The Art of Network Penetration Testing

Turn Network Weaknesses into Actionable Insight

Royce Davis takes you inside the mindset and methodology of a professional penetration tester in this hands-on guide. Rather than drown you in theory, the book follows a realistic internal network assessment against a full practice environment — the Capsulecorp Pentest lab. You’ll begin with a scoped target network and work through the same phases used in real engagements: discovery, focused attacks, privilege escalation, and clear reporting.

The approach is deliberately practical. Each chapter builds on the previous, blending tool usage with tactical reasoning. Whether you’re new to offensive security or an experienced administrator looking to understand adversarial techniques, this book offers a structured path from initial reconnaissance to domain dominance.

What You’ll Practice

• Phase 1 – Information Gathering: Use ping sweeps, Nmap, DNS brute-forcing, and packet analysis to map live hosts and services.
• Phase 2 – Focused Penetration: Exploit vulnerable web services like Apache Tomcat and Jenkins, attack MSSQL databases, and leverage unpatched MS17-010 systems with Metasploit.
• Phase 3 – Post-Exploitation: Maintain access with Meterpreter and cron jobs, harvest credentials with Mimikatz and John the Ripper, and move laterally using Pass-the-Hash and SSH keys.
• Phase 4 – Documentation: Clean up after the assessment and produce a solid pentest deliverable with executive summary, attack narrative, and technical observations.

Built for Real-World Relevance

The Capsulecorp lab mirrors an internal Windows/Active Directory environment with familiar misconfigurations and missing patches. You’ll execute commands, modify files, and take over systems in a safe but realistic setting. The book also includes appendices on building your own virtual platform, essential Linux commands, lab network setup, a complete sample report, and exercise answers.

Who Should Read This

Security consultants, penetration testers, network administrators, and anyone preparing for offensive security roles will find immediate value here. The material assumes basic familiarity with Linux and networking but explains each step clearly, making it accessible to motivated learners who want to progress beyond theory.

Get your digital copy from Digital Delights and start practicing the art of network penetration testing today. 🛡️💻