Module 5 – Ethical Hacking, Penetration Testing, and Incident Management
Curriculum
87 Lessons
Introduction to Ethical Hacking
Ethical hacking is the practice of intentionally probing systems, networks, and applications for security vulnerabilities — with explicit permission — so that these issues can be identified and fixed before malicious actors exploit them. Unlike criminal hacking, ethical hackers operate within legal and contractual boundaries.
There are several classifications of hackers:
Core Principles of Ethical Hacking
Standard Penetration Testing Phases
Penetration Testing as a Structured Process
Penetration testing (pen testing) is a disciplined process involving legal and ethical rules. It provides insights into a system’s security posture through controlled simulation of real-world attacks.
Installing and Configuring Kali Linux
Kali Linux is a Debian-based Linux distribution designed for digital forensics and penetration testing. It includes hundreds of pre-installed tools like Nmap, Burp Suite, Wireshark, John the Ripper, sqlmap, Hydra, and Metasploit Framework.
Installing and Configuring Kali Linux
Kali Linux is a Debian-based Linux distribution designed for digital forensics and penetration testing. It includes hundreds of pre-installed tools like Nmap, Burp Suite, Wireshark, John the Ripper, sqlmap, Hydra, and Metasploit Framework.
Linux Fundamentals and Bash Scripting
Linux is foundational for cybersecurity. Mastery of shell commands, file systems, networking, and automation is critical.
Core Tools for Penetration Testing
Master these essential tools — they will form the backbone of your assessments.
Passive Reconnaissance
Passive reconnaissance involves collecting information about the target without directly interacting with its infrastructure. This stage is crucial for preparing an effective attack strategy while remaining undetected.
Active Reconnaissance
Active reconnaissance includes direct interaction with the target system. This increases the risk of detection but provides much more detailed information.
OSINT Automation and Tools
OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) is vital in both offensive and defensive security. Automating OSINT allows attackers (and defenders) to save time and spot patterns.
Network Scanning with Nmap and Alternatives
Nmap is the de facto tool for network mapping and port scanning. Understanding its flags and capabilities is critical.
Vulnerability Scanning
Once services and ports are known, the next step is to identify potential vulnerabilities.
Introduction to Exploitation
Exploitation refers to the process of taking advantage of a vulnerability to execute unauthorized actions on a target system. This phase often builds on the discoveries made during scanning and reconnaissance.
Exploiting Network Services
Insecure network services are a top target during penetration tests. Legacy protocols or misconfigured services are often vulnerable.
Web Exploitation Basics (SQL Injection, XSS)
Web applications are a massive attack surface. Understanding the basics of SQLi and XSS is critical.
Generating Payloads with msfvenom
msfvenom is a Metasploit utility to generate payloads that can be delivered to targets.
Reverse Shells and Bind Shells
Reverse and bind shells are core techniques in exploitation. They allow you to gain remote access to a compromised system.
Understanding Privilege Escalation (Linux)
Privilege escalation is the act of gaining higher-level permissions on a system, usually moving from a basic user to root or admin access. In Linux, this often involves abusing misconfigurations or outdated software.
Privilege Escalation (Windows)
Windows privilege escalation often exploits weak permissions, vulnerable services, or misconfigurations.
Common Techniques:
Unquoted Service Paths
AlwaysInstallElevated registry setting
Insecure service permissions (sc qc)
DLL Hijacking
Token Impersonation (via Meterpreter)
UAC Bypass
Credential Harvesting and Dumping
Post-exploitation begins after initial compromise. One critical activity is gathering credentials from the system.
Persistence Mechanisms
Once access is gained, attackers often establish persistence — ensuring they can return even after reboot.
Data Exfiltration and Reporting
The final stage of a penetration test involves collecting useful data and exporting it safely, followed by documentation.
Advanced Memory Forensics
Memory forensics allows investigators to extract evidence from volatile memory (RAM). This can include decrypted credentials, open sockets, process injection, and malware that does not touch disk.
Disk and File System Forensics
Disk forensics focuses on non-volatile data: recovering deleted files, analyzing partitions, hidden volumes, and more.
Threat Intelligence Fundamentals
Threat Intelligence (TI) refers to data that helps understand current threats and inform proactive security decisions.
Case Simulation – Incident from Detection to Report
This simulation covers a full security incident lifecycle.
Capstone Assessment and Career Preparation
This final lesson reviews all content through a practical assessment and provides advice on cybersecurity career paths.
Ethical Hacking and Penetration Testing – Basic Knowledge Test
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