After completing a port scan, what is the next step a penetration tester should take?

After completing a port scan, identifying interesting ports for further scanning is an essential step in the penetration testing process. The purpose of the initial port scan is to determine which ports on a target system are open and potentially offering services that can be exploited.

By focusing on interesting ports, which may host services of particular interest or known vulnerabilities, a penetration tester can systematically deepen their analysis. This could involve identifying services running on those ports, analyzing their configurations, and determining if they have any existing vulnerabilities or weaknesses that could be exploited.

Conducting this further assessment on interesting ports lays the groundwork for more focused testing, such as service enumeration or vulnerability scanning, which ultimately helps in constructing a clearer picture of the security posture of the target system.

This strategic step ensures that testing is both effective and efficient, directing resources towards the components of the system that are most likely to yield valuable information or present risks.