CISP-PTE Penetration Testing Engineer key terms

The agreed operational conditions for an assessment, including assets, timing, permitted methods, stop conditions, communication and evidence handling, interpreted with the actual authorization and contract.

A report section presenting material findings and business consequences for decision makers, with scope and uncertainty made clear rather than substituting unsupported certainty for technical evidence.

A separately scoped verification of a reported remediation and relevant behavior, which does not automatically establish that every unrelated system weakness has been removed.

A source consulted without direct probing of the assessed target under the stated contact model, whose data can still be outdated, incomplete or wrongly attributed.

Collecting information about services, identities, resources or configuration within authorization, requiring qualified interpretation of what the observed responses actually establish.

A reported service identifier or descriptive response that can support investigation but is not by itself proof of an installed vulnerable component or exploitable path.

A code injection technique that exploits vulnerabilities in an application's database layer by inserting malicious SQL statements through user input, potentially exposing or altering data.

A vulnerability where an attacker injects malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users, potentially stealing cookies or session tokens.

Checking supplied data against expected type, size, format and range. It supports robust handling but does not replace parameterization, context-aware output handling or authorization controls.

The process of identifying, acquiring, testing, and installing software updates (patches) to fix vulnerabilities and improve system security.

A security solution that continuously monitors endpoint devices for suspicious activity, provides forensic data, and enables automated response to threats.

A program that detects, prevents, and removes malicious software (malware) from computer systems, often using signature-based and heuristic methods.

The process of securing a system by reducing its attack surface, such as disabling unnecessary services, closing unused ports, and applying secure configurations.

The principle that users and systems should be granted only the minimum access rights necessary to perform their tasks, reducing the potential damage from accidents or malicious activity.

A control that divides critical tasks among different individuals so that no single person can complete a sensitive action alone, helping to prevent fraud and errors.

An access control model where permissions are assigned to roles rather than individual users, and users are assigned to roles based on their job responsibilities.

An authentication method that requires two or more independent credentials from different categories (something you know, have, or are) to verify a user's identity.

The process of verifying the identity of a user, device, or system, typically through credentials such as passwords, tokens, or biometrics.

The process of determining what actions or resources an authenticated entity is permitted to access, often enforced through access control policies.

A mechanism that allows a user to log in once and access multiple applications or systems without re-entering credentials, improving usability and centralizing access control.

The process of converting plaintext into ciphertext using an algorithm and a key, so that only authorized parties can read the original information.

An encryption method that uses the same secret key for both encryption and decryption, offering speed but requiring secure key distribution.

Encryption using a suitable public-key scheme and a corresponding private key for decryption. Authenticated key distribution and the specified padding/protocol remain essential; signatures and key agreement are distinct constructions.

A digest construction mapping input to an output under its defined algorithm, with cryptographic versions designed for appropriate resistance properties. Password storage needs a suitable salted password-hashing/KDF scheme rather than a bare fast digest.

An electronic signature that uses asymmetric cryptography to verify the authenticity and integrity of a message or document.

The policies and mechanisms that determine who can access which systems, data, or facilities and under what conditions.

A system that collects, aggregates, and analyzes log data from various sources to detect security incidents and support compliance reporting.

A structured approach to handling security incidents, typically including preparation, detection, containment, eradication, recovery, and lessons learned.

A weakness in a system, application, or process that could be exploited by a threat to cause harm or unauthorized access.

The automated process of identifying and assessing weaknesses in systems and applications, often using tools that compare configurations against known vulnerability databases.