A Management Guide to Penetration Testing

Penetration tests are an excellent method for determining the strengths and weaknesses of a network consisting of computers and network devices. However, the process of performing a penetration test is complex, and without care can have disastrous effects on the systems being tested. This paper provides guidance, primarily focused around planning and management, on how to conduct a penetration test comprised of five phases - Preparation, Public Information, Planning, Execution and Analysis and Reporting.

However, due to the technical and sometimes sensitive nature of penetration testing only a cursory overview how to compromise a system is provided.