Certified Penetration Testing Professional (CPENT AI)

Achieve mastery in advanced penetration testing, exploit development, and red team operations with CPENT AI certification

As an Authorized Training Center of EC-Council, we deliver official CPENT AI training and certification that prepares professionals to exploit, defend, and secure complex enterprise environments

Key features & benefits

40+ hours of intensive hands-on training with real-world penetration testing scenarios

110+ labs, live cyber ranges, and CTF-style challenges for practical skills

Advanced focus areas: exploit development, web and cloud attacks, IoT, OT, and multi-layered enterprise environments

Hands-on challenges with network pivoting, privilege escalation, evasion techniques, and advanced reporting

Covers the complete penetration testing cycle — from reconnaissance and exploitation to post-exploitation and documentation

Earn a globally recognized CPENT certification, validating senior-level penetration testing and red team expertise

Build job-ready, practical skills demanded by enterprises, governments, and defense sectors worldwide

Course outline

Select a module to explore detailed content:

Module 01
Introduction to penetration testing and methodologies

Principles and objectives of penetration testing
Penetration testing methodologies and frameworks
Best practices and guidelines for penetration testing
Role of artificial intelligence in penetration testing
Role of penetration testing in compliance with laws, acts, and standards

Key topics covered: penetration testing, penetration testing process, penetration testing methodologies and frameworks, MITRE ATT&CK framework, characteristics of a good penetration test, AI-driven penetration testing, AI-driven tools for penetration testing, compliance-driven penetration testing, role of AI and machine learning in compliance-driven testing

Module 02
Penetration testing scoping and engagement

Penetration testing: pre-engagement activities
Key elements required to respond to penetration testing RFPs
Drafting effective rules of engagement (ROE)
Legal and regulatory considerations critical to penetration testing
Resources and tools for successful penetration testing
Strategies to effectively manage scope creep

Key topics covered: preparing for proposal submission, rules of engagement, drafting a ROE, drafting penetration testing contract, rules of behavior, nondisclosure agreement, liability issues, engagement letter, kickoff meeting, statement of work, preparing the test plan, data use agreement, mission briefing, scope creeping

Module 03
Open-source intelligence (OSINT)

Collect open-source intelligence (OSINT) on target’s domain name
Collect OSINT about target organization on the web
Perform OSINT on target’s employees
OSINT using automation tools
Map the attack surface

Labs:

collect OSINT on target’s domain name, web, and employees
collect OSINT using automation tools
identify and map attack surface

Key topics covered: find domain and subdomains, Whois lookups, DNS records, reverse lookups, DNS zone transfer, web searches using advanced operators, Google dork, footprint target using Shodan, email harvesting, people search online services, automate OSINT process using tools/frameworks, attack surface mapping, traceroute analysis, scanning target network, discover live hosts, port scanning, OS banner grabbing, service fingerprinting

Module 04
Social engineering penetration testing

Social engineering penetration testing concepts
Off-site social engineering penetration testing
On-site social engineering penetration testing
Document findings with countermeasure recommendations

Labs: sniff credentials using the social-engineer toolkit (SET)

Key topics covered: social engineering penetration testing process, off-site social engineering penetration testing, phishing, social engineering using phone, social engineering using AI and ML, on-site social engineering penetration testing, social engineering countermeasures

Module 05
Web application penetration testing

Web application footprinting and enumeration techniques
Techniques for web vulnerability scanning
Test for vulnerabilities in application deployment and configuration
Techniques to assess identity management, authentication, and authorization mechanisms
Evaluate session management security
Evaluate input validation mechanisms
Detect and exploit SQL injection vulnerabilities
Techniques for identifying and testing injection vulnerabilities
Exploit improper error handling vulnerabilities
Identify weak cryptography vulnerabilities
Test for business logic flaws in web applications
Evaluate applications for client-side vulnerabilities

Labs:

perform website footprinting
perform web vulnerability scanning using AI
perform various attacks on target web application

Key topics covered: OWASP penetration testing framework, website footprinting, web spidering, website mirroring, HTTP service discovery, web server banner grabbing, test for default credentials, enumerate webserver directories, web vulnerability assessment, web application fuzz testing, directory brute forcing, web vulnerability scanning, test handling of file extensions, test backup and unreferenced files, username enumeration, authorization attack, insecure access control methods, session token sniffing, session hijacking, cross-site request forgery (XSRF), URL parameter tampering, SQL injection, LDAP injection, improper error handling, logic flaws, frame injection

Module 06
API and java web token penetration testing

Techniques and tools to perform API reconnaissance
Test APIs for authentication and authorization vulnerabilities
Evaluate the security of JSON web tokens (JWT)
Test APIs for input validation and injection vulnerabilities
Test APIs for security misconfiguration vulnerabilities
Test APIs for rate limiting and denial of service (DoS) attacks
Test APIs for security of GraphQL implementations
Test APIs for business logic flaws and session management

Labs:

perform API reconnaissance using AI
scan and identify vulnerabilities in APIs
exploit various vulnerabilities to gather information on the target application

Key topics covered: API reconnaissance, test APIs for broken authentication, test APIs for object-level permissions (BOLA), test for JWT issues, test APIs for SQL injection vulnerabilities, test APIs for cross-site scripting (XSS), fuzzing API inputs, API vulnerability scanning, unsafe consumption of APIs, API for throttling and rate limiting attacks, GraphQL issues, API for workflows’ circumvention, API for session hijacking

Module 07
Perimeter defense evasion techniques

Techniques to evaluate firewall security implementations
Techniques to evaluate IDS security implementations
Techniques to evaluate the security of routers
Techniques to evaluate the security of switches

Labs:

identify and bypass a firewall
evade perimeter defenses using social-engineer toolkit (SET)
perform WAF fingerprinting

Key topics covered: testing the firewall, locate the firewall, enumerate firewall access control list, scan the firewall for vulnerabilities, bypass the firewall, IDS penetration testing, techniques used to evade IDS systems, test the IDS using different techniques, bypass IDS, router testing issues, port scan the router, test for router misconfigurations, security misconfigurations in switch, test for OSPF performance, router and switch security auditing tool

Module 08
Windows exploitation and privilege escalation

Windows pen testing methodology
Techniques to perform reconnaissance on a Windows target
Techniques to perform vulnerability assessment and exploit verification
Methods to gain initial access to Windows systems
Techniques to perform enumeration with user privilege
Techniques to perform privilege escalation
Post-exploitation activities

Labs:

exploit Windows OS vulnerability
exploit and escalate privileges on a Windows operating system
gain access to a remote system
exploit buffer overflow vulnerability on a Windows machine

Key topics covered: reconnaissance on Windows, Windows vulnerability scanning, gain access to Windows system, vulnerability scanning and exploit suggestion using AI, crack passwords, gain access to Windows using remote shell, exploit buffer overflow vulnerability on Windows, Meterpreter post exploitation, escalating privileges, UAC bypass, antivirus evasion, disable Windows Defender, setup backdoor at boot, evade antivirus detection

Module 09
Active directory penetration testing

Architecture and components of Active Directory
Active Directory reconnaissance
Active Directory enumeration
Exploit identified Active Directory vulnerabilities
Role of artificial intelligence in AD penetration testing strategies

Labs:

explore the Active Directory environment
perform Active Directory enumeration
perform horizontal privilege escalation and lateral movement
retrieve cached Active Directory credentials

Key topics covered: Active Directory, Active Directory components, Active Directory reconnaissance, enumerate Active Directory, Active Directory service interfaces (ADSI), Active Directory enumeration tools, password spraying attack, Active Directory certificate services (AD CS), Exchange Server user enumeration, exploit Exchange Server, extract password hashes, crack NTLM hashes, Active Directory exploitation, AD enumeration using AI

Module 10
Linux exploitation and privilege escalation

Linux exploitation and penetration testing methodologies
Linux reconnaissance and vulnerability scanning
Techniques to gain initial access to Linux systems
Linux privilege escalation techniques

Labs:

perform reconnaissance and vulnerability assessment on Linux
gain access and perform enumeration
identify misconfigurations for privilege escalation

Key topics covered: Linux reconnaissance, Linux vulnerability scanning, gaining initial access, privilege escalation methods, post-exploitation activities, persistence techniques, password attacks, misconfiguration exploitation, enumeration tools, file permission issues, kernel exploits, sudo misconfigurations, cron job abuse, exploiting SUID binaries

Module 11
Reverse engineering, fuzzing, and binary exploitation

Concepts and methodology for analyzing Linux binaries
Methodologies for examining Windows binaries
Buffer overflow attacks and exploitation methods
Concepts, methodologies, and tools for application fuzzing

Labs:

perform binary analysis
explore binary analysis methodology
write an exploit code
reverse engineering a binary
identify and debug stack buffer overflows
fuzzing an application

Key topics covered: machine instructions, 32-bit assembly, ELF binary, IA-32 instructions for pentesting, binary analysis methodology, Capstone framework, static analysis, dynamic analysis, x86 C program, buffer overflow, heap overflow, memory corruption exploits, cross-compile binaries, fuzzing, fuzzing steps, types of fuzzers, debugging, fuzzing tools, building fuzzer

Module 12
Lateral movement and pivoting

Advanced lateral movement techniques
Advanced pivoting and tunneling techniques to maintain access

Labs: perform pivoting, perform DNS tunneling and HTTP tunneling

Key topics covered: lateral movement, pass the hash (PtH) attack, pass the ticket (PtT) attack, Kerberos attacks, silver ticket, golden ticket, Kerberoasting, PsExec Metasploit framework for lateral movement, Windows remote management (WinRM) for lateral movement, crack RDP, pivoting, pivoting tools, HTTP tunneling, DNS tunneling, ICMP tunneling, SSH tunneling, port forwarding

Module 13
IoT penetration testing

Fundamental concepts of IoT pentesting
Information gathering and attack surface mapping
Analyze IoT device firmware
In-depth analysis of IoT software
Assess the security of IoT networks and protocols
Post-exploitation strategies and persistence techniques
Comprehensive pentesting reports

Labs: perform IoT firmware acquisition, extraction, analysis, and emulation, probe IoT devices

Key topics covered: IoT penetration testing, OWASP top 10 IoT threats, OWASP IoT attack surface areas, IoT penetration testing methodology, identify IoT devices, firmware analysis, extract the firmware image, firmware extraction, reverse engineering firmware, static analysis of binaries, dynamic analysis of binaries, IoT software analysis, IoT network and protocol security testing, network traffic analysis between devices, gateways, and servers, privilege escalation techniques in IoT, lateral movement techniques within IoT networks, IoT penetration testing report

Module 14
Report writing and post-testing actions

Labs: generate penetration test reports

Purpose and structure of a penetration testing report
Essential components of a penetration testing report
Phases of a pentest report writing
Skills to deliver a penetration testing report effectively
Post-testing actions for organizations

Key topics covered: characteristics of a good pentesting report, report components, phases of report development, writing a draft report, report writing tools, delivering the penetration testing report, report retention, destroying the report, sign-off document, developing and implementing data backup plan, conducting training, retesting and validation

Our partners & vendors

Ready to grow your cybersecurity team?

Get expert guidance on upskilling your team and building a cybersecurity workforce tailored to your business needs.

Book a consultation

Training prerequisites

Core knowledge

A solid understanding of computer networks, IP addressing, and advanced protocols (DNS, DHCP, ARP, ICMP, SNMP, Kerberos)

Strong knowledge of information security concepts, penetration testing methodologies, and vulnerability management

Recommended: EC-Council CEH certification (or equivalent) and at least two years of practical experience in cybersecurity or penetration testing

Technical skills

Proficiency with penetration testing tools and frameworks (Nmap, Metasploit, Burp Suite, Wireshark, PowerShell, Python)

Hands-on experience with exploitation techniques, privilege escalation, and post-exploitation methods

Familiarity with advanced areas: Active Directory security, cloud environments, IoT security, and evasion techniques

Ability to perform reconnaissance, scanning, exploitation, lateral movement, and reporting in complex environments

OS & tools

Comfortable working across multiple operating systems: Windows, Linux, and macOS

Able to perform advanced command-line operations, scripting, and automation

Experience with system administration tasks (user management, service configuration, security hardening)

Familiarity with virtualization platforms, lab environments, and cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) is highly recommended

Training & register details

TRAINING OVERVIEW

Certified Penetration Testing Professional (CPENT AI)

Master advanced penetration testing skills with AI-driven methodologies, covering enterprise networks, IoT, cloud, and hybrid environments

Book a consultation

HOW TO REGISTER

1. Submit your application

Submit a quick application to let us know you’re interested in the course.

2. Intro call

We’ll schedule a short call to learn more about your goals and expectations.

3. Confirm your spot

Get accepted and complete the paperwork. We’ll send you all the info you need.

4. Start learning

Access your learning platform and get familiar with the materials.

5. Join the community

Get access to the student chat, events, and mentorship opportunities.

Who is CPENT AI for?

Cybersecurity professionals

Advance your career with CPENT AI, mastering advanced penetration testing techniques powered by AI for complex enterprise, cloud, and IoT environments

Teams & organizations

Strengthen your security operations with experts trained to identify, exploit, and remediate vulnerabilities in real-world scenarios

Government & defense

Trusted by agencies and defense organizations worldwide for building highly skilled penetration testing and red team capabilities

Educators

Incorporate official EC-Council CPENT AI content into advanced academic or corporate cybersecurity programs

FAQ

What does a CPENT AI do?

Penetration testers simulate cyberattacks on an organization’s network and computer systems. Their primary goal is to identify and exploit vulnerabilities before malicious hackers can do the same, helping organizations improve their security posture.

Why is pen testing important?

With growing cyberattacks, the need to strengthen the security posture of organizations is significant. Pen testing identifies and addresses vulnerabilities in a system that an attacker could exploit. Performing pen testing helps you identify which vulnerabilities are most critical, which are less important, and which are false positives.

Is CPENT AI for beginners?

No, CPENT ^AI is not for beginners. One must have at least two years of experience in information security or hold the EC-Council Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) certification or an equivalent qualification or experience.

Who can take up CPENT AI?

Anyone with at least two years of experience in information security or the EC-Council Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) certification or similar knowledge is eligible to apply for EC-Council’s CPENT ^AI certification program.

How does CPENT AI help in an offensive security career?

CPENT ^AI is the ultimate cornerstone certification for offensive security and VAPT careers. A CPENT ^AI-certified professional can perform scoping and pen-testing across modern attack surfaces. A CPENT ^AI certification validates technical, strategic, tactical, and AI skills, making CPENT ^AI-certified professionals highly valuable to red teaming, advanced pen-testing, offensive security, and VAPT careers.

How does CPENT AI compare to other offensive security certifications?

CPENT ^AI goes beyond any other pen testing and offensive security certifications by offering complete hands-on pen testing methodology, enabling students to master end-to-end pen-testing phases and to complete any pen-testing assignment flawlessly. Any CPENT ^AI pen testing assignment requires 20% technical knowledge and 80% critical pen-testing skills like scoping, planning, legal requirements, and more. CPENT ^AI is the only offensive certification to cover AI skills in all pen-testing phases, like AI-powered attack simulations, social engineering, cloud, Active Directory testing, etc.

What is the course duration of CPENT AI?

The course requires you to complete a 40-hour training session. It offers two exam formats to choose from: two sessions of 12 hours each or one 24-hour exam. Candidates then need to submit a pen testing report within seven days of taking the examination.

What is the difference between the C|EH and CPENT AI?

Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) – Covers ethical hacking skills and core domains of cybersecurity to kickstart your cybersecurity career in different teams across the industries.

Certified Penetration Testing Professional (CPENT ^AI) – A hands-on, expert-level certification that tests advanced penetration testing skills in real-world scenarios, which advances your career in offensive security, pen testing, VAPT, red teaming, and more.

Start your journey with us

Ready to grow your skills or start a new career in cybersecurity?

Leave your contact details, and our experts will get back to you shortly — whether you need help choosing the right course or certification program, or want details about enrollment and schedules.

Full name

Select your interest

Phone number

Message

Email address

Preferred contact method

By clicking "Request a consultation", you consent to the processing of your personal data in line with our Privacy Policy.

Full Name

Phone Number

Email Address

Preferred Contact Method

Select Your Interest

Message

By clicking "Request a Consultation", you consent to the processing of your personal data in line with our Privacy Policy.