Penetration tests (also known as Pen Tests) are procedures that simulate a malicious actor's attacks on a system to identify potential vulnerabilities.

Penetration tests can be performed on computer networks, software code, platforms, and physical devices.

Black box penetration testing is when the tester knows zero information about the target system's architecture. A white box penetration test is when the architecture of the target system is known to the tester. A gray box penetration test is when the tester knows some information about the system's architecture.