What is the difference between ethical hacking and penetration testing?

These terms are often used interchangeably but have subtle differences:

**Ethical Hacking:**
- Broad term for any authorised hacking activity
- Includes pen testing, vulnerability assessments, red teaming, bug bounties
- The hacker acts like a malicious attacker but with permission
- Goal: find all possible vulnerabilities

**Penetration Testing (Pen Testing):**
- A specific, scoped engagement
- Defined target, timeline, and rules of engagement
- Methodical — follows a framework (OWASP, PTES, OSSTMM)
- Ends with a formal report
- Usually hired by companies for compliance (PCI-DSS, ISO 27001)

**Both require:**
- Written authorisation before starting
- Clear scope definition
- Reporting of all findings

At Coding Now, our CEH v13 course covers both with live lab environments.