Best Certification Courses For Successful Penetration Testing Career

Data privacy and data protection are primary concerns for everyone amid rising data breach incidents today. Close to 90% of businesses and professionals are expecting a mighty increase in the cyber security budget by 2024 (Source: statista.com). They are increasingly looking for pen testing professionals, especially certified professionals to protect their network from cyber attacks and data breaches.
If you are aspiring to build a rewarding career in pen testing, it’s imperative to enrol in a certification course. There is a wide range of penetration testing certifications available today. The post below sheds light on the best certification courses for penetration testing professionals.

What is Penetration Testing?

Penetration testing or Pen testing is a branch of ethical hacking. It involves running simulated attacks on networks, systems, or devices using various ethical hacking tools. These tests are conducted to find out hidden vulnerabilities within the device before the hackers can exploit them. In a nutshell, penetration testing helps strengthen the security gaps within the network and eventually aids in preventing a cyber attack.
Added to finding vulnerabilities, penetration tester jobs involve creating documentation and reports regarding the findings.

Why Penetration Testing Certification is Important?

For anyone trying to start a career as a penetration tester, a certification could prove immensely helpful. These certifications increase the credibility of the candidate and stand as hard evidence for their skills.
A valid penetration testing certification ensures that the certified professional is well-versed in all aspects of carrying out a simulated attack.

Who can enrol in Penetration Testing Certifications?

Eligibility Criterion:

Fundamental knowledge of cybersecurity



Professionals who can sign up for Pentesting Certification:

• CISO (Chief Information Security Officer)
• Cybersecurity Analyst
• IT Experts
• Infosec Experts
• Cloud Developers
• IT Auditors

Types of Pen Testers Certifications

There are multiple penetrations testing courses presented by prestigious institutions. These courses, or a few units within a certification, could focus on a special niche within the penetration testing domain. Some of the popular niches within the penetration testing domain are:

• Cloud penetration testing
• Web application penetration testing
• Mobile penetration testing
• Network penetration testing

The penetration testing certifications can also be categorised as entry-level, mid-level, and expert. Entry-level and mid-level courses are ideally the best certification courses for IT Freshers, while expert-level certs are recommended for seasoned penetration testers.

Top Penetration Testing Certification Programs

Penetration testing certifications are a powerful way to demonstrate your prowess and knowledge in the field of penetration testing. It's a vital cybersecurity function that involves putting systems, networks, websites, and applications through rigorous tests to identify potential vulnerabilities before those pesky hackers get a chance to exploit them.
Here are some of the industry-relevant best certification courses for freshers in the penetration testing domain:

1. Certification in Penetration Testing (C|PENT)

• Level: Senior-Level
• Offered by: EC-Council
• Valid for: 3 years

Accredited by the EC-Council, C|PENT is a 24 hours (performance-based and hands-on based exam) examination. The exam will validate your ability to conduct advanced pen testing procedures such as OT pentesting and IoT pentesting. Candidates can take two 12-hour sessions to complete the 24 hours Certification test. You have to score at least 70% to pass the C|PENT exam. If a candidate attains over 90%, s/he will receive the esteemed L|PT (Master).


2. Penetration Testing For Security Engineer

• Level: Mid-level
• Offered by: Dataspace Academy
• Valid for: Valid for life

This hands-on certification by Dataspace Academy focuses on teaching practical penetration testing skills in real-world scenarios. It challenges you to exploit vulnerabilities and present your findings, proving your ability to identify weaknesses and propose solutions. It’s a comprehensive course on the fundamentals of penetration testing, covering topics like network penetration testing, cloud penetration testing, and Android penetration testing. Being a mid-level course, anyone applying for the program needs to come with a preliminary understanding of cyber security concepts.
Note: In case, you want to learn selective topics on penetration testing, there are dedicated top certification courses on Network Penetration Testing, Web Penetration Application Testing, etc.


3. Advance Penetration Testing Program

• Level: Expert
• Offered by: Dataspace Academy
• Valid for: Valid for life

A top-rated penetration testing certification online and offline, this course verifies your understanding of penetration testing methodologies and techniques. It covers a wide range of topics, ensuring you have a comprehensive skill-set to tackle various security challenges. Developed by industry-experienced pen-testers, the program encompasses advanced concepts like API pentesting and red teaming.


4. Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP)

• Level: Expert
• Offered by: Offensive Security
• Valid for: 4 years

Globally, the OSCP certification is one of the toughest and most well-respected penetration testing certs. This is undoubtedly among the best IT certification courses for experienced cyber security professionals. OSCP cert verifies a candidate’s existing skillset and ensures that they are capable of securing the network correctly.
The OSCP certification exam simulates a live network on a private VPN, lasting up to 23 hours and 45 minutes. This exam typically requires extensive preparation, such as a one-month or two-month lab. Dataspace Academy has a dedicated OSCP training program that can help you scale this difficult test successfully. The three-month program encompasses all the major concepts covered in the OSCP exam and allows learners to develop practical skills with hands-on training.

In-Demand Skills For Pen Testers

Pentesting is a mid-to-high-level role in the cyber security domain. According to industry veterans, hands-on experience in live penetration testing projects is crucial to scale up your career. Here are some of the most essential skills you need to master pen-testing:

1. Familiarity with ethical hacking tools like Kali Linux, Metasploit, Nmap, etc.
2. Proficiency in programming languages, like Python and Powershell
3. In-depth understanding of operating systems, including Linux, Windows, and Unix
4. Strong written and verbal communication skills in DNS, ARP, and TCP/IP

Conclusion

A certified penetration tester is a critical resource for an organisation. The certification stands as testimony to their industry-leading skills and knowledge in penetration testing as well as the compliance regulations. Thus, recruiters are always looking for certified pentesters and they are also willing to pay a lucrative package for qualified professionals. However, just remember, these certifications carry a limited validity period. So, you make sure to renew your certification after every 3-4 years.
Being a mid-level point in a cyber security career path, aspiring pentesting professionals should come with fundamental knowledge in handling network and system operations. You could join the dedicated penetration testing course by Dataspace Academy to build the necessary knowledge and skills for a successful career as a cybersecurity expert.

FAQ

1. What is the salary of a licensed penetration tester?

In India, penetration testers earn in the range of ₹ 6.0 Lakhs to ₹ 18.7 Lakhs with an average annual salary of ₹ 5.1 Lakhs. However, salaries are subject to location, company, and designation of the professional.



2. How long does IT take to learn pentesting?

From learning the fundamentals of pentesting to gaining proficiency in different tools, it requires around 2 years.



3. Is penetration testing a good career in India?

Cyber crime incidents are only rising with each passing year and hackers are targeting every other industry out there. Businesses and organisations are getting increasingly concerned about creating a cyber-proof infrastructure to prevent cyber attackers. Thus, there is a huge demand for penetration testers in almost all major industries, ranging from finance to tech to media to health, and so on.