Professional Cybersecurity & Ethical Hacking

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This intensive 3-month Professional Cybersecurity & Ethical Hacking Program is designed to equip students with the real-world offensive security skills demanded by today’s cybersecurity industry. Delivered by Syed Faizan Shah at the Center of Information Technology (CIT) Mardan in partnership with Veltrix IT Solutions & CIT Pakistan, this program takes learners from Linux fundamentals and networking basics all the way through reconnaissance, vulnerability assessment, web application exploitation, and professional VAPT reporting — following the globally recognized CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker) and OWASP methodologies.

Students will build and operate a complete Kali Linux penetration testing lab, master tools such as Nmap, Metasploit, Burp Suite, OpenVAS, Maltego, and Shodan, and develop the professional documentation skills needed to deliver executive-grade penetration testing reports. The program culminates in a 15-day Capstone Project — a fully scoped Web Application Penetration Test against OWASP Juice Shop and DVWA, resulting in a professional VAPT Report complete with CVSS-scored findings, proof-of-concept evidence, and actionable remediation recommendations.

Whether you’re launching a career in cybersecurity, pursuing ethical hacking certifications (CEH, eJPT, OSCP), or strengthening your IT background with offensive security knowledge — this program delivers job-ready skills in a structured, practical, and mentored environment.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
1	Set up and operate a professional Kali Linux penetration testing environment
2	Apply networking fundamentals (TCP/IP, subnetting, ports) to real-world attack scenarios
3	Conduct full-scope OSINT and passive/active reconnaissance on target systems
4	Perform network scanning, service enumeration, and vulnerability assessment using industry tools
5	Identify and exploit OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities in web applications
6	Execute controlled exploitation using Metasploit Framework and perform post-exploitation operations
7	Assess Linux and Windows systems for privilege escalation and persistence vectors

Deploy and monitor basic defensive controls including honeypots and log analysis

Produce professional VAPT reports with CVSS-scored findings, PoC evidence, and remediation guidance

COURSE SCHEDULE OVERVIEW │ 9 Modules │ 26 Sessions │ 2 Classes per Week
Module	Classes	Topic	Level
1	1–4	Linux Fundamentals & Virtualization	Beginner
2	5–6	Networking Fundamentals	Beginner
3	7–10	Footprinting & Reconnaissance (CEH)	Intermediate
4	11–14	Network Scanning & Enumeration	Intermediate
5	15–17	Vulnerability Assessment	Intermediate
6	18–20	Web Application Security (OWASP)	Intermediate–Advanced
7	21–22	Metasploit Framework	Advanced
8	23–24	System Exploitation & Post-Exploitation	Advanced
9	25	Security Operations & Defense	Advanced
Capstone	26	Final VAPT Project Review & Presentation	Capstone

MODULE 1 │ Linux Fundamentals & Virtualization │ Classes 1–4
Class	Topics Covered
Class 1	VMware Installation Kali Linux Installation User Accounts Root vs User Linux Directory Structure
Class 2	Linux Commands File Management Nano, Vim, Cat Permissions Chmod
Class 3	Package Management (Apt) Git Clone & Wget Installing Security Tools
Class 4	Password Policies & Aging User Management Process Management

Mini Project 1 Build Your Kali Linux Lab

Set up complete Kali Linux virtualized environment
Create user accounts with appropriate password policies
Configure file permissions and directory structure
Install and document key penetration testing tools

MODULE 2 │ Networking Fundamentals │ Classes 5–6
Class	Topics Covered
Class 5	IPv4 Addressing & Binary Subnetting Basics IP Classes A/B/C Public vs Private IP
Class 6	Ports & Protocols (TCP vs UDP) Common Services (SSH, Apache) Network Troubleshooting

Mini Project 2 Network Diagram & IP Plan

Create a professional network topology diagram
Design a complete IP addressing plan
Produce a service-to-port mapping report

MODULE 3 │ Footprinting & Reconnaissance (CEH) │ Classes 7–10
Class	Topics Covered
Class 7	Google Dorking Whois Lookups DNS Enumeration Email Footprinting
Class 8	Subdomain Enumeration Assetfinder Subfinder HTTPX
	Subdomain Enumeration Assetfinder Subfinder HTTPX
	Shodan Censys Hunter.io
Class 9

	Recon-ng Framework Maltego – Link Analysis & OSINT Visualization
Class 10

Mini Project 3 OSINT Assessment on Lab Target

Perform comprehensive OSINT on university website or personal lab domain
Document discovered subdomains, email addresses, DNS records
Identify technologies and frameworks in use
Submit structured OSINT report with evidence

MODULE 4 │ Network Scanning & Enumeration │ Classes 11–14
Class	Topics Covered
Class 11	Netdiscover Host Discovery Techniques
Class 12	Nmap Basics Port Scanning

	Version Detection (-sV)
Class 13	NSE Scripts Service Enumeration with Nmap
Class 14	Advanced Enumeration Techniques SMB Enumeration FTP & HTTP Enumeration

Mini Project 4 Metasploitable2 Scan Report

Perform full host discovery and port scan on Metasploitable2
Enumerate all open services, versions, and banners
Document findings with screenshots
Submit professional scan report

MODULE 5 │ Vulnerability Assessment │ Classes 15–17
Class	Topics Covered
Class 15	CVE System & CVSS Scoring Risk Rating Methodology
Class 16	Vulscan Nmap Vulnerability Scripts
	Vulscan Nmap Vulnerability Scripts
	Greenbone/OpenVAS Nessus Introduction & Scanning
Class 17	Greenbone/OpenVAS Nessus Introduction & Scanning

Mini Project 5 Vulnerability Assessment Report

Conduct full vulnerability scan on lab target
Document each finding: Title, CVE, CVSS Score, Impact
Provide professional remediation recommendations
Submit complete VA report in required format

MODULE 6 │ Web Application Security (OWASP) │ Classes 18–20
Class	Topics Covered
Class 18	OWASP Top 10 Overview DVWA Setup OWASP Juice Shop Setup
Class 19	Authentication Testing Session Management Flaws Access Control Testing
Class 20	Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) SQL Injection File Upload Vulnerabilities

Mini Project 6 Web Application Bug Hunting

Identify and exploit 3 OWASP vulnerabilities in lab environment
Create proof-of-concept (PoC) for each finding

MODULE 7 │ Metasploit Framework │ Classes 21–22
Class	Topics Covered
Class 21	Metasploit Architecture Module Types (Exploit, Auxiliary, Post) Payloads & Listeners
Class 22	Meterpreter Shell Session Management Post-Exploitation Techniques

Mini Project 7 Controlled Exploitation – PoC Report

Exploit VSFTPD 2.3.4 backdoor or Samba vulnerability
Document full exploitation chain with screenshots
Create professional Proof-of-Concept (PoC) report

MODULE 8 │ System Exploitation & Post-Exploitation │ Classes 23–24
Class	Topics Covered
Class 23	Linux System Exploitation Windows Exploitation EternalBlue (MS17-010)
Class 24	Privilege Escalation Techniques Persistence Mechanisms Advanced Meterpreter Operations

Mini Project 8 Full Exploitation Cycle Report

Complete vulnerability discovery on lab target
Perform controlled exploitation and gain access
Collect digital evidence throughout the process
Submit remediation and hardening report

MODULE 9 │ Security Operations & Defense │ Class 25
Class	Topics Covered
Class 25	Honeypots & Deception Technology Cowrie Honeypot Setup Log Analysis Fundamentals Basic Digital Forensics Incident Response Procedures

Mini Project 9 Honeypot Deployment & Log Analysis

Deploy Cowrie SSH Honeypot in lab environment
Simulate attacker interaction and collect session logs

Target Labs: OWASP Juice Shop & DVWA
Phase 1 – Recon	Google Dorks DNS Enumeration Technology Detection & Fingerprinting
Phase 2 – Scanning	Nmap port & service scan HTTPX web enumeration OpenVAS vulnerability scan
Phase 3 – Enumeration	Directory bruteforcing Service & user enumeration Parameter discovery
Phase 4 – VA	XSS identification SQL Injection testing Authentication flaws Security misconfigurations File upload vulnerabilities
Phase 5 – Exploitation	Safely demonstrate each vulnerability Capture PoC screenshots and logs Document exploitation chain
Phase 6 – Reporting	Executive Summary Scope & Methodology CVSS-scored Findings Screenshots & PoC Recommendations & Fixes Professional VAPT Report (PDF)

FINAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

✔ Full VAPT Report (PDF – Professional Format)

✔ Annotated Screenshots (Organized by Phase)

✔ Nmap Scan Results

✔ OpenVAS Scan Results

✔ OWASP Vulnerability Findings

✔ Vulnerability Risk Matrix

✔ Final Class Presentation (10–15 Minutes)

ASSESSMENT BREAKDOWN │ Total: 100%
Component	Weight	Notes
Mini Projects (x9)	36%	One per module – practical lab deliverables
Mid-Term Lab Exam	15%	Hands-on scanning & enumeration exam

Quizzes (x3)	10%	Modules 3, 5, and 7 – theory-based
Capstone VAPT Project	30%	Full penetration test & professional report
Final Presentation	9%	Live demo and Q&A with instructor

TOOLS & RESOURCES
Tool / Platform	Purpose
Kali Linux + VMware	Primary attack platform and virtualization environment
Nmap & NSE Scripts	Network scanning, port analysis, and service enumeration
Metasploit Framework	Controlled exploitation and post-exploitation operations
Burp Suite	Web application testing, proxy, and vulnerability scanning
OpenVAS / Greenbone	Automated vulnerability scanning and risk assessment
Maltego & Recon-ng	OSINT collection and visual link-analysis
Shodan & Censys	Internet-of-Things scanning and passive reconnaissance
Wireshark	Network traffic capture and protocol analysis
DVWA & Juice Shop	Intentionally vulnerable web application labs
Metasploitable2	Vulnerable Linux target for exploitation practice

GRADING POLICY
A	B	C	D	F
85–100%	70–84%	55–69%	40–54%	Below 40%