Top Penetration Testing Certificates

Here are the best penetration testing certificates according to various Infosec resources. If you are looking to find the most trusted pen testing companies, you might want to look at the certificates that they have. Yes, defending in cybersecurity is a privilege, and the men and women who risk their lives are never observed without proper rewards. These certificates verify their strength and trustworthiness.

GIAC Exploit Researcher and Advanced Penetration Tester (GXPN)

The GIAC Exploit Researcher and Advanced Penetration Tester, a superior GIAC credential compared to the GPEN, does not require any special training or practical knowledge to take the exam. You must demonstrate that you can perform advanced pentesting and model advanced attackers in the detection of significant security flaws. Candidates must also demonstrate how these security flaws translate into business risks.

The exam focuses on areas such as network access, the use of advanced fuzzing techniques, client and network exploitation, identification of common cryptographic weaknesses, network manipulation and the use of shellcode and Python scripts.

EC-Council Licensed Penetration Tester (LPT) Master

The Licensed Penetration Tester Master is a certification at the expert level of the EC-Council (for comparison: CEH is considered a core or beginner). In contrast to the CEH certification, the LPT Master does not have any predetermined suitability criteria for candidates. A recertification is required every three years.

The purpose of the LPT Master is, in the words of the CEH Council, “to distinguish experts from beginners in penetration testing”.

Certified IACRB Penetration Tester (CPT)

The Information Assurance Certification Review Board (IACRB) is an industry standard organisation that offers a variety of certifications. The Certified Penetration Tester is a two-hour exam to demonstrate working knowledge and skills for pentesting. Like other IACRB certifications, CPT is valid for four years.

Certified Expert Penetration Tester (CEPT)

Another IACRB cert, Certified Expert Penetration Tester, demonstrates expert knowledge in the field of pentesting.

Like the CPT, the two-hour CEPT exam covers nine areas. However, most of these domains are different from the CPT domains.

Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP)

Offensive Security is specialised in pentesting training and certification. The Offensive Security Certified Professional Credential demonstrates a comprehensive mastery and practical understanding of pentesting.

Certified Ethics Hacker of the Council of Europe (CEH)

The EC-Council (International Council of E-Commerce Consultants) describes itself as “the world’s largest technical certification body for cyber security”. Your “Certified Ethical Hacker cert” is a comprehensive certification designed to teach you to think like a hacker. The certificate is valid for three years.

To take the four-hour certification exam, candidates must either attend an official training course or be admitted through an application process. They also need two years of experience in the field of information security.

The official training programme of the CEH comprises 20 modules covering various security areas and more than 300 attack technologies. The programme includes more than 140 laboratories that simulate real-time scenarios and access to more than 2,200 commonly used hacking tools.

Certified tester for the penetration of mobile and web applications (CMWAPT) 

The Certified Mobile and Web Application Penetration Tester, offered by the IACRB, covers eight areas specifically for mobile operating systems and web applications

Certified Red Team Operations Specialist (CRTOP) 

Red teams are similar to pentesting, but usually require a more comprehensive approach with more people digging much deeper than typical pentesters. The IACRB offers the Certified Red Team Operations Professional certificate for those who wish to demonstrate their skills in conducting a comprehensive Red Team assessment.

CompTIA PenTest+ 

CompTIA’s PenTest+ is a relative newcomer to pentesting certificates, but is known in the industry for a variety of other IT and security certifications. PenTest+ is designed to “test the latest penetration testing and vulnerability assessment and management skills that IT professionals need to conduct a successful, responsible penetration testing program,” says CompTIA.

Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC) Penetration Testers (GPEN) 

The GIAC Penetration Tester (GPEN) certification is one of the pentesting certifications offered by GIAC. The GIAC is part of the SANS and is considered the leading authority for a wide range of certifications. GPEN focuses on pentesting methods and best practices as well as legal issues related to pentesting. The certificate is valid for four years.