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CBT Nuggets

Network Penetration Testing Essentials (PEN-100)

PEN-100: Network Penetration Testing Essentials is a foundational OffSec training for aspiring ethical hackers. Learn Linux and Windows command line, network protocols, scripting with Bash and Python, and essential security tools like Nmap and Metasploit. Build a strong ethical hacking mindset with hands-on practice in reconnaissance, exploitation, and post-exploitation techniques. Perfect for beginners looking to start a cybersecurity career.

Updated February 2025

17Skills
157Videos
14h 18mTotal
157 videos14h 18m

Who This Course Is For

This PEN-100 training is considered foundational OffSec training, designed for aspiring penetration testers and cybersecurity beginners. This Network Penetration Testing Essentials course is valuable for IT professionals with basic networking and Linux knowledge, as well as security enthusiasts looking to build a strong ethical hacking foundation.

Skills Your Team Will Gain

  • [
  • 'Linux command line file management, processes, permissions',
  • 'PowerShell, Netstat, WMIC',
  • 'Network protocols such as TCP/IP, DNS, HTTP, SMB',
  • 'Scripting with Bash and Python for automation',
  • 'Security tools like Nmap, Wireshark, Metasploit',
  • 'Recon, exploitation, post-exploitation within an ethical hacking framework'
  • ]

Course Curriculum

  • Premium skill.Introduction to PEN-10050m
  • Premium skill.Installing and Configuring Kali52m
  • Premium skill.Linux Basics55m
  • Premium skill.Installing and Configuring Windows45m
  • Premium skill.Windows Basics54m
  • Premium skill.Linux Networking44m
  • Premium skill.Windows Networking48m
  • Premium skill.Networking Basics56m
  • Premium skill.Wireless Networking Basics47m
  • Premium skill.PowerShell Scripting48m
  • Premium skill.Python Scripting47m
  • Premium skill.Bash Scripting58m
  • Premium skill.Monitoring with Kali57m
  • Premium skill.Metasploit Framework49m
  • Premium skill.Cryptography50m
  • Premium skill.Web Application Understanding49m
  • Premium skill.Introduction to Active Directory49m

Certification

Kali Linux Certified Professional (PEN-103)

The Kali Linux Certified Professional certification validates a professional's ability to use Kali Linux to identify and exploit vulnerabilities, and to conduct penetration testing and security assessments. This certification is ideal for security pr...

Exam PEN-103Level ProfessionalDifficulty IntermediateCost $150
Kali LinuxPenetration TestingVulnerability IdentificationSecurity AssessmentExploitationPost-Exploitation Techniques
Official certification page

For IT leaders

What IT leaders need to know before assigning this course

Security teams need a safe, consistent way to build offensive-security fundamentals before assigning staff to higher-risk assessment work. Network Penetration Testing Essentials (PEN-100) gives IT Practitioners a structured foundation across Kali setup, Linux and Windows command lines, networking, wireless basics, scripting, monitoring, Metasploit, cryptography, web applications, and Active Directory concepts.

For an IT Director or Training Manager, this is best assigned to entry-level security staff, help desk or network admins moving toward security roles, or teams standardizing baseline knowledge before advanced penetration testing. The course is about 14 hours, 18 minutes of video, so most teams can schedule it across a focused sprint or spread it over several weeks without disrupting operations. Change-management guidance: position this as controlled, ethical skills development—not permission to test production systems without scope and authorization.

CBT Nuggets Playlists can sequence this course into an onboarding path, and Team Reporting helps Team Leads track completion and readiness for the next stage of security training.

Team Impact

How this training helps your team succeed

IT teams complete this training to reduce the gap between general IT knowledge and practical security assessment work. The course emphasizes the operating systems, network concepts, scripting, and security tools that support safer, more consistent penetration-testing preparation.

  • Standardize lab and tool readiness: Team members learn the basics of installing and configuring Kali and Windows environments before working with security tools.
  • Improve troubleshooting during assessments: Linux, Windows, and networking basics help practitioners understand what they are seeing when traffic, services, or hosts behave unexpectedly.
  • Build repeatable workflows: Bash, Python, and PowerShell scripting foundations help teams automate routine tasks instead of relying only on manual commands.
  • Prepare for common security scenarios: Monitoring with Kali, Metasploit, cryptography, web application fundamentals, and Active Directory concepts give teams shared context for reconnaissance, exploitation, and post-exploitation discussions.

After completion

Knowledge & ability your team will gain

Knowledge

  • Core PEN-100 concepts and the ethical mindset required for introductory penetration testing.
  • Basic Kali Linux and Windows installation and configuration considerations.
  • Linux and Windows command-line fundamentals for security work.
  • Networking, Linux networking, Windows networking, and wireless networking basics.
  • Foundational concepts in cryptography, web applications, and Active Directory.

Ability

  • Navigate Linux and Windows environments during beginner-level security tasks.
  • Interpret basic network behavior and host connectivity during assessment preparation.
  • Write simple Bash, Python, and PowerShell scripts to support repeatable workflows.
  • Use Kali-based monitoring concepts to observe network activity.
  • Understand where tools such as Metasploit fit within reconnaissance, exploitation, and post-exploitation learning paths.

This course is included with every subscription

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