Advanced Penetration Testing
Master ethical hacking techniques, vulnerability assessment, and security testing methodologies used by professional penetration testers worldwide. Includes live lab environments and a final red-team exercise.
Advanced Penetration Testing is GICCT’s flagship offensive-security program — a 47-hour, lab-driven course that turns security knowledge into operational capability. You will learn to think and act like a professional adversary: mapping attack surface, exploiting real vulnerabilities, escalating access, and documenting everything to a standard a client can act on.
Who this course is for
This program suits security analysts, system and network administrators, and developers who already understand networking fundamentals and want to move into offensive security or strengthen their defensive work by understanding how attacks actually unfold. It is also a strong foundation for anyone targeting the CEH or OSCP certifications.
What you will be able to do
By the end, you will run a full penetration test from scoping to reporting: perform reconnaissance and enumeration, identify and exploit vulnerabilities across web, network, and service layers, escalate privileges on Linux and Windows, move laterally through a network, and write a professional report that translates technical findings into prioritised business risk. The program is built around isolated, instructor-monitored lab environments modelled on real corporate networks — you practise on systems that behave like the ones you will face in the field.
How it is taught
Every concept is reinforced through hands-on exploitation rather than slides. You work through progressively harder targets, and the course culminates in a full red-team exercise against a multi-host range where you chain techniques end to end. Instructors are active practitioners who bring current tooling and real engagement experience into every session.
Graduates leave prepared for professional penetration testing engagements and well-positioned for the industry certifications that employers recognise. Places are limited to protect lab access and instructor attention.
Curriculum
Reconnaissance & scoping
Passive and active recon, OSINT, attack-surface mapping, and engagement rules of engagement.
Vulnerability assessment
Scanning, enumeration, and triage; separating noise from exploitable findings.
Exploitation
Manual exploitation of web, network, and service vulnerabilities in live labs.
Privilege escalation & lateral movement
Linux and Windows privilege escalation, pivoting, and persistence.
Reporting & remediation
Writing client-grade reports that translate findings into prioritised business risk.
Red-team capstone
A full assessment against a multi-host range, end to end.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need prior penetration testing experience?
No, but you should be comfortable with networking fundamentals (TCP/IP, common protocols) and basic Linux command-line use. The course builds from there to advanced techniques.
Does this prepare me for the OSCP exam?
Yes. The methodology, lab approach, and reporting standard align closely with OSCP expectations, and many students take the course as structured OSCP preparation.
Are the labs safe and legal to use?
Absolutely. All exploitation happens in isolated, instructor-monitored lab environments built for the course. You never touch systems you are not authorised to test.
What do I need to bring?
A laptop capable of running a virtual machine. We provide the lab environments, tooling guidance, and all course materials.