Offensive Security Training¶

A curated collection of red team, penetration testing, and adversary simulation resources designed to sharpen your offensive tradecraft and enhance your defensive understanding.

Why Offensive Security Matters¶

Understanding offensive security isn’t just about hacking — it’s about thinking like an attacker to build stronger defenses.

Benefits of offensive operations training:

• Attacker mindset: Learn how cybercriminals exploit weaknesses and gain unauthorized access.
• Hands-on experience: Practice real-world tactics like privilege escalation, lateral movement, and social engineering.
• Better defenses: Identify and patch weaknesses before adversaries can exploit them.
• Incident readiness: Understand attack flow and improve detection and response playbooks.
• Career growth: Offensive certifications and red teaming experience are in high demand across cybersecurity roles.

Learning how to break systems ethically helps you understand how to truly secure them.

Labs & Platforms¶

Test and improve your skills with legal, realistic attack environments.

• Hack The Box — One of the best hands-on penetration testing and red team environments.
• TryHackMe — Guided, beginner-friendly offensive and defensive cyber labs.
• AttackDefense — Real-world attack/defense labs for penetration testers and researchers.
• OverTheWire — Classic wargames for learning Linux privilege escalation and exploitation.
• Cyber Skills – GitHub List — Curated collection of free, legal hacking labs and practice platforms.

Courses & Training¶

Structured programs and certifications to help you master offensive operations.

• TCM Security – Practical Ethical Hacking — Hands-on course with real network exploitation and methodology coverage.
• INE – Penetration Testing Student (PTS) — Comprehensive introduction to exploit development and ethical hacking.
• SANS SEC560: Network Penetration Testing — Industry-leading course on structured penetration testing and engagement process.
• Metasploit Unleashed (MSFU) — Free course from OffSec; donations support Hackers for Charity.
• Kali Linux Revealed — Official guide to mastering the Kali Linux penetration testing distribution.
• Advanced Threat Tactics – Cobalt Strike Training — Videos and exercises for understanding red team operations using Cobalt Strike.
• OffSec YouTube Channel — Ongoing training videos, community updates, and tool breakdowns.
• CobaltStrike Training Videos (YouTube Archive) — Unofficial but valuable tutorials for operators and red teamers.

Certifications¶

Validate your skills and gain credibility through offensive security certifications.

• OSCP (OffSec) — The gold standard in practical penetration testing.
• eCPPT (INE) — Intermediate pentesting cert covering exploitation, reporting, and methodology.
• PNPT (TCM Security) — Practical certification testing real-world pentesting and reporting skills.

Frameworks & Methodology¶

Learn how professional penetration tests are structured — from scoping to reporting.

• Penetration Testing Execution Standard (PTES) — Defines a standard approach to professional pentesting engagements.
• MITRE ATT&CK — Framework of adversary tactics and techniques for mapping offensive behavior.

Practice Challenges¶

Sharpen your tradecraft with guided offensive learning paths.

• TryHackMe – Offensive Pentesting Path — Progress through beginner to intermediate exploitation challenges.
• Hack The Box Academy – Red Team Learning Path — Comprehensive technical path for pentesters and operators.

Additional Resources¶

Expand your toolkit and continue growing your offensive skillset.

• Attack Defense Labs — Continuous, hands-on cyber ranges for realistic attack simulation.
• Cyber Skills Repository — Extensive collection of hacking environments and learning labs.
• Cobalt Strike Training — Official resources and guides from the Cobalt Strike team.

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