r/offensive_security

Hi experienced and junior pentesters

I would like to get a job as a pentester. Currently living in London, really interested in bug bounty and Pentesting I don't know what to do to get a job, I know about vulnerability types, recons burp suite, I reported some bugs but they were out of scope or N/A, no paid bugs yet. What exam do I need (except OSCP it is too expensive). Is there anything I can do daily? I am not coming from coding background,I have 3 years IT support experience, I know not enough but I have compTIA A+, MS900, SC900 certs. Any comments, any help much much appreciated. Thanks a lot in advanced.

granted i took their OSINT Fundamentals course, but having 3 days to complete a 200$ exam not knowing what it'll ask from me is intimidating. in the course i learned how to use a VM and automate some basic popular tools like subfinder etc along with the basics of how to write an intel report. Coming from a beginner i wish there was a checklist of things I had to master before using an exam attempt because i don't exactly feel ready. I mean idk what the hell id do with dev subdomains or even how to pentest. is that even going to be featured in the exam? Can someone recommend a beginner friendly content creator or source?

Hey everyone,

After a first attempt fail, I’m locking in for a retake in roughly 60 days. I’m looking to pull together a small, focused group of 2 or 3 people at a similar stage to keep each other accountable and refine our methodologies.

My focus for the next 8 weeks:

• Labs: Daily Proving Grounds Practice (focusing on the TJNull list).
• Core Gaps: Active Directory sets, pivoting speed, and tighter initial enumeration to avoid rabbit holes.
• Routine: ~10–15 hours/week of dedicated prep.

How I see the group working:

• Format: Async discussion on Discord for daily updates and quick sanity checks.
• Syncs: One short weekly call (~1 hour) to debrief on tricky footholds, privilege escalation concepts, and AD attack paths.
• Approach: Strict hint-first/methodology-focused rule—no straight walkthrough reading or blatant spoilers.

If you are on a similar timeline, have finished the core course materials, and want to keep momentum high over the next two months, send me a DM!

Hey everyone! Another one for those of you who've been following along!

AD Chain 13 is finally out, and we're making it completely free for the next 24 hours!!! This one's been in the works for a while and we're really proud of how it came together, so we wanted you guys to be the first to try it. After 24 hours it's gone, so don't wait too long to grab it.

This release runs on both VMware and VirtualBox! A few of our earlier chains were VirtualBox only, so this time we made sure both hypervisors are supported. If anything breaks or feels like it needs a tweak, let us know so we can keep making each release smoother and better than the last.

And of course, it wouldn't be a release without the cryptic CTF teaser: Nothing in this assessment stays locked for long. Break open the vault, grant yourself the rights, track down what's left behind, and claim what's yours...

What's included:

• 3 downloadable VMs running locally in a single Active Directory domain, just like the real OSCP exam
• Realistic, exam-style AD scenarios focused on expanding your foothold through coordinated attacks and spraying
• A full step by step tutorial covering setup, topology, and the entire attack chain
• A guided walkthrough of the complete chain from start to finish
• A quick setup guide for both VirtualBox and VMware so you can jump straight in

Requirements:

• A laptop with at least 8GB of RAM (check out the setup video if you're working with less)
• 16GB or more and it'll run without any problems
• Ability to install VirtualBox or VMware
• Quick heads up: MacOS ARM64 (M1/M2/M3) isn't supported for these labs. Pretty much anything else should work fine.

Every chain is designed so you can practice the same discovery, exploitation, post exploitation, lateral movement, and privilege escalation you'll face in exam-style AD challenges.

Lab link: https://www.reddit.com/r/oscp/s/PC2tIHvm5r

Good luck with your OSCP prep, you've totally got this!

Thanks so much for all the support everyone!

Hi reddit,

I'm sure this gets asked a lot. But my situation is a bit more unique. I'm looking to break deeper into Cyber. My current certs include the Net+, Sec+, GIAC GSEC and the GIAC GCIH. On that front, I have HR-recognition covered by my GIAC certs. I have no pentesting experience but have used THM and HTB every so often.

I am seriously considering taking the HTB CPTS as it is better at teaching you the concepts. But, I cannot get over how well-known the OSCP is by HR and employers. Is it worth it to take the exam that will teach me less, just to get more recognition?

Cost is not an issue as my employer confirmed they will cover the cost of either. Although I really want to LEARN and understand these concepts. Thank you!