Volume 17, Number 6

Mastering Penetration Testing: The Ethical Hacker’s Toolkit for Uncovering Vulnerabilities

  Authors

Mohammad Abdus Salam and Amera Firdous, Chicago State University, USA

  Abstract

As cyber threats become more advanced, there is a greater need for proactive security measures, and ethical hacking and penetration testing play an important role in modern cybersecurity. This study examines the critical role of penetration testing in cybersecurity, with a particular emphasis on SQL Injection (SQLi), a prevalent and severe threat to database security. The research explores the methodologies involved in penetration testing, including reconnaissance, vulnerability identification, and exploitation, while also assessing the efficacy of automated tools such as SQL map in detecting and mitigating SQLi vulnerabilities. By examining penetration testing methods and real-world examples, this study shows the importance of combining automated and manual approaches to achieve strong security assessments. The results emphasize that organizations should include penetration testing in their cybersecurity practices to better protect against new and evolving threats. By leveraging structured testing methodologies and advanced automation tools, security professionals can proactively fortify systems against malicious attacks, ensuring compliance with cybersecurity standards and protecting critical digital infrastructures.

  Keywords

Penetration Testing, Ethical Hacking, SQL Injection, SQLmap, Cybersecurity, & Vulnerability Assessment