Secure Penetration Testing Operations: Demonstrated Weaknesses in Learning Material and Tools

Presented at Black Hat USA 2016, Aug. 3, 2016, 1:50 p.m. (50 minutes).

Following previous presentations on the dangers penetration testers face in using current off-the-shelf tools and practices, this presentation explores how widely available learning materials used to train penetration testers lead to inadequate protection of client data and penetration testing operations. With widely available books and other training resources targeting the smallest set of prerequisites, in order to attract the largest audience, many penetration testers adopt the techniques used in simplified examples to real world tests, where the network environment can be much more dangerous. Malicious threat actors are incentivized to attack and compromise penetration testers, and given current practices, can do so easily and with dramatic impact. This presentation will include a live demonstration of techniques for hijacking a penetration tester's normal practices, as well as guidance for examining and securing your current testing procedures. Tools shown in this demonstration will be released along with the talk.

Presenters:

• Wesley McGrew - HORNE Cyber
  Wesley McGrew currently oversees and participates in penetration testing in his role of Director of Cyber Operations for HORNE Cyber Solutions. He has presented on topics of penetration testing, vulnerabilities, and malware analysis at DEF CON and Black Hat USA. He teaches a self-designed course on reverse engineering to students at Mississippi State University, using real-world, high-profile malware samples. Wesley graduated from Mississippi State University's Department of Computer Science and Engineering and previously worked at the Distributed Analytics and Security Institute. He holds a Ph.D. in computer science for his research in vulnerability analysis of SCADA HMI systems.

Links:

• https://www.blackhat.com/us-16/briefings.html#secure-penetration-testing-operations-demonstrated-weaknesses-in-learning-material-and-tools
• https://infocon.org/cons/Black Hat/Black Hat USA/Black Hat USA 2016/Secure Penetration Testing Operations - Demonstrated Weaknesses in Learning Material and Tools.mp4
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nWjofdnu0E
• https://www.blackhat.com/docs/us-16/materials/us-16-McGrew-Secure-Penetration-Testing-Operations-Demonstrated-Weaknesses-In-Learning-Material-And-Tools.pdf
• https://www.blackhat.com/docs/us-16/materials/us-16-McGrew-Secure-Penetration-Testing-Operations-Demonstrated-Weaknesses-In-Learning-Material-And-Tools-wp.pdf
• https://www.blackhat.com/docs/us-16/materials/us-16-McGrew-Secure-Penetration-Testing-Operations-Demonstrated-Weaknesses-In-Learning-Material-And-Tools-snagterpreter.py

Similar Presentations:

• DEF CON 24 (2016) / Secure Penetration Testing Operations: Demonstrated Weaknesses in Learning Material and Tools
• DEF CON 23 (2015) / I Hunt Penetration Testers: More Weaknesses in Tools and Procedures
• Black Hat USA 2017 / Protecting Pentests: Recommendations for Performing More Secure Tests