Ethical hacking and penetration testing has become an essential discipline in the modern cyber security landscape, serving as critical tools for organisations to proactively identify and address vulnerabilities before malicious actors can exploit them. These Hacktivity labs offer a comprehensive, hands-on approach to offensive security techniques, designed to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and real-world application. Offensive security techniques are important for developing an understanding of security problems and designing secure systems, and critical for undertaking various forms of security testing. You will develop an understanding of the motives and methods of hackers, and the steps a hacker undertakes, and will learn to apply these same techniques to perform ethical hacking and penetration testing, to test the security of systems.

These practical labs will develop your understanding of ethical hacking and penetration testing, with a focus on Linux, security tools, malware, ethical hacking, and vulnerability analysis. The Introduction to Linux and Security lab provides a foundation in Linux command-line operations and security concepts. The Malware and an Introduction to Metasploit and Payloads lab delves into the world of malware, exploring types and using the Metasploit framework. Vulnerabilities, Exploits, and Remote Access Payloads focuses on software vulnerabilities, exploits, and the Metasploit framework. Information Gathering: Footprinting and Information Gathering: Scanning labs cover techniques for collecting data and scanning networks. From Scanning to Exploitation provides hands-on experience in moving from scanning to exploitation, using tools like Nmap and Metasploit. Finally, the Post-exploitation lab explores activities post-system access, such as privilege escalation and advanced payloads. The Vulnerability Analysis lab introduces tools like Nmap, Nessus, and Nikto for assessing and addressing vulnerabilities in computer systems. Each lab includes lecture slides, readings, and hands-on exercises to enhance your practical skills in cybersecurity.