Key Phases of a Penetration Test

Initial access

occurs when the attacker exploits a vulnerability to gain access to the organization’s network

Privilege escalation

uses hacking techniques to shift from the initial access gained by the attacker to more advanced privileges, such as root access on the same system

Pivoting, or lateral movement

occurs as the attacker uses the initial system compromise to gain access to other systems on the target network

Attackers establish persistence

on compromised networks by installing backdoors and using other mechanisms that will allow them to regain access to the network, even if the initial vulnerability is patched