Penetration Testing Guide (Beginner to Advanced)
Penetration Testing (Ethical Hacking) - From Scratch to Advanced
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1. What is Penetration Testing?
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Penetration Testing (or Pen Testing) is a simulated cyberattack against systems, networks, or
applications to identify and exploit vulnerabilities. The goal is to assess security posture and provide
actionable remediation steps.
2. Penetration Testing Phases
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- Reconnaissance (Passive & Active)
- Scanning & Enumeration
- Exploitation
- Post-Exploitation (Privilege Escalation, Pivoting)
- Reporting
3. Prerequisites to Learn Pen Testing
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- Networking: OSI Model, TCP/IP, DNS, ports, firewalls
- Operating Systems: Linux (Kali), Windows internals
- Scripting: Bash, Python, PowerShell (basic)
- Web Technologies: HTTP/S, HTML, JS, SQL
4. Tools by Category
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- Recon: Nmap, Shodan, Maltego, Recon-ng
- Scanning: Nessus, OpenVAS, Nikto
- Exploitation: Metasploit, SQLMap, Hydra, Burp Suite
- Post Exploitation: Mimikatz, Empire, BloodHound
- Reporting: Dradis, Serpico
Penetration Testing Guide (Beginner to Advanced)
5. Hands-On Practice Platforms
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- TryHackMe (Beginner to Intermediate)
- Hack The Box (Intermediate to Advanced)
- VulnHub (Offline VMs)
- PortSwigger Web Security Academy (Web-focused)
- OverTheWire (Linux wargames)
6. Beginner Roadmap
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- Learn Linux basics (Kali, Ubuntu)
- Practice with Nmap, Wireshark
- TryHackMe paths: Complete Beginner → Jr Penetration Tester
- Learn Burp Suite, OWASP Top 10
- Try simple web and system hacking labs
7. Intermediate Roadmap
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- Dive deeper into Metasploit, manual exploitation
- Study privilege escalation (Windows & Linux)
- Learn about Active Directory attacks
- Basic exploit writing (Buffer Overflow)
- Practice in Hack The Box / PortSwigger
8. Advanced Topics
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- Advanced exploit development (ROP, shellcode)
- Red Teaming, evasion techniques, OPSEC
- Binary analysis & reverse engineering
- Bypassing AV, EDR, and firewalls
- Lateral movement & persistence techniques
Penetration Testing Guide (Beginner to Advanced)
9. Certifications
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- eJPT (INE) – Entry-level
- CompTIA PenTest+ – Intermediate
- OSCP (OffSec) – Industry standard
- eCPPT, CRTP, CRTO – Specialized Red Team certs
10. Real-world Applications
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- Red teaming exercises
- Web and network penetration testing
- Wireless testing
- Social engineering (with permission)
- Application security reviews
11. Recommended Learning Resources
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- Books:
- The Web Application Hacker's Handbook
- The Hacker Playbook (1–3)
- Penetration Testing by Georgia Weidman
- Courses:
- Heath Adams (TCM Academy)
- Offensive Security's PWK
- INE Cybersecurity Paths
12. Responsible Disclosure & Ethics
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- Never attack systems without permission
- Follow legal guidelines and ethical hacking policies
- Understand NDAs and scope limitations in real tests
