Application Understanding

can produce more meaningful assessment results.

Common Penetration Testing Mistakes

1. Testing Without Authorization

The most serious beginner mistake is assuming that publicly accessible systems are fair targets.

2. Ignoring Scope

Never assume that every asset belonging to a company is included.

3. Running Tools Without Understanding Them

A command can create unexpected traffic or impact systems.

4. Treating Every Scanner Finding as Confirmed

Potential vulnerabilities require analysis.

5. Ignoring Business Context

A technical finding should be understood in relation to the affected asset and organization.

6. Focusing Only on Exploitation

Discovery, reporting, remediation and retesting are equally important.

7. Poor Documentation

Without good evidence, it can be difficult for an organization to reproduce and fix a finding.

What Is Retesting?

Retesting is the follow-up process used to verify that a previously reported security issue has been addressed.

Example:

Initial Test
   ↓
Vulnerability Found
   ↓
Developer Fix
   ↓
Retest
   ↓
Still Vulnerable?
  /        \
Yes        No
 |          |
Fix Again   Close

Retesting provides stronger evidence than simply assuming a fix worked.

How Penetration Testing Supports Secure Development

Penetration testing can be part of a broader software-development security process.

A simplified model is:

Design
  ↓
Develop
  ↓
Code Review
  ↓
Security Testing
  ↓
Deploy
  ↓
Monitor
  ↓
Penetration Test
  ↓
Improve

Security should ideally be considered throughout the software lifecycle rather than only at the very end.

Penetration Testing in DevSecOps

Modern development teams often integrate security into development and deployment processes.

This can involve:

Secure coding
Dependency scanning
Secret detection
Static analysis
Dynamic testing
Infrastructure checks
Container security
Periodic penetration testing

Penetration testing is therefore one component of a larger security strategy.

Penetration Testing Career Path

A beginner can gradually build the following foundation:

Computer Fundamentals
        ↓
Networking
        ↓
Linux
        ↓
Windows
        ↓
Python / Scripting
        ↓
HTTP / Web
        ↓
Security Fundamentals
        ↓
Nmap
        ↓
Web Security
        ↓
Security Labs
        ↓
Penetration Testing
        ↓
Specialization
        ↓
Professional Portfolio

Possible Penetration Testing Specializations

Web application penetration testing
API security testing
Network penetration testing
Cloud security testing
Mobile security testing
Active Directory assessments
Red team operations
Security research

You do not need to specialize immediately.

Build the fundamentals first and then discover which area interests you most.

Certifications for Penetration Testing

Certifications can provide structured learning and, depending on the credential, demonstrate particular knowledge or practical capabilities.

Potential learning paths include certifications focused on:

Security fundamentals
Networking
Entry-level cybersecurity
Web application security
Hands-on penetration testing
Advanced offensive security

Before purchasing a certification, compare:

Current syllabus
Hands-on requirements
Exam format
Prerequisites
Cost
Renewal requirements
Relevance to your target role

How to Build a Penetration Testing Portfolio

You can build a portfolio without testing real-world targets without permission.

Good portfolio items include:

Home lab documentation
Authorized network-assessment reports
Web-security lab write-ups
Python security utilities
Log-analysis projects
Vulnerability reports
Secure configuration projects
CTF write-ups from permitted environments

For each project, show:

Objective
Scope
Environment
Methodology
Tools
Observations
Finding
Impact
Remediation
Retest
Lessons Learned

Example Portfolio Project

Consider a local web-security lab.

Your documentation could say:

Project:
Authorized Web Application Security Assessment

Environment:
Local deliberately vulnerable application

Objective:
Identify security weaknesses and document
their impact and remediation.

Activities:
Application mapping
Authentication review
Authorization review
Input validation review
Session-management review

Result:
Documented findings and remediation guidance.

Outcome:
Retested the application after applying fixes.

This is a much stronger portfolio story than simply listing a few security tools.

How Beginners Can Practice Penetration Testing Safely

Start with the simplest environment possible.

Level 1

Use your own computer and learn basic networking.

Level 2

Create Linux and Windows virtual machines.

Level 3

Deploy intentionally vulnerable applications.

Level 4

Practice structured assessments and reporting.

Level 5

Explore authorized training platforms and specialized labs.

This approach lets you develop skills without exposing unrelated systems to testing activity.

Important Legal and Ethical Principle

Penetration testing exists because security professionals have authorization to test a system.

Without that authorization, the same technical actions can become unauthorized access or interference.

NIST distinguishes penetration testing as a controlled security-testing activity, while unauthorized attempts to gain access are treated separately in cybersecurity terminology. (NIST — Intrusion)

The practical rule is:

Permission + Scope + Rules + Documentation = Responsible Security Testing

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is penetration testing in simple terms?

Penetration testing is authorized security testing in which a tester evaluates whether weaknesses in a system can be used to compromise its security under defined constraints.

2. What does a penetration tester do?

A penetration tester plans an assessment, discovers assets, analyzes services and applications, identifies and validates security weaknesses within scope, documents evidence and recommends remediation.

3. Is penetration testing the same as ethical hacking?

They are closely related, but penetration testing is a more specific structured form of authorized security testing.

4. Is penetration testing legal?

Authorized penetration testing can be legitimate, but testing without appropriate permission can create legal, contractual and operational problems. Always obtain authorization and understand the scope.

5. Do penetration testers need programming?

Programming is not required at the same depth for every role, but Python, Bash, SQL and JavaScript can be very useful.

6. Do I need Kali Linux?

No. Kali Linux is a convenient security-testing environment, but it is not a prerequisite for learning penetration testing.

7. Is Nmap enough to perform a penetration test?

No. Nmap is useful for network discovery and service identification, but penetration testing involves planning, analysis, validation, reporting and remediation in addition to tool usage.

8. Is vulnerability scanning the same as penetration testing?

No. Vulnerability scanning identifies potential weaknesses, while penetration testing can include controlled validation of selected weaknesses and their security impact.

9. Can I practice penetration testing on Google or random websites?

No. Do not assume that public accessibility provides authorization. Use your own lab, training environments or targets explicitly covered by permission.

10. What is black-box penetration testing?

Black-box testing generally means the tester has limited knowledge about the target before testing begins.

11. What is white-box penetration testing?

White-box testing generally gives the tester extensive information about the target, potentially including architecture or source code.

12. What is gray-box penetration testing?

Gray-box testing provides some internal information while still requiring the tester to discover additional information through assessment.

13. Why is penetration testing important?

It can help organizations identify and validate weaknesses, understand possible attack paths, assess security controls and prioritize remediation.

14. What happens after a penetration test?

Findings are documented and reported, the organization remediates relevant issues, and a retest may be performed to verify the fixes.

15. Is a penetration testing certification necessary?

Requirements vary by employer and role. Certifications can be useful, but practical skills, technical understanding, projects and reporting ability also matter.

Final Thoughts

Penetration testing is much more than running a collection of security tools.

A professional assessment follows a structured process:

Plan → Discover → Analyze → Validate → Assess Impact → Report → Remediate → Retest

NIST's security-testing guidance emphasizes planning, conducting and evaluating technical assessments, while its penetration-testing definition focuses on attempting to circumvent security features under defined constraints. (NIST SP 800-115)

For beginners, the strongest starting point is not advanced exploitation.

Start with:

Networking → Linux → Windows → Web Technologies → Security Fundamentals → Nmap → Security Labs → Reporting

Then gradually develop deeper skills in the specialization that interests you.

And throughout the process, remember the most important rule of penetration testing:

Never test a system simply because you can. Test only when you are authorized to do so.

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