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Security • Step-by-Step Curriculum

Ethical Hacking & Penetration Testing

Learn authorized offensive security step-by-step—from Linux & networking recon to PortSwigger web labs, TryHackMe rooms, privilege escalation, and executive reporting.

Track Progress 0/8 Steps (0%)
Sign in to save progress, pass the Mastery Test, and earn a verified MESHLUMA Certificate. Practice Mastery Test (5 Questions)
Practical Equipment & Study Requirements
What laptop, phone, internet, and free tools you need for this field—plus cloud options if your device is low-spec.
8GB+ Laptop (or Browser Labs)
Laptop / PC Specs

Minimum: 4GB–8GB RAM laptop with Chrome/Firefox (use TryHackMe AttackBox & PortSwigger browser labs without local VMs).

Recommended: Intel i5 / Ryzen 5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD for running Kali Linux VM, Burp Suite, and Nmap locally.

Free Cloud Option: TryHackMe AttackBox, PortSwigger Academy & OverTheWire SSH — run safely in browser without risking your host OS.

Phone & Internet

Phone-Friendly Start

You can practice OverTheWire Bandit on Android via Termux SSH (Steps 1–2), but web proxying & exploitation labs require a laptop.

Internet: 3–5 Mbps for browser labs, Burp updates, and VPN connections.

Free Software & Hardware Kit
Burp Suite Community (Free) Nmap Kali Linux / WSL2 Termux / OpenSSH

Hardware / Kit: None required — strictly test only authorized lab targets (never real systems without written permission).

Best Way to Study This Field Easily: Learn one vulnerability class at a time in PortSwigger Academy, then immediately exploit and patch it in the built-in lab.
All Levels (1–8) Beginner Intermediate Advanced Expert
Intermediate Stage

Build real multi-part projects, tooling fluency, and problem-solving speed.

Step 3 intermediate ~12 hrs

Active Scanning & Service Enumeration (Nmap)

Discover open ports, service versions, SMB/HTTP/SSH banners, and misconfigurations.

What You Will Learn
  • TCP/UDP scan types & timing
  • Nmap Scripting Engine (NSE)
  • Enumerating HTTP, SMB, FTP & SNMP
Free Public Courses & Official Docs
Nmap Official Reference Guide
Nmap.org • Docs
Open Free
Hands-On Milestone Project: Scan a local lab VM and produce a clean service-enumeration inventory.
Step 4 intermediate ~24 hrs

Web Application Pentesting (SQLi, XSS, Auth & IDOR)

Intercept HTTP traffic with Burp Suite and exploit/patch OWASP web vulnerabilities.

What You Will Learn
  • SQL injection & parameterized fixes
  • Reflected, stored & DOM XSS
  • Broken access control & CSRF
Free Public Courses & Official Docs
Web Security Academy
PortSwigger • Free Interactive Labs
Open Free
OverTheWire: Natas (Web Security)
OverTheWire • Hands-on Lab
Open Free
Hands-On Milestone Project: Solve 20 PortSwigger Web Security Academy labs across SQLi, XSS, and Access Control.
Field Mastery Assessment

Ethical Hacking & Penetration Testing — Practical Mastery Assessment

Score 80% or higher (5 scenario questions) + submit your real practical capstone project after at least 7 days of study to earn a Verified MESHLUMA Certificate.

Sign In & Complete Study Steps to Unlock Test

Tests are given after studying all 8 steps to prove real practical mastery.

Sign In to Track Study & Unlock Test
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