As a penetration tester, you are contracted to assess the security of a multinational corporation's internal network. The corporation has multiple interconnected sites and relies heavily on cloud services. Which of the following is the most important initial step to ensure that your testing does not impact systems outside of the agreed scope?
Begin testing on the client’s production cloud services to expose as many vulnerabilities as possible regardless of the scope to showcase due diligence.
Start with an immediate vulnerability assessment of the IP ranges connected to their primary data center to look for potential entry points.
Define and discuss a detailed target list with the client, including IP ranges, domains, and specified cloud services that are to be included in the assessment.
Assume all interconnected sites are in scope unless otherwise informed by the client in order to conduct a thorough test of the network.
Defining a comprehensive target list that specifies in-scope assets such as IP ranges, domains, and which cloud services are included in the test is crucial for ensuring that the penetration test is contained within the agreed scope. Testing beyond the specified target list could lead to unauthorized access and potential legal issues. Answers that suggest starting the test immediately or bypassing the scope with the excuse of finding additional vulnerabilities neglect the need for a structured approach and undermine the importance of prior agreement on the engagement scope.
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