Penetration Tester
This practitioner path prepares learners to perform authorized security testing in a professional manner. It covers scoping, rules of engagement, reconnaissance inside approved boundaries, evidence handling, web/API/security-control testing, risk interpretation, reporting, and retesting. The goal is not only to find weaknesses, but to explain them in a way that helps an organization fix them safely.
Scope, Methodology & Reconnaissance
Methodology, Authorisation & Rules of Engagement
Passive Reconnaissance: Building the Target Surface Without Touching It
Active Reconnaissance: Scanning and Service Enumeration
Vulnerability Assessment & CVE Research
Web Application & Authentication Attacks
SQL Injection: From Detection to Data Extraction
Authentication Attacks: Login Bypass, JWT Flaws & Session Management
File Upload & Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF)
Path Traversal, Command Injection & XSS
Elective: Business Logic & API Vulnerabilities
Exploitation: Services, Metasploit & Privilege Escalation
Exploitation, Post-Exploitation & Reporting
Elective: Lateral Movement & Network Pivoting
Post-Exploitation: Measuring Persistence & Responsible Cleanup
The Penetration Test Report: From Raw Findings to Client Value
Capstone: Full-Scope Web Application + Infrastructure Pentest
CTFFactory Penetration Tester — Practitioner
Practitioner credential — awarded upon completion