Penetration testing, or pentesting (not to be confused with testing ballpoint or fountain pens), involves simulating real attacks to assess the risk associated with potential security breaches. On a pentest (as opposed to a vulnerability assessment), the testers not only discover vulnerabilities that could be used by attackers but also exploit vulnerabilities, where possible, to assess what attackers might gain after a successful exploitation.

Cyber threat hunters are information security professionals who proactively and iteratively detect, isolate, and neutralize advanced threats that evade automated security solutions. Cyber threat hunters constitute an integral part of the rapidly growing cyber threat intelligence industry.