Legal and Ethical Considerations

Professional security testing requires strict adherence to legal and ethical boundaries. Always obtain written authorization before testing, clearly defining scope, timing, and acceptable techniques. Authorization should come from system owners with legal authority—testing your company's applications still requires management approval. Document authorization carefully as legal protection.

Responsible testing practices prevent actual harm while demonstrating vulnerabilities. Avoid denial-of-service conditions through careful thread and rate limiting. Don't delete or modify production data even when possible. Use read-only queries for SQL injection demonstrations. Extract minimal data necessary to prove vulnerabilities. Professional testers balance thoroughness with responsibility.

Data handling requires special care when testing reveals sensitive information. Don't store credit card numbers, personally identifiable information, or credentials discovered during testing. If documentation requires evidence containing sensitive data, redact appropriately. Delete test data after engagement completion. These practices protect both testers and organizations from data breach liability.