# Introduction

The OSEP (Offensive Security Experienced Penetration Tester) certification is designed for security professionals who want to take their penetration testing skills to the next level, specifically within Active Directory (AD) environments. It's aimed at those who already have a solid foundation in penetration testing and want to master advanced techniques in a complex enterprise setting.

**Who is OSEP for?**

* **Penetration Testers:** Those looking to advance their skills and demonstrate expertise in attacking Active Directory environments.  &#x20;
* **Red Teamers:** Security professionals who conduct adversarial simulations to assess an organization's security posture.  &#x20;
* **Security Consultants:** Those who perform security assessments and penetration tests for clients.
* **Security Engineers:** Individuals responsible for securing enterprise networks and systems.  &#x20;

**What does OSEP cover?**

The OSEP course and certification delve into a wide range of advanced penetration testing techniques within Active Directory environments:

**1. Active Directory Exploitation:**

* **Enumerating Active Directory:** Gathering information about users, groups, computers, and other objects within AD.  &#x20;
* **Exploiting Kerberos:** Attacking the Kerberos authentication protocol to gain unauthorized access.
* **Attacking Active Directory Certificate Services (AD CS):** Exploiting vulnerabilities in AD CS to compromise certificates and impersonate users.  &#x20;
* **Abusing Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS):** Attacking AD FS to gain unauthorized access to federated resources.
* **Exploiting Domain Controllers:** Compromising domain controllers to gain complete control over the AD environment.

**2. Advanced Penetration Testing Techniques:**

* **Bypassing Security Defenses:** Evading modern security solutions like antivirus (AV), endpoint detection and response (EDR), and intrusion detection systems (IDS).  &#x20;
* **Privilege Escalation:** Gaining higher privileges within a compromised system to access sensitive data and resources.  &#x20;
* **Lateral Movement:** Moving from one compromised system to another within the network to expand access and achieve objectives.  &#x20;
* **Persistence:** Maintaining access to compromised systems even after reboots or credential changes.
* **Exfiltration:** Extracting sensitive data from the compromised environment.

**3. Attacking Modern Operating Systems:**

* **Exploiting Windows 10 and Windows Server:** Targeting vulnerabilities and security weaknesses in the latest Windows operating systems.
* **Attacking Linux Systems:** Gaining unauthorized access to Linux systems within the AD environment.

**4. Hands-on Practice:**

* **Realistic Lab Environment:** The OSEP course provides access to a virtual lab that simulates a real-world corporate network with Active Directory.  &#x20;
* **Challenging Exercises:** You'll face a series of challenging exercises that require you to apply your knowledge and skills to compromise systems and achieve specific objectives.

**Tools and Technologies:**

* **Cobalt Strike:** A popular adversary simulation tool used for post-exploitation activities.  &#x20;
* **Mimikatz:** A tool for extracting credentials and other sensitive information from memory.  &#x20;
* **BloodHound:** A tool for visualizing Active Directory relationships and identifying attack paths.
* **PowerShell:** A powerful scripting language used for automation and post-exploitation tasks.  &#x20;

By covering these areas, OSEP provides a comprehensive and practical learning experience that prepares you for the challenges of penetration testing in modern Active Directory environments.
