OSCP: Preparation for the OSCP & My Experience So Far

I recently started the Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP) labs.

The OSCP certification examination has students undergo a 24-hour exam, where they must conduct a penetration test or security assessment of an organization. The ultimate goal is for students to compromise the entire network and write a penetration test report afterwards, where they demonstrate how they compromised the network.

The certification comes with a course manual, as well as access to a virtual network where the students can put their skills to practice. The goal for these labs is the same as for the examination, to compromise the entire network.

I registered for the 90-days package and started the course/labs last Saturday. I am currently three days in and about half way through the course. While I won’t be able to detail what the course or labs are comprised of, I will post future updates on where I am so far (how many machines I have compromised), as well as any tips I can share for how to prepare.

Preparation for the OSCP Labs

Before registering for the labs, I practiced with several vulnerable boxes that were touted online as good simulators of the actual labs experience.

The vulnerable machines I practiced with were:

• Kioptrix (1-5)
• Tr0ll (1-2)
• SickOS (1.1-1.2)

The links above are write-ups I published on how I compromised the machines. The blog posts not only contain walkthroughs, but also links to download the machines so that you may try them yourself.

Aside from the machines mentioned above, I also participated in various Capture the Flags, as well as completed several wargames, some of which you can find write-ups for here in my blog.

The Experience So Far

As I mentioned before, I am currently half way through the course.

While I already knew how to do the things that have been covered so far, I have learned to appreciate the importance of taking screenshots to document one’s findings. I also began using KeepNote, which is an awesome tool similar to EverNote. The great thing about KeepNote is that not only can you create notebooks, folders, and pages, but you can also take screenshots right from the program.

While I can’t comment on the exact contents of the course manual, I can say that it provides a solid foundation from with which to build on.

I highly recommend that those considering registering for the labs take the 60-days or 90-days option. There is a lot of reporting to be done if one wants to go for maximum points, so ample time is necessary.

Stay tuned.