As a Penetration Tester, or Red Team member, your primary role is to conduct simulated cyber attacks and penetration tests to evaluate the security posture of the organization’s systems, applications, and networks. Here’s an outline of your responsibilities:

1. Simulated Cyber Attacks: Emulate the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) of real-world attackers to launch simulated cyber attacks against the organization’s infrastructure. This includes exploiting vulnerabilities in systems, applications, and networks to gain unauthorized access or extract sensitive information.
2. Vulnerability Assessment: Identify and assess vulnerabilities and weaknesses in the organization’s IT assets, including servers, databases, web applications, and network devices. This involves using automated scanning tools, manual testing techniques, and exploit frameworks to uncover security flaws.
3. Exploitation and Post-Exploitation: Exploit identified vulnerabilities to gain access to target systems and networks. Once access is achieved, conduct post-exploitation activities such as privilege escalation, lateral movement, and data exfiltration to demonstrate the potential impact of a real cyber attack.
4. Social Engineering: Employ social engineering techniques, such as phishing emails, pretexting, and physical intrusion, to test the organization’s employees, processes, and physical security controls. Assess the effectiveness of security awareness training and employee vigilance in detecting and thwarting social engineering attacks.
5. Reporting and Recommendations: Document findings, including exploited vulnerabilities, compromised systems, and potential security risks, in a comprehensive penetration test report. Provide actionable recommendations to remediate identified security issues and improve the organization’s overall security posture.
6. Collaboration with Blue Team: Work closely with the organization’s defensive security team, or Blue Team, to coordinate penetration testing activities and share insights into attack techniques and vulnerabilities discovered during testing. This collaboration helps improve defensive controls and incident response capabilities.
7. Continuous Learning and Skill Development: Stay updated on the latest security threats, attack techniques, and defensive strategies through ongoing training, certifications, and participation in industry conferences and events. Continuously enhance your technical skills and expertise to effectively emulate advanced cyber threats during penetration testing engagements.

• Relevant industry certifications are preferred such as:
  • Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
  • GIAC Penetration Tester (GPEN)
  • Certified Penetration Tester (CPT)
  • Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP)
  • Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
  • Certified Expert Penetration Tester (CEPT)
  • Certified Red Team Operator (CRTOP)
  • EC-Council Certified Security Analyst (ECSA)