Where did I learn to PENTEST (Penetration Test)?
It was during the pandemic. We were wearing masks and practicing social distancing.
I came across Heath Adams and his Practical Ethical Hacker (PEH) on line course through The Cyber Mentor Academy. It was actually his only course. Back then, one could purchase the course for $30, or less on sale. I purchased the course, and later purchased a new PC as my existing PC couldn’t handle the Virtual Machines I needed to install the programs. This is not always the case, and I could have probably just re imaged my old machine, but opted for a new dedicated one.
This turned out to be such a good move. I learned Kali Linux with its many tools. I learned VMWare and Virtual Box. More importantly than anything else, I learned Linux. I didn’t complete the entire course, more specifically I didn’t finish the exercises as I had other commitments that were better use of my time. If I had been pursing a pentesting career, I would have completed the course in its entirety and received the completion certificate
The experience taught, actually reinforced what I knew. I applied the concepts towards passing the Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) certification.
The Cyber Mentor’s training platform, where the PEH is offered, no longer sells courses individually. One now must purchase a subscription which isn’t bad deal as you have a ton of courses available – all included in the same price. I also purchased a Linux 101, Windows and Linux malware forensics courses, and an OSINT course too I believe.
There are many other great learning opportunities like this out there. I don’t endorse any of them as they continually change.
Good Luck.
-Doug