Penetration testing a network requires a delicate balance of art and science. A penetration tester must be creative enough to think outside of the box to determine all possible attack vector into his own network, and also be expert in using the literally hundreds of tools required to execute the plan and meticulously document their results. This book provides both the art and the science. The authors of the book are expert penetration testers who have developed many of the leading pen testing tools; such as the Metasploit framework. The authors allow the reader inside their heads to unravel the mysteries of thins like identifying targets, enumerating hosts, application fingerprinting, cracking passwords, and attacking exposed vulnerabilities. Along the way, the authors provide an invaluable reference to the hundreds of hijacking tools; sniffers; scanners; Web application; and vulnerability assessment tools from the bootable-Linux CD including the Metasploit Framework; ettercap, dsniff, Ethereal, Nmap, Paketto, Scanrand, Hydra, Paros, Nessus, and many more.