Objectives

In a penetration test, there are implied boundaries. Depending on the breadth and scope of your testing, you may be limited to testing a certain number or type of host, or you may be free to test anything your client owns or operates. (See Chapters 2 and 5 for more information on Penetration Testing and Auditing with Netcat.)

To properly scan and identify systems, you need to know what the end state is for your assessment. Once the scanning and enumeration are complete, you should:

▪ Be able to identify the purpose and type of the target systems, that is, what they are and what they do

▪ Have specific information about the versions of the services that are running on the systems

▪ Have a concise list of targets and services which will directly feed into further penetration test activities