Pentest (Penetration Testing) is a testing process to find and close security vulnerabilities of an organisation's information systems. In this process, a team of experts performs penetration attempts into systems to identify methods and weaknesses that attackers can use. Pentest is an important step for organisations to increase their security levels and take precautions against potential attacks. These tests are usually performed in different areas such as network, application, physical security and social engineering.

This process, called Pentest (Penetration Testing), is a method frequently preferred by organisations to increase the security of information systems. Information security is very important to protect against cyber-attacks and these tests help organisations to strengthen their defence mechanisms. In addition, these tests, performed by ethical hackers, reveal how vulnerable organisations are to attacks and help revise security strategies. Pentest is also used to ensure that organisations comply with legal and regulatory requirements. These tests are an important tool for assessing and improving the effectiveness of organisations' information security policies.

What is Pentest?
Pentest is a controlled attack process to identify security vulnerabilities of computer systems or networks and to understand how these vulnerabilities can be exploited. In this process, a team of experts tests the system using various methods and tools to detect vulnerabilities of the information technology infrastructure.

The purpose of Pentest is to determine how an attacker can use vulnerabilities in the system, potential risks and possible attack scenarios. In this way, organisations can strengthen security measures, improve information security by eliminating vulnerabilities and prevent potential attacks.

Types of Pentest
Pentest is usually divided into three main categories: black box testing, white box testing and grey box testing. Black box testing is testing from the perspective of the attacker. It is testing from the outside without the attacker having access to the system. White box testing is testing from the inside with system configuration information. The grey box test is a mixture of black box and white box tests.

In addition, there are different subcategories such as network pentest, application pentest, physical security pentest. Network pentest is a test to detect security vulnerabilities of the network infrastructure. Application pentest is the tests performed to detect security vulnerabilities of software applications. Physical security pentest is the tests performed to detect security vulnerabilities in the physical area.

Stages of Pentest
Pentest is usually performed in five phases. These phases include planning, information gathering, vulnerability analysis, attack and reporting phases respectively. In the planning phase, the objectives of the pentest process are determined and the scope of the system or network to be tested is determined.

In the information gathering phase, information about the target system or network is collected. This information may include data such as system configuration, server and service information, network map. In the vulnerability analysis phase, security vulnerabilities in the system are identified using the collected information. In the attack phase, it is tested how the identified vulnerabilities can be exploited. Finally, in the reporting phase, the pentest results are reported and the measures to be taken are specified.

Pentest Tools
Many different tools and software are used in the Pentest process. These tools are used for different purposes such as network scanning, vulnerability detection, attack simulation and reporting. For example, many different tools such as Nmap network scanning tool, Nessus vulnerability detection tool, Metasploit attack simulation tool and Dradis reporting tool can be used in the pentest process.

In addition, pentest specialists can often use specially developed software and scripts to make the testing process more effective. These tools are used to effectively test the target system or network and detect vulnerabilities.

Benefits of Pentest
Pentest has an important place in an organisation's information security strategy. The Pentest process provides many benefits for organisations in terms of information security. Firstly, it helps to identify and eliminate potential security vulnerabilities.

In addition, the pentest process helps organisations strengthen their information security infrastructure, be prepared for possible attack scenarios and increase information security awareness. In this way, organisations become more resistant to potential attacks and minimise information security risks.

Ethical and Legal Principles in the Pentest Process
The Pentest process is a process that must be carried out within the framework of ethical and legal principles. In the Pentest process, it is illegal to test the target system or network in an unauthorised manner, and ci