Introduction

Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose. Sometimes it's all about the game. Security testing is all about the game. Without trying to borrow too much from sports, it's really about being in the zone. It's when the data reveals itself to you smoother than silk on silk all systems roll out in front of you like that all-inviting red carpet and while you stroll down the line, doors pop open everywhere you look. As you glide into the final stretch, you look back and all the weaknesses of the entire security presence are lit before you, perfectly structured in a pattern like the lights of an office tower after dark.

Sometimes though, it's like being stuck in a Dr. Seuss book with all sorts of bizarre characters, roads that fold back on themselves, and doors floating in the sky that go underground. The path becomes a labyrinth, and your way is easily lost as all your tools begin to fail. You follow the westward descent of the sun only to find that upon turning around, all that was visible is now blocked by your own shadow.

It's all about the game. Hide and go seek is one of those games we play because it's fun with its elements of surprise and stealth. As you get older, the game becomes a balance of speed and escape for most players and much less about actually hiding. Can I hide well enough that someone else will get caught before I am found? Who...