Penetration Testing Consulting Services: How does Penetration Testing Differs from Ethical Hacking
                     Penetration Testing Consulting Services: How 
does Penetration Testing Differs from 
Ethical Hacking
We know that there is a contrast between penetration testing and ethical hacking, but when 
it is about learning these cases, we often pretend that they are one. Even cyber security 
experts working in the industry often mix the distinctions between the two.
While they are performing job roles, falling below the same category “Offensive Security”, 
   t h  e  re is a distinction between the two. Within offensive security lies many regulations like 
penetration testing, social engineering, red teaming, software reverse engineering, ethical 
hacking, and much more.
What is the Role of Penetration Testing Consulting Services?
Penetration testing consulting services aims at exposing security loopholes, harmful 
content, defects, and risks in a software. This is performed to increase the organization’s 
security system to protect the IT infrastructure. Penetration testing is a standard procedure 
that can be deemed helpful and not a malicious attempt.
It creates part of an ethical hacking method where it focuses explicitly only on penetrating the 
information system. While it helps improve cyber security plans, penetration testing should be 
performed on a regular basis.
 
Malicious content is built to identify vulnerable points in the applications, systems or 
programs and keep developing and growing in the network. A normal pen test may not sort 
out all security affairs, but it significantly minimizes the possibility of a successful attack.
Penetration testing consulting services helps define whether an IT system is exposed to a 
cyber attack if the defensive actions are adequate, and which security measure failed the 
test. It reveals the strengths and deficiencies of any IT infrastructure at a given point of 
time.
What Is Ethical Hacking?
An ethical hacker part appears to be like that of a penetration tester, but it includes 
diversified duties. It is an all-embracing term that consists of all hacking methodologies 
along with other similar cyber attack methods.
Ethical hacking is intended to discover vulnerabilities and fix them before the hackers use 
them to perform a cyber attack. Ethical hacking is termed as ethical as it is performed only 
after taking inevitable permissions to impose the security system.
The expert performing the invasion works on ethical grounds, and that is how ethical hacker 
can be differentiated from black-hat hackers.
The ethical hacker knows and reports hateful activity and suggests proper steps to defeat 
attackers in their attempt. Besides hacking, an ethical hacker also studies other security-
related methodologies and suggest their implementation. Overall, ethical hackers carry the 
burden of the safety of the entire IT infrastructure.
Ethical Hacking Vs. Penetration Testing:
Penetration Testing
• The primary objective is to find vulnerabilities within the target environment.
• Penetration testing concentrates on the security of the particular area defined for 
testing.
• A penetration tester is required to be aware of performing different methodologies and 
understanding the goal of every method, how and when to execute.
Ethical Hacking
• It aims to incorporate various attacks through various hacking methods to find security 
flaws.
• Ethical hacking is a wide term, and penetration testing is one of the purposes of the 
ethical hacker.
• Ethical hacking is a step towards penetration testing. Unless one knows the 
methodologies, they cannot handle a pen test.
• Being an ethical hacker, you should be informed of the methods of the software and 
hardware of digital devices related to the network.