How to Become a Penetration Tester?

Today, penetration testers are in high demand due to the rising prevalence of cyberattacks. As high-profile security breaches become more frequent, sophisticated, and complex, the chances of becoming the target of a successful hack are also increasing rapidly. To mitigate these security risks and prevent data breaches, organizations rely on penetration testers to identify and fix security vulnerabilities in their systems and networks.

EC-Council’s Certified Penetration Testing Professional (C|PENT) certification is a cutting-edge, multidisciplinary program that trains participants to meet the latest cybersecurity challenges and prepares them for a variety of career paths. The curriculum covers a wide range of topics, including advanced Windows attacks, penetration testing in Internet of Things (IoT) and operational technology (OT) systems, bypassing filtered networks, writing exploits, single and double pivoting to access hidden networks, advanced privilege escalation, and binary exploitation.

What is Penetration Testing?

Penetration tests, also known as pen tests, are authentic but simulated cyberattacks used to assess an organization’s security infrastructure—including web-based applications, systems, and networks—to detect actual and potential vulnerabilities. Pen tests are often part of ethical hacking .

Pen testers use strategies and methodologies similar to those used by malicious hackers, but without the intent to cause harm. With the target organization’s permission, penetration testers apply hacking tools and techniques to break into protected applications and networks and probe for security vulnerabilities. Organizations can then implement the findings from penetration tests to repair identified weaknesses and fine-tune their security policies and procedures.

Penetration testers are in short supply, and demand is only getting higher. Organizations hire penetration testers to strengthen their information security by detecting and mitigating system vulnerabilities before unscrupulous hackers can exploit them. These precautions lower the risk of cyberattacks, which can be costly and damaging to a company’s reputation. Penetration testers frequently work in teams to collaborate on developing new tests that simulate cybercrimes. These professionals are trained to spot application vulnerabilities and analyze the physical security of computer systems, servers, and network devices.

Why Does Your Organization Need a Penetration Tester?

Even if an organization has implemented all recommended security measures, there’s no guarantee that its IT infrastructure is safe from cyberthreats—it’s also important to apply advanced preventive security strategies. Building and maintaining a strong cyber defense system means regularly testing current and proposed security plans and measures.

Penetration testing is an essential part of an organization’s overall cybersecurity strategy. Trained and certified penetration testers can:

• Reduce network downtime.
• Uncover vulnerabilities before cybercriminals exploit them
• Initiate a highly efficient security measure
• Facilitate regulatory compliance
• Protect their company’s reputation and solidify customer trust

Explore the C|PENT certification to learn more about the value that professional penetration testers can provide to organizations.

What is the Average Salary of a Penetration Tester?

Several factors affect the earning capabilities of a penetration tester, most importantly experience, location, education, and qualifications. The average annual salary for a penetration tester in the United States is USD 87,845, with mid-career and experienced professionals making upwards of USD 100,000 (PayScale, 2022). Similarly, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS; 2022) reports that information security analysts earned a median annual income of USD 103,590 in 2020.

Employment of information security analysts is anticipated to grow by 33% between 2020 and 2030—much faster than average, according to the BLS (2022). Demand for qualified penetration testers is only expected to rise in the future as more industries go digital, increasing the need for new and creative solutions to prevent hackers from accessing sensitive information.

The following table lists the average salary for a penetration tester in various locations around the world.

The following are the average salaries listed based on locations:

How to Become a Penetration Tester?

Certified Penetration Testing Professional

The C|PENT program is a comprehensive course with an innovative and multidisciplinary curriculum that helps cybersecurity professionals polish their skills and gain proficiency in performing effective penetration tests in real-world enterprise network environments. The program covers advanced Windows attacks, IoT and OT system hacking, bypassing filtered networks, exploit writing, single and double pivoting, advanced privilege escalation, and binary exploitation.

Certified Ethical Hacker

The Certified Ethical Hacker (C|EH) credential is designed to equip security officers, site administrators, auditors, cybersecurity professionals, and other cybersecurity enthusiasts with ethical hacking skills. EC-Council’s C|EH program is the world’s most comprehensive ethical hacking course, designed to help information security professionals grasp the fundamentals of ethical hacking from a vendor-neutral perspective.

The C|EH course teaches participants how to assess an organization’s security posture by identifying vulnerabilities in its network and system infrastructure and mitigating the risks of unauthorized intrusions. For more details, visit the C|EH course page.

Licensed Penetration tester (Master)

EC-Council’s Licensed Penetration Tester (L|PT) credential separates good penetration testers from truly great ones. To earn the prestigious L|PT (Master) certification, candidates must score at least 90% on the C|PENT exam: a highly demanding, proctored challenge that requires penetration testers to put their knowledge to the test in a live environment.

This rigorous, expert-designed assessment tests participants’ penetration testing skills against a multi-layered network architecture with defense-in-depth controls over three intense levels, each containing three time-bound challenges. The L|PT (Master) credential shows that a penetration tester has proved their ability to make informed decisions while choosing their approach and exploits under intense pressure at critical stages.

Since the L|PT (Master) is achieved by scoring 90% or above on the C|PENT exam, those who obtain this credential will also earn the C|PENT certification, offering a unique opportunity to obtain two prestigious EC-Council certifications in one. Find out what it takes to join the ranks of elite penetration testers on the L|PT (Master) course page .