The professional (and personal) life of the pen tester is one of great joys and great tragedies. There are ego-inflating accomplishments quickly followed by crushing sorrows. There are stacked cans of Red Bull, nights spent staring wide-eyed at a computer screen, and secretive shower crying sessions. Maybe when someone asks you “Well, what is pen testing anyway?” you reply with a wince and say, “pain.”

Then, you pop a shell. Your self-worth soars to new and unfamiliar highs.

Like all good things though, this, too, must pass. As the week comes to an end, you realize a report — that rivals “War and Peace” in length and entertainment value — beckons.

My fellow pen testers, we’ve all been there.

Now, get back to reporting.



This piece is expected to go up for auction at Sotheby’s … someday.

This artwork is a Vinnie Liu original using MS Paint. The paintbrush strokes and color palette used are meant to echo the pen tester’s fragile emotional state. First presented by the artist at Microsoft BlueHat v8. You can check out the video here.