Assignment 1: Attack Methodology and Countermeasures
Due Week 4 and worth 80 points

Imagine that a local company has hired you as a penetration tester to perform necessary testing. The company has asked you to report back to the Board of Directors on your findings. You have free reign to use whatever tools that are at your disposal. Note: You are not performing an actual penetration test or creating a penetration test report for this assignment.

Write a two to four (2-4) page paper in which you:

1. 1.Analyze both the scanning methodology that you could use and the countermeasures that a company or organization could use in order to thwart such scanning attempts.
2. 2.Analyze the key tools available for scanning a network. Recommend one (1) scanning tool for a hacker and one (1) scanning tool for a security administrator that you believe provide the greatest protection for a network. Indicate which of the chosen tools is most beneficial to you as the penetration tester. Provide a rationale for your response.
3. 3.Assess the overall importance of the five (5) major phases of an attack. Select the phase(s) that you believe to be the most important for a security administrator to protect against. Provide a rationale for your selection.
4. 4.Suggest the key countermeasures that a security administrator could take in order to protect a company’s assets from Trojans, viruses, and worms, and impede further damage of an attack. Provide a rationale for your response.
5. 5.Use at least three (3) quality resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and similar Websites do not qualify as quality resources