CPENT Certified Penetration Tester

The Certified Penetration Testing Professional or CPENT, for short, re-writes the standards of penetration testing skill development.

EC-Council’s Certified Penetration Tester (CPENT) program teaches you how to perform an effective penetration test in an enterprise network environment that must be attacked, exploited, evaded, and defended. If you have only been working in flat networks, CPENT’s live practice range will teach you to take your skills to the next level by teaching you how to pen test IoT systems, OT systems, how to write your own exploits, build your own tools, conduct advanced binaries exploitation, double pivot to access hidden networks, and also customize scripts/exploits to get into the innermost segments of the network.

The following are 12 reasons that make the CPENT Program one of its kind. This exceptional course can make you one of the most advanced penetration testers in the world. The course has one purpose: To help you overcome some of the most advanced obstacles that real-world practitioners face when conducting penetration tests. Here are some examples of the challenges you will face when you are exposed to the CPENT Range:

1. Advanced Windows Attacks
This zone contains a complete forest that you first have to gain access to and once you do then your challenge is to use PowerShell and any other means to execute Silver and Gold Ticket and Kerberoasting. The machines will be configured with defenses in place; therefore, you will have to use PowerShell bypass techniques and other advanced methods to score points within the zone

2. Attacking IOT Systems
With the popularity of the IOT devices, this is the first Program that requires you to locate the IOT device(s) then gain access to the network. Once on the network. you must identify the firmware of the IOT device, extract it and then reverse engineer it.

3. Writing Exploits: Advanced Binaries Exploitation
The challenges faced by the penetration testers today require them at their” own skills to find a flaw, in code in this zone you will be requimethit natowth 4 binaries, reverse engineer them once found, and then write explots to take for trol of the program execution

The task is complicated and requires penetration from the perimeter to gain access then discover the binaries. Once successful, you must reverse engineer the code.

Unlike other certifications, this will not just be a simple 32-bit code. There will be 32- and 64-bit code challenges, and some of the code will be compiled with the basic protections of non-executable stacks..

Furthermore, you must be able to write a driver program to exploit these binaries, then discover a method to escalate privileges. This will require advanced skills in binary exploitation that include the latest debugging concepts and egg hunting. techniques. You are required to craft input code first to take control of program execution and second to map an area in memory to get your shellcode to work and bypass system protections.

4. Bypassing a Filtered Network
The CPENT Certification differs from the others. It provides web zone challenges that exist within a segmentation architecture. As a result, you have to identify the filtering of the architecture, leverage it to gain access to the web applications that – you will have to compromise, and then extract the required data to achieve points.

5. Pentesting Operational Technology (OT)
As a first in a penetration testing certification, the CPENT contains a zone dedicat ed to ICS SCADA networks. The candidate will have to penetrate them from the IT network side, gain access to the OT network, and once there, identify the Pro grammable Logic Controller (PLC) and then modify the data to impact the OT network. The candidate must be able to intercept the Mod Bus Communication protocol and communication between the PLC and other nodes The CPT certification is designed to certify that candidates have working knowledge and skills in relation to the field of penetration testing.

6. Access Hidden Networks with Pivoting
Based on studies and research, few have been able to identify the rules in place. when they encounter a layered network. Therefore in this zone, you will have to identify the filtering rules then penetrate the direct network, and from there, at tempt pivots into the hidden network using single pivoting methods, but through a filter. Most certifications do not have a true pivot across disparate networks and a few, if any, have the requirement into and out of a filtering device.

7. Double Pivoting
Once you have braved the challenges of the pivot and mastered it, then you can test your luck at the double pivot. This is not something that you can use a tool for. In most cases, the pivot has to be set up manually. CPENT is the first certification in the world that requires you to access hidden networks using double pivoting.

8. Privilege Escalation
The latest methods of privilege escalation are covered as well as there will be challenges that require you to reverse engineer code and take control of execution, then break out of the limited shell and gain root/admin.

9. Evading Defense Mechanisms.
The different methods of evasion are covered so that you can try and get your exploits past the defenses by weaponizing them.

10. Attack Automation with Scripts
Prepare for advanced penetration testing techniques/scripting with seven self-study appendices – Penetration testing with Ruby, Python, PowerShell, Perl, BASH, and learn about Fuzzing and Metasploit.

11. Build your Armory: Weaponize Your Exploits
Carry your own tools and build your armory with your coding expertise and hack the challenges presented to you as you would in real life.

12. Write Professional Reports
Experience how a Pen Tester can mitigate risks and yalidate the report presented to the client that makes an impact. The best part of it all is that during this rigor ous process, you would be carrying your own tools, building your armory with your coding expertise and hacking the challenges presented to you as you would in real life.