PT0-002 CompTIA PenTest+ Certification Exam

CompTIA PenTest+ is for cybersecurity professionals tasked with penetration testing and vulnerability management.

Why is it different?
CompTIA PenTest+ is the only penetration testing exam taken at a Pearson VUE testing center with both hands-on, performance-based questions and multiple-choice, to ensure each candidate possesses the skills, knowledge, and ability to perform tasks on systems. PenTest+ exam also includes management skills used to plan, scope, and manage weaknesses, not just exploit them.

PenTest+ is unique because our certification requires a candidate to demonstrate the hands-on ability and knowledge to test devices in new environments such as the cloud and mobile, in addition to traditional desktops and servers.

IT certifications show employers that candidates have the knowledge and skills they need to do the job, and they help IT pros advance in their careers. As cybersecurity has become a critical function, cybersecurity certifications are among the most popular IT certifications globally.

The CompTIA PenTest+ certification is a vendor-neutral, internationally targeted validation of intermediate-level penetration testing (or pen testing) knowledge and skills. It focuses on the latest pen testing techniques, attack surfaces, vulnerability management, post-delivery and compliance tasks.

The skills covered by CompTIA PenTest+ help companies comply with regulations, such as PCI-DSS and NIST 800-53 Risk Management Framework (RMF), which require pen tests, vulnerability assessments and reports. CompTIA PenTest+ is approved under the Department of Defense (DoD) Directive 8140/8570.01-M and under ANSI/ISO standard 17024.
IT Jobs Related to CompTIA PenTest+

The next version of CompTIA PenTest+ (PT0-002) is slated to launch in October 2021. CompTIA updates its certifications every three years to keep up with evolving technology, so your skills are relevant and you stay up to date on the latest technologies.

When CompTIA updates exams, Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) from the industry participate in workshops to write and review the content, ensuring that the exam domains, objectives and questions validate the skills needed on the job today.

Cybersecurity experts from the following companies contributed to the update of CompTIA PenTest+:
RxSense
John Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
U.S. Army
Target Corp.
General Dynamics IT (GDIT)
Ricoh

As cyberattacks continue to grow, more IT job roles are tasked with pen testing and vulnerability management to address today’s cyberthreats. Updates to CompTIA PenTest+ reflect those skills and prepare you to test and manage a broader attack surface that includes cloud, hybrid environments and internet of things (IoT) devices for vulnerabilities. Organizations must be proactive in preventing the next cyberattack.

The primary CompTIA PenTest+ job roles are similar to the previous version, as the core skills requirements for these jobs have not significantly changed over time:

Penetration Tester

Security Consultant
As more cybersecurity job roles are tasked with identifying vulnerabilities and remediation techniques across broader surfaces, the following job roles can also benefit from a CompTIA PenTest+ certification:

Cloud Penetration Tester
Web App Penetration Tester
Cloud Security Specialist
Network and Security Specialist
Information Security Engineer
Security Analyst

CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-001 vs PT0-002
CompTIA PenTest+ addresses the latest trends, techniques and attack surfaces – covering the core and intermediate skills in penetration testing and vulnerability management, ensuring high performance on the job. Let’s break down some of the highlights.

CompTIA PenTest+ Exam Domains
The exam domains covered in CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-001 and PT0-002 are not vastly different, as they are still relevant to the job roles, but you will see some slight changes.

We changed the name of exam domain 2.0 from Information Gathering and Vulnerability Identification to Information Gathering and Vulnerability Scanning.
We also swapped the order of two domains – what was formerly 5.0 Reporting and Communication is now 4.0, (with the same name), and what was formerly 4.0 Penetration Testing Tools is now 5.0 Tools and Code Analysis.

However, the new CompTIA PenTest+ (PT0-002) focuses on the most up to date and current skills needed for the following tasks:

Planning and scoping a penetration testing engagement
Understanding legal and compliance requirements
Performing vulnerability scanning and penetration testing using appropriate tools and techniques, and then analyzing the results
Producing a written report containing proposed remediation techniques, effectively communicating results to the management team and providing practical recommendations

This is equivalent to three to four years of hands-on experience working in a security consultant or penetration tester job role. CompTIA PenTest+ is recommended to follow CompTIA Security+ on the CompTIA cybersecurity career pathway.

CompTIA PenTest+ Exam Objectives
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The exam purpose and audience are similar in both CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-001 and PT0-002 with the same number of exam domains, titles and page count. However, we consolidated the exam objectives down from 24 to 21 to improve the instructional design and merge similar topics.

Specifically, these changes have been made from CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-001 to PT0-002:
Newer techniques for pen testing an expanded attack surface
Emphasis on demonstrating an ethical hacking mindset given various scenarios
More focus on the hands-on tasks and automation required for vulnerability management
More focus on code analysis to emphasize the growing need to identify and analyze code during a penetration test (Note: Code development is not included on CompTIA PenTest+)

As you use the exam objectives to prepare for your test, note that they are not exhaustive of everything you may be tested on. Consider the exam objectives stem (the heading) as your item to study and the bulleted lists as examples of some of the things that might be covered. CompTIA is constantly reviewing exam content and updating questions to ensure relevance and exam integrity.

How to Train for CompTIA PenTest+
It may seem like CompTIA PenTest+ covers a lot of ground, but don’t worry, we’ve got your back. CompTIA offers training solutions, including study guides, online self-study tools and instructor-led courses that are designed to cover what you need to know for your CompTIA exam. No other content library covers all the exam objectives for all certifications.

CompTIA training solutions help you prepare for your CompTIA certification exam with confidence. Whether you are just starting to prepare and need comprehensive training with CompTIA CertMaster Learn, want to apply your knowledge hands-on with CompTIA Labs or need a final review with CompTIA CertMaster Practice, CompTIA’s online training tools have you covered.

QUESTION 1
A client wants a security assessment company to perform a penetration test against its hot site. The purpose of the test is to determine the effectiveness of the defenses that protect against disruptions to business continuity. Which of the following is the MOST important action to take before starting this type of assessment?

A. Ensure the client has signed the SOW.
B. Verify the client has granted network access to the hot site.
C. Determine if the failover environment relies on resources not owned by the client.
D. Establish communication and escalation procedures with the client.

Correct Answer: C

QUESTION 2
Which of the following documents describes specific activities, deliverables, and schedules for a penetration tester?

A. NDA
B. MSA
C. SOW
D. MOU

Correct Answer: C

QUESTION 3
A new security firm is onboarding its first client. The client only allowed testing over the weekend and needed the results Monday morning. However, the assessment team was not able to access the environment as expected until Monday. Which of the following should the security company have acquired BEFORE the start of the assessment?

A. A signed statement of work
B. The correct user accounts and associated passwords
C. The expected time frame of the assessment
D. The proper emergency contacts for the client

Correct Answer: C

QUESTION 4
A penetration tester who is doing a company-requested assessment would like to send traffic to another system using double tagging. Which of the following techniques would BEST accomplish this goal?

A. RFID cloning
B. RFID tagging
C. Meta tagging
D. Tag nesting

Correct Answer: C

QUESTION 5
A company conducted a simulated phishing attack by sending its employees emails that included a link to a site that mimicked the corporate SSO portal. Eighty percent of the employees who received the email clicked
the link and provided their corporate credentials on the fake site. Which of the following recommendations would BEST address this situation?

A. Implement a recurring cybersecurity awareness education program for all users.
B. Implement multifactor authentication on all corporate applications.
C. Restrict employees from web navigation by defining a list of unapproved sites in the corporate proxy.
D. Implement an email security gateway to block spam and malware from email communications.

Correct Answer: A