Introduction to Machine Learning in Pentesting

Currently, machine learning techniques are some of the hottest trends in information technology. They impact every aspect of our lives, and they affect every industry and field. Machine learning is a cyber weapon for information security professionals. In this book, readers will not only explore the fundamentals behind machine learning techniques, but will also learn the secrets to building a fully functional machine learning security system. We will not stop at building defensive layers; we will illustrate how to build offensive tools to attack and bypass security defenses. By the end of this book, you will be able to bypass machine learning security systems and use the models constructed in penetration testing (pentesting) missions. 

In this chapter, we will cover:

• Machine learning models and algorithms
• Performance evaluation metrics
• Dimensionality reduction
• Ensemble learning
• Machine learning development environments and Python libraries
• Machine learning in penetration testing – promises and challenges