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Study plan for the next few months - Updated June 2011

I am about to embark on a full time IT Security study program for the next few months.

It's a syllabus of my own design. (There aren't really any university or college courses that I could attend,
which cover the areas I want to study and research). TWEET THIS PAGE
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Over the last year I certified for CISSP, CISM and OSWP (and got about halfway through PwB, + completed
ITIL V3 Foundation and Prince2 Practitioner) - My next plans are a continuation of that study, but now really PAGEVIEWS FROM THE
focusing-in on Pentesting and Ethical Hacking, and studying full time...! PAST WEEK

2,116
I feel this is a big step for me, and a journey of thousand miles starts with a single big step (which I have
already taken)
PREVIOUSLY ON
INSIDETRUST.COM...
Phase one
2014 (2)

In the first one or two months I will be focused on finishing PwB "OSCP", and passing the CISA exam + 2013 (2)
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 logging some more credits to renew my CISSP and CISM certifications. (My CISA exam is booked for 2012 (7)
Saturday 11th of December). 2011 (39)
Update 07/11/10 - I have booked more PwB hacking lab-time starting on the 20th November, and working my 2010 (39)
way through my CISA study guide/book Dec (7)
Update 13/11/10 - Renewed my CISSP for another year Nov (13)
Update 04/12/10 - Completed 2 weeks of PwB lab-time, wrote several blogs during this time on tools and Oct (6)
techniques Study plan for the next
Update 09/12/10 - Continuing CISA study, passed several practice exams for CISA few months -
Updated June ...
Update 11/12/10 - Took CISA exam
Language trends in
Update 13/12/10 - Finished Security+ course exploit development
Update 16/12/10 - Earned 21 hours of ISACA CPE credits this week by watching eSymposiums and passing
Post-exploitation:
online tests. Renewed membership of ISACA to continue my current CISM certification. Booked 30 days Downloading files
more PwB labtime from a victim...
Update 16/12/10 - Completed 30 days PwB lab-time - More network access gained and many more machines Beginner level: Nmap
pwned
examples (basic
nmap examples...
Update 31/01/11 - Found out I passed the CISA exam
Hacking techniques:
Update 10/02/11 - Booked PwB exam Pass the hash
Update 21/03/11 - Finished updating OSCP documentation (PTH) with Metas...

Update 10-11/04/11 - Passed OCSP - First time! A Wireshark capture

filter for HTTP 503
errors

Aug (4)
Jul (6)

Phase two Jun (2)

Apr (1)
My plan is then to proceed straight to CTP (Do not pass go, do not collect $200), pass the CEH and Security+
2009 (4)
exams, and, maybe, finally get around to certifying for CCNA.
Update 13/11/10 - Passed hacking challenge to register for the CTP course, and got registration code for CEH
POPULAR POSTS
exam
Update 09/12/10 - Booked exams for Security+ (11th Jan) and CEH (18th Jan)
Using Hydra to
dictionary-
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 dictionary-
Update 13/12/10 - Completed Security+ course. Signed up for CTP course starting 23rd of Jan attack web-
Update 14/12/10 - Completed Python course
based login
forms
Update 30/12/10 - Completed C programming course Hydra is a online password
Update 05/01/11 - Completed MySQL 5 course cracking tool which can be
used to dictionary-attack
Update 11/01/11 - Passed Security+ exam (Too easy) various services by trying
Update 16/01/11 - Finished CEH review book lists of user-names and
passwords...
Update 18/01/11 - Passed CEH exam
Update 19/01/11 - Reviewing Metasploit Megaprimer Post-
exploitation:
Update 23/01/11 - Started CTP course Downloading
Update 08/02/11 - Completed CTP material, started reverse-engineering course files from a
victim with
Update 10/02/11 - Completed vtc.com CCNA course, and started reviewing CCNA books Metasploit Meterpreter
Update 16/03/11 - Completed vtc.com Linux Security course scripts
Imagine you have
Update 06/04/11 - Completed Linux Professional Institute Certification Level 1 2009 course
compromised a target
Update 24/04/11 - Completed vtc.com ICND 1 course, booked CCNA exam system as part of a
Penetration test.
Additionally, as part of the
Phase three pen-test you need to
download some ...
Further study (Possibly a SANS course, not sure which at this stage, and will be subject to available funds,
Password cracking: Using
maybe a CREST course or certification) and exploit development/mitigation research TBD... John The Ripper (JTR) to
detect password case (LM
to NTLM)
Update 15/01/11 - Started reviewing GPEN material When password-cracking
Update 22/03/11 - Finished reviewing GPEN material Windows passwords (for
password audits or
Update 13/04/11 - Started research project 1 penetration testing) if LM
Currently studying SANS 542 Web application attacks hashing is not disabled, two
hashes are stored i...

I'm pretty much done now, and I won't be updating this blog entry further. A quick guide
(I'll start another one if I need to) to Linux
privilege
escalation
and then... the future is uncertain... One thing I
noticed on the Offensive
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 noticed on the Offensive
(Which is always true ;o) Security PwB course is that
a most students struggle
In tandem and supporting the above with privilege escalation,
especially on Linux. He...

Phases one to three will be intermingled with a sprinkling of various courses from http://www.vtc.com/, ad Cracking Windows
hoc, to support my weaker areas (VTC is a bargain online training service, at around $30 per month) I feel I passwords with fgdump and
need to beef-up my programming skills, especially for exploit development and research. If I can squeeze in John the Ripper
This information is for
the odd MCP then that's a bonus. educational purposes only.
Do not break the law. Only
MySQL use these techniques on
your own test network, or
Microsoft Transact SQL
where you ha...
Perl Fundamentals * Started
Microsoft ASP.NET
ASP Scripting LINKS2
PHP Programming: The Basics removed
CompTIA Security+ Certification * Completed
Cisco CCNA 640-801 * Completed
Introduction to computer forensics * Started
Linux Security * Completed
C Programming 2007 * Completed
Redhat Certified Technician * Started
Programming With Ruby
C++ fundamentals
Microsoft Windows Vista Security * Started
Microsoft Windows Server 2008 * Started
Advanced C Programming
Assembly Language Programming * Started
Microsoft Windows 7
Using Security Tools * Started
CompTIA Linux+ * Started
Linux Professional Institute Cert Level 1 * Started
Microsoft ASP.NET 3.5
Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Development

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 Mac OS X Snow Leopard * Started
Microsoft Server 2008 Server Administrator
QuickStart! - MySQL 5 * Completed
QuickStart! - Python * Completed

Also, keeping up to speed with emerging threats for which http://www.securitytube.net/ is a great site!

...plus some light bed-time reading, to fill my spare time:

CISA prac tic e questions book * completed

Gray hat hacking * c ompleted

Teac h yourself PHP MySQL and Apac he

Hac king exposed 6 - Great fun! * completed

The Web Applic ation Hackers Handbook * c ompleted

Python in a nutshell - bought on ebay for a few quid, bargain

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 C for Linux programming - as above, bargain * 30% completed

CISA study guide * completed

Certified Ethical hac ker review guide * completed

7 x CCNA books I got on eBay * started reviewing

I think my schedule is full, maybe too full?

Wish me luck ;o)

Posted by Ben at 21:04

19 comments:

Frogbeef 4 November 2010 at 06:29

Your schedule seems to be on the light side... Surely you should also have time to design a jet
propulsion system?
Reply

Tony E 7 November 2010 at 20:17

Yeah ... I think you should do a cookery course as well - fish and CHIPS ... (computer chips ..... get it !!!
... old one I know !!!) .....

Know you'll get there, not sure where that will be ... but I bet you'll enjoy gettting there.

Wishing you luck :-) .... PS .... when would you use a "vendor class"
Reply

Sam Hartley 14 November 2010 at 16:27

Wow Ben that is a serious study schedule. Looking to do CTP soon myself but need to get the CREST
exam done first for work.

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 Look me up on #offsec as airloom and let me know how you are getting on.
Reply

Alyn 21 November 2010 at 16:55

barking mad thats all I can say...
Reply

Anthony 22 November 2010 at 00:12

That is an impressive array of skills you are looking to build there, good luck. Surely assembly language,
is just about impressing the ladies
Reply

Ben 22 November 2010 at 09:48

LOL - The "assembly language" for writing small bits of shellcode, and understanding buffer overflows in
detail.
(The "ASP scripting" is for impressing the ladies)
Reply

Anonymous 22 November 2010 at 09:59

think you could learn to do some croching with the other...
Reply

Ben 23 November 2010 at 10:42

Umm... Crocheting tiger, knit a dragon?
Reply

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 Anonymous 12 November 2011 at 21:03
How do you afford to pay for such a huge list of courses and certifications? I am wondering how to make
my employer pay for atleast a course or two.
Reply

Anonymous 19 November 2011 at 07:59

Check out vtc.com
Reply

ekeeuskk 28 February 2014 at 00:50

This is a good plan... I have the CEH, now in march I take the PWK. this layout is nice.
Reply

ekeeuskk 28 February 2014 at 00:53

so what are you doing today???? did all of this pay off and land you a good job?
Reply

Replies

Ben 23 June 2014 at 13:48

Yes, it paid off.

I am now a Senior Consultant for a leading IT Security company. I mainly perform penetration
tests, but also some research.

Ben 23 June 2014 at 13:58

Also, I'm presenting at BlackHat in a few weeks: https://www.blackhat.com/us-
14/briefings.html#Williams
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 Reply

Jockson Rick 4 April 2016 at 07:01

What a nice note.Thanks for your words..Basics & Beyond, Inc. is registered with the National
Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education
on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors.
CPE Hours
Reply

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Srinadh 21 June 2016 at 07:14

A smallish campaign with a homemade list would not be likely to yield much of a result. To achieve

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 anything worthwhile, a much more aggressive effort is needed. Then, the age-old value analysis applies:
projected earnings = margin on total projected sales - cost of campaign.

Reply

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