Penetration Tester

Penetration testers, or pen testers, are considered white hat or good hackers. They help identify weaknesses in an organization's network and help them improve their security practices to prevent theft and damage. Pen testers target traditional operating systems and devices as well as emerging technology, including Internet of Things (IoT) devices, mobile devices, embedded systems and more. Pen testers apply appropriate tools for penetration testing; perform social engineering tests; review physical security where appropriate; keep up to date with latest testing and hacking methods; collect data and deploy testing methodology; locate, assess and manage vulnerabilities; make suggestions for security improvements and prepare technical responses to security questions. If you like to scope out vulnerabilities in your network and stop cybercriminals in their tracks, then Pen Testers may be a good next step for you.Job titles related to penetration testers include application security analyst, lead security analyst, security analyst, and vulnerability assessment analyst.This program prepares students to take the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA®) A+, Network+, Security+, Linux+, and PenTest+ certification exams and a career as a penetration tester. Students learn how to install, configure, and troubleshoot PCs, mobile devices and networks as well as the theory, principles, technologies, and operations of computer networking. Students also learn how to implement and manage network security to protect against threats, risks, and attacks and perform vulnerability assessments and audits. In addition, students learn to install, configure, and manage the Linux operating system as well as analyze, troubleshoot, and diagnose system properties and optimize system performance. Finally, this program covers how to use various tools to exploit network-based and host-based system vulnerabilities and to develop mitigation strategies for vulnerabilities that are discovered based on best practices.Successful candidates must be self-driven, an analytical thinker, and a problem solver as well as have exceptional planning and project management skills and can work both independently and as a team member. This career requires continued training and education.According to the U.S. Department of Labor, overall employment of penetration testers is projected to grow 19% from 2022 to 2032 in Maryland. Projected annual job openings in Maryland are 1,640. The salary range in Maryland is $78,220 - $172,060 with a median wage of $135,740. Additional career information may be found in Career Coach:https://ccbcmd.lightcastcc.com/

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