OSCP

Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP) by OffSec.


Certification Link/Proof


Introduction (from Credly)

An OSCP has demonstrated the ability to use persistence, creativity, and perceptiveness to identify vulnerabilities and execute organized attacks under tight time constraints. OSCP holders have also shown they can think outside the box while managing both time and resources

Corporateses translation: Can you hack systems when things don't go as expected under pressure, not just script kiddie exploits.


Why I Took It

I wanted structured offensive security experience under pressure. OSCP’s hands-on approach (attack real targets, write real reports, pass in 24 hours) aligned with my goals better than purely theoretical certs. Plus, employers recognize it, which helps when job hunting.

The exam was brutal, but passing proved I could handle full penetration tests independently. I tried harder than just reading tutorials.


Now, Why I Actually Took It

I asked a red teamer at job fair how I could get into red team and he suggested this cert as the gold standard. When I went home to investigate this newly found nugget of wisdom, I read the reviews of how hard this exam was perceived by industry and how difficult people found it. Reading that triggered the competitiveness in me, and my fate was sealed. Don’t threaten me with a good time. I am in for the full grind that this certification will require from me to complete.


Skills Gained

The first thing that we had to learn to do as a part of this is Recon. This includes Passive Information Gather the company to see what you can find, which is a fancy way to say Google them. Check LinkedIn. It also includes Active Information Gathering that involve actually interacting with the company. Translation: Scan the company but don’t break into anything. The next phase includes the active Exploitation phase. This is the break into the company phase. Have fun. Go nuts. Don’t do anything destructive, they are your customers after all. Post-Exploitation and Persistence phase is the next step in the process. Once we are in, now what? Well, set it up so we can get in whenever we want (persistence) and how far we can get into the network. Finally, scripting so we can make it easier the next time we have to do it.


Tools & Technologies Used.

  • Active Directory.
  • Bash / Linux CLI.
  • Kali Linux.
  • Metasploit (limited usage).
  • PowerShell & PowerShell Empire.



Tips & Lessons Learned

  • Focus on fundamentals: Enumeration > Exploits.
  • Practice time management: Simulate the exam environment.
  • Build a modular toolkit: Reusable Commands and Scripts.
  • Document as you go: Saves massive time in reporting.
  • Avoid over-reliance on Metasploit: Manual and Custom > Automated.
  • Maintain Lab Hygiene: Snapshots and version control of notes.


Outcome/Status

  • Verification available upon request.


Standards (from Credly)

Offensive Security has a formal agreement with CREST to recognize the OSCP equivalency with CREST Registered Penetration Tester (CRT) Level 2, Track 3.