SANS SEC660

Network penetration testing has evolved significantly in recent years as organizations face more sophisticated cyberattacks. Modern testers must combine traditional methodologies with advanced offensive security techniques to identify vulnerabilities before adversaries do.
One of the most important skills is understanding how attackers pivot inside internal networks. Tools such as proxychains, SOCKS tunnels, and SSH dynamic port forwarding allow testers to route traffic through compromised hosts. This makes lateral movement and post-exploitation far more realistic.
Another advanced technique involves packet manipulation and protocol fuzzing. By crafting malformed or unexpected packets, penetration testers can uncover weaknesses that normal scans would never detect.
Finally, modern penetration testing relies heavily on automation combined with manual logic. While frameworks like Metasploit accelerate exploitation, the true power lies in customizing payloads, writing your own modules, and understanding the behavior of the target environment. Advanced network penetration testing requires creativity, strong fundamentals, and continuous learning.