Penetration Testing Best Practices: 4 Steps to Getting the Most Value from Your Program

Do you want to build a penetration testing program? This best practices guide outlines key elements of success and requirements, including:

1. The Plan
   • Key elements of the plan
   • Focus on this goal
   • Considerations as you build a team
   • Implications of team structure
   • Role of contingency planning
2. Scanning and Assessment
   • Use automated scanning in these ways
   • How to find the most important vulnerabilities
   • 4 key elements of a vulnerability landscape
   • How to prioritize pentesting targets
3. Preparing for Risk-Based Remediation
   • Program maturity implications
   • Ways to verify high-risk vulnerabilities
   • Timeframe for remediation by severity level
   • Ownership and approval roles
4. Reporting and Continuous Improvement
   • Avoid these ineffective tracking tools
   • The value of report automation
   • Tips to ensure continuous improvement