How to Conduct a Simple Penetration Test

If you’re starting out in cybersecurity or just completed a Cyber Security Weekend Course in Thane , understanding how to perform a basic penetration test is a crucial step in building your skills. A penetration test, or pentest, is a simulated cyberattack used to identify vulnerabilities in a system before real hackers can exploit them. Let’s break down how to conduct a simple penetration test at home or in a lab setup without needing an enterprise-level budget. 1. Define the Scope and Objective Start by setting clear boundaries. Decide what you're testing: A specific website? A local network? A standalone application? Clearly define your goals, whether it's testing login security, checking firewall rules, or identifying weak configurations. Document these so your testing doesn’t accidentally cross legal or ethical boundaries. 2. Reconnaissance (Information Gathering) This is where you gather as much data as possible about the target: Use whois to find domain registration det...