Introduction

For those who are interested in learning how to do Penetration Testing there are many tools available, but very few targets to practice against safely not to mention legally. For many, learning penetration tactics has been through attacking systems on the Internet. While this might provide a wealth of opportunities and targets, it is also quite illegal. Many people have gone to jail, or paid huge amounts of money in fines and restitution all for hacking Internet sites.

The only real option available to those who want to learn penetration testing legally is to create a penetration test lab. For many, especially people new to networking, this can be a daunting task. Moreover, there is the added difficulty of creating real-world scenarios to practice against, especially for those who do not know what a real-world scenario might look like. These obstacles often are daunting enough to discourage many from learning how to pentest.

This appendix will discuss how to set up different penetration test labs, as well as provide scenarios that mimic the real world, giving you the opportunity to learn (or improve) the skills that professional penetration testers use. By the end, you will have hands-on experience performing penetration tests on real servers. For those who are concerned that this topic may be difficult to grasp, this Appendix is intended for beginners, experts, and even management, so do not hesitate to dig into this topic and try your hand at creating a penetration test lab and practicing your pentest skills.