Pentest Checklist

Purpose

Provide a comprehensive checklist for planning, executing, and following up on penetration tests. Ensure thorough preparation, proper scoping, and effective remediation of discovered vulnerabilities.

Inputs/Prerequisites

• •Clear business objectives for testing
• •Target environment information
• •Budget and timeline constraints
• •Stakeholder contacts and authorization
• •Legal agreements and scope documents

Outputs/Deliverables

• •Defined pentest scope and objectives
• •Prepared testing environment
• •Security monitoring data
• •Vulnerability findings report
• •Remediation plan and verification

Core Workflow

Phase 1: Scope Definition

Define Objectives

• • Clarify testing purpose - Determine goals (find vulnerabilities, compliance, customer assurance)
• • Validate pentest necessity - Ensure penetration test is the right solution
• • Align outcomes with objectives - Define success criteria

Reference Questions:

• •Why are you doing this pentest?
• •What specific outcomes do you expect?
• •What will you do with the findings?

Know Your Test Types

Enumerate Likely Threats

• • Identify high-risk areas - Where could damage occur?
• • Assess data sensitivity - What data could be compromised?
• • Review legacy systems - Old systems often have vulnerabilities
• • Map critical assets - Prioritize testing targets

Define Scope

• • List in-scope systems - IPs, domains, applications
• • Define out-of-scope items - Systems to avoid
• • Set testing boundaries - What techniques are allowed?
• • Document exclusions - Third-party systems, production data

Budget Planning

Budget Reality Check:

• •Cheap pentests often produce poor results
• •Align budget with asset criticality
• •Consider ongoing vs. one-time testing

Phase 2: Environment Preparation

Prepare Test Environment

• • Production vs. staging decision - Determine where to test
• • Set testing limits - No DoS on production
• • Schedule testing window - Minimize business impact
• • Create test accounts - Provide appropriate access levels

Environment Options:

Production  - Realistic but risky
Staging     - Safer but may differ from production
Clone       - Ideal but resource-intensive

Run Preliminary Scans

• • Execute vulnerability scanners - Find known issues first
• • Fix obvious vulnerabilities - Don't waste pentest time
• • Document existing issues - Share with testers

Common Pre-Scan Tools:

# Network vulnerability scan
nmap -sV --script vuln TARGET

# Web vulnerability scan
nikto -h http://TARGET

Review Security Policy

• • Verify compliance requirements - GDPR, PCI-DSS, HIPAA
• • Document data handling rules - Sensitive data procedures
• • Confirm legal authorization - Get written permission

Notify Hosting Provider

• • Check provider policies - What testing is allowed?
• • Submit authorization requests - AWS, Azure, GCP requirements
• • Document approvals - Keep records

Cloud Provider Policies:

• •AWS: https://aws.amazon.com/security/penetration-testing/
• •Azure: https://docs.microsoft.com/security/pentest
• •GCP: https://cloud.google.com/security/overview

Freeze Developments

• • Stop deployments during testing - Maintain consistent environment
• • Document current versions - Record system states
• • Avoid critical patches - Unless security emergency

Phase 3: Expertise Selection

Find Qualified Pentesters

• • Seek recommendations - Ask trusted sources
• • Verify credentials - OSCP, GPEN, CEH, CREST
• • Check references - Talk to previous clients
• • Match expertise to scope - Web, network, mobile specialists

Evaluation Criteria:

Define Methodology

• • Select testing standard - PTES, OWASP, NIST
• • Determine access level - Black box, gray box, white box
• • Agree on techniques - Manual vs. automated t