Pen Testing for NOT Dummies
Alex Holden
BSides NYC 2023 (0x04) · Day 1 · Talk - Red
In his talk, "Pen Testing for NOT Dummies," Alex Holden delivers a compelling and experience-driven critique of conventional penetration testing methodologies, advocating for a more complex, thorough, and intellectually driven approach. Dispelling the notion of "pen testing for dummies," Holden, a seasoned cybersecurity professional with over 10,000 pen tests under his belt, emphasizes the critical role of curiosity, deep technical understanding, and adaptability in uncovering real-world vulnerabilities. The presentation goes beyond surface-level compliance checks or automated vulnerability scans, pushing practitioners to adopt the mindset of a persistent adversary.
AI review
Holden is the real deal — 10,000+ pen tests, actual cybercrime hunting experience, and genuine war stories that ground the talk in hard-won practice. But this is a BSides practitioner session, not a research drop, and judged on its own terms it's a solid fundamentals talk with some genuinely useful tradecraft gems buried inside a lot of ground we've covered before.