A new practical penetration testing certification aims to help close the cybersecurity skills gap by building hands-on offensive capabilities.
Centri has expanded into offensive security with the launch of the Certified Penetration Testing Associate (CPTA), its first offensive cybersecurity certification, designed to build hands-on penetration testing skills.
Attackers are increasingly gaining access to systems and networks by exploiting vulnerabilities, making the ability to identify, understand and address those weaknesses an important part of protecting organizations from attack.
CPTA supports people developing a career in penetration testing, while also giving existing cybersecurity professionals the opportunity to build practical offensive skills and a deeper understanding of how attacks unfold.
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For organizations, CPTA can help build broader offensive capability across security teams while strengthening defensive capability, giving analysts greater insight into attacker techniques and how threats can be detected, investigated and stopped.
CPTA takes learners through the complete penetration testing process, from planning and scoping through to vulnerability discovery, exploitation, reporting and retesting. Training spans enterprise infrastructure, Active Directory, web applications and AWS cloud environments, covering techniques including vulnerability assessment, privilege escalation and lateral movement.
The certification includes more than 600 lessons, quizzes and practical activities, alongside over 60 hands-on labs and realistic scenarios. Learners can apply their knowledge throughout the course before completing a three-part practical exam that assesses their ability to use those skills in realistic penetration testing scenarios.
“Offensive security skills aren’t only valuable to penetration testers. Understanding how attackers think and operate can also make defenders more effective, giving them a clearer view of how threats develop and where they can be detected and stopped,” said Joshua Beaman, CEO, Centri. “With CPTA, we wanted to combine that understanding with real practical experience. It’s an important step for Centri as we expand into offensive security and help individuals and organizations build broader cybersecurity capability.”
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