MISSION OSCP: Step 1 — Base Camp
Hi all,
This blog is the start of a new series, MISSION OSCP.
I am beginning my journey to obtain my Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP) certification. I have been provided the opportunity to train for and obtain the OSCP through my employer, and I am so grateful to be able to embark on this journey so early on in my career.
Throughout my journey, I will be blogging about my mission to obtain the OSCP. I am aiming to test in November or December 2023. I am hoping that MISSION: OSCP will help other aspiring cybersecurity professionals on their journey to learn hacking and obtain the OSCP.
What is the OSCP?
The OSCP is the premier offensive security certification. It is made by OffensiveSecurity, the company that owns and maintains Kali Linux, the premier hacking operating system.
The OSCP is a broad course, covering the following offensive security topics:
- Penetration Testing with Kali Linux
- Introduction to Cybersecurity
- Effective Learning Strategies
- Report Writing for Penetration Testers
- Information Gathering
- Vulnerability Scanning
- Introduction to Web Applications
- Common Web Application Attacks
- SQL Injection Attacks
- Client-Side Attacks
- Locating Public Exploits
- Fixing Exploits
- Antivirus Evasion
- Password Attacks
- Windows Privilege Escalation
- Linux Privilege Escalation
- Advanced Tunneling
- The Metasploit Framework
- Active Directory Introduction and Enumeration
- Attacking Active Directory Authentication
- Lateral Movement in Active Directory
How is the OSCP exam structured?
The OSCP exam is a practical exam. It lasts 23 hours and 45 minutes. In that time, you need to get as many points as you can. The exam is worth 100 points and to pass, you need to get 70 points. You can get 10 points of extra credit through completing OffSec learning modules.
To get points, you need to hack different machines.
60 points are tied to 3 independent targets, worth 20 points each. For each machine, you get 10 points when you get a low-level user and 10 points when you privilege escalate that user.
40 points are tied to an Active Directory set, with 1 domain controller and 2 clients. You either get all 40 points (for exploiting the whole Active Directory chain) or you get 0 points.
You will then have 24 hours to write and upload your documentation, which must include all tools, screenshots, and should be formatted professionally.
What is my strategy to successfully complete MISSION OSCP?
I am going to do multiple things to successfully complete MISSION OSCP.
- Complete all OffSec learning modules and boxes (this will get me the 10 extra credit points)
- Complete several TCM Security courses, including Practical Ethical Hacking, Windows PrivEsc, Linux PrivEsc, Python 101 for Hackers, & Moving, Pivoting, & Persistence.
- Practice more on HackTheBox if needed
- Refer to ippsec’s prep material
- Ask lots of questions!
This concludes article #1: Base Camp. If you have any tips or tricks for people studying for the OSCP that I didn’t include, please comment down below!
Megan Howell (CyberQueenMeg) is a cybersecurity student at Grand Canyon University and an Offensive Security Intern at Cisco Systems. She is a bug bounty hunter, has been featured in Forbes Magazine for her work in AI Bias hunting, open source contributor to programs like BeeF and BlackArch Linux, former DefCon speaker, SkillsUSA Cybersecurity national competitor, National Cyber Scholar, and Cyber Patriot competitor. You can find her social media profiles at linktr.ee/cyberqueenmeg.
