Why Learn Security Testing?
Many computer applications are used in security testing. Computer systems are increasingly complex, and black box AI applications have made it possible to improve security and remediation for businesses and organizations.
OTSE provides courses for security testers and partners with top minds in cybersecurity and information system. Learn alongside a global group of students, and learn current methods on your own schedules. Students can choose to pay a fee or take free courses.
Certificates and courses for security testing
New York University offers Cybersecurity Fundamentals as a micro-bachelor’s degree. This nine-course series introduces students to the most recent cybersecurity methods. Students will learn how to protect infrastructure, stop attacks and validate. Students will learn about security testing tools, as well as how security testing services can improve network security and firewalls.
Individual courses are also available to students. New York University offers three-part courses on various aspects of security testing. Students will learn how to set up a security test, analyze vulnerability scan results, create testing and exploit scripts, find SQL injection flaws and document the results.

Safer infrastructure
Vulnerability assessments help organizations identify security gaps and prevent unauthorized access of sensitive data. Ethical hackers and security teams can use hacker’s methods to improve security tools, fix security problems before anything terrible happens.
Security experts are essential for organizations to keep up with new threats and to find innovative, immediate solutions to protect infrastructure. EdX provides the courses that students need to learn and master the critical skills they will need for success in business.
All you need to be a certified security tester
- Live, expert training for 10 days
- Exam Pass Guarantee
- Exam voucher
- Unlimited practice exam attempts
- 100% Satisfaction Guarantee
- Get a free Infosec Skills annual subscription
- 1-year access all boot camp videos replays and materials
- Proctoring exam on-site
- Learning path for pre-study
- Cyber ranges and labs in action
- Knowledge Transfer Guarantee
Our Top 5 Security Testing Courses
1. GIAC Security Tester (GPEN)
Intermediate Level
Offered by: GIAC
Valid for 4 years
Cost: $2,499
The GIAC Certified Security Tester Certification is intended to verify an individual’s ability and experience in performing a comprehensive security test in real-world situations. These are the areas where Security testers can demonstrate their abilities:
- Comprehensive security tests
- Recon, planning, scoping and planning
- Exploitation and in-depth scanning
- Post-exploitation and pivoting
- Advanced password attacks
- Password hashes can be hacked
- Attack strategies and Azure applications
- Persistence attacks and domain escalation
- Escalation, exploitation
One proctored exam is required. It contains 82 questions. The exam takes approximately 3 hours. Minimum passing score of 75% required. GIAC Certification exams can be taken online with PearsonVUE’s online proctoring system. Two practice exams are included in the exam price. They can be taken at any hour.
2. GIAC Exploit Researcher, Advanced Security Tester (GXPN),
Expert
Offered by: GIAC
Valid for 4 years
Cost: $2,499
Advanced certifications such as the GIAC Exploit researcher and Advanced security tester (GXPN), validate an individual’s ability perform advanced levels of security testing, and exploit research across complex networks. These are the areas where security testers can demonstrate their expertise:
- Accessing the network
- Advanced fuzzing techniques
- Advanced stacking
- Exploitation and escape of clients
- Crypto for security-testers
- Exploiting the network
- Fuzzing operation and introduction
- Introduction to memory and dynamic Linux memories
- Introduction to Windows Exploitation
- Controlling the network
Exam format: The exam consists of 60 questions and is proctored. The exam is 3 hours long and requires a minimum score of 67%. CyberLive is a hands-on, interactive system that simulates real-world systems and real applications. This allows you to simulate real code and programs in a lab environment.
3. CompTIA penTest+
Level Intermediate
CompTIA offers this service
Valid for 3 years
Cost: $359
CompTIA is an internationally recognized provider of IT security certifications. PenTest+ is one of the most important certifications that CompTIA offers for security testing.
PenTest+ certification exam consists of 85 questions. These questions are a mixture of multiple-choice questions and performance-based questions. The following five domains are covered by the CompTIA PenTest+ certification exam:
- Attacks and exploits
- Information-gathering and vulnerability identification
- Pentesting tools
- Planning and scoping
- Communication and reporting
CompTIA PenTest+ certification is not only for fundamental security testing skills. It also assesses basic management skills. It also demonstrates that you can perform security testing in both cloud-based and mobile environments, in addition to on a desktop or server environment.
The exam can be taken either in person at Pearson VUE testing centres or online by proctors. CompTIA PenTest+ certification exam takes 165 minutes. The minimum passing score is 750 out of 900.
4. Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH).
Expert
Offer by: EC-Council
Valid for 3 years
Cost: $1,199
For those looking to go professional in white hat hacking, the Ultimate Ethical Hacking Certificate is the right certification. This certification is ideal for security testers who want to demonstrate their skills.
- Hacking challenges that are hands-on
- Emerging attack vectors
- Modern exploit technologies
- Current events and modern case studies
- Malware analysis
- Hacking the cloud and IoT
- Other techniques, tricks, or tools
The certification exam consists of 125 questions that take place over four hours. Multiple-choice questions are provided from multiple question banks. The test simulates real-world scenarios and tests real-world knowledge. The tester will be certified as a Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), after passing the test.
5. Offensive Security Certified Professionals (OSCP)
Expert
Offensive Security
Valid for 4 years
Cost: $2,499 – $5,499
The PEN 200 course and online lab prepare you for the OSCP certification exam. OSCP certification certifies that individuals possess the necessary skills to effectively secure networks. This course is for information security professionals, security-testers and security professionals as well as network administrators and other tech professionals.
- Testing for security
- Command-line control
- Practical tools
- Bash scripting
- Information gathering passively
- Web application attacks
- Buffer overflows
- Linux buffer overflows
- Client-side attacks
- Public exploits
- File transfers
- Antivirus evasion
- Password attacks
The OSCB certification exam simulates a live network using a private VPN. The exam takes test-takers approximately 23 hours and 45 minutes. Before taking the OSCP certification exam they are recommended to complete a one-month- or two-month lab.
Security Testing Courses FAQ
The process of performing a cyber attack on an organization’s computer systems through security testing is commonly known as security testing or ethical hacking. Cybersecurity professionals use security testing to expose vulnerabilities in databases and network security flaws that could allow hackers to exploit them. Cyber attacks can be extremely costly and even deadly, as so many of the most important business information as well as personal data are available online. This makes it crucial to identify vulnerabilities.
A variety of methods can be used to carry out a cyber attack. These include brute force attacks and SQL injection. Phishing is also possible. A “single blind” test simulates real-world cyber attacks. It is usually performed by an outside cybersecurity analyst or IT security analyst without any prior knowledge of the security systems. In a double blind test, the company’s IT and cybersecurity teams are not notified. The organization may want to simulate an attack by an outside hacker, or an attack from an employee. Security testing procedures can also differ depending on the type of attack.
IT security consultants and IT security analysts are responsible for protecting companies’ computer networks from malicious cyber attacks. Security testing is an integral part of their toolkit. Unknown security flaws in a network can result in costly data breaches that could expose private information of the organization, its employees and its customers. This makes it crucial to identify these flaws as part of cybersecurity.
Professionals in cybersecurity are in high demand due to its increasing importance. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that information security analysts made a median salary of $99 730 per year in 2019. These jobs are projected to grow by 31% between 2019-2029, which is much faster than the average rate of job growth across the economy.
Security testing is not a skill that can be learned quickly. You should have a strong technical background in Unix commands and software development. This experience and skill set will make it difficult to learn pen testing. A solid foundation in coding is essential, especially full-stack skills such as HTML, JavaScript, CSS and CSS. Other prerequisites may be required for some classes, such as an understanding of TCP/IP, networking and/or Bash scripting.
While you don’t necessarily need a degree in order to pursue a career as a security tester, it is helpful to have some education in computer science and security. Information security, computer engineering and cybersecurity are all common undergraduate degrees. While some penetration testers pursue a master’s in cybersecurity or another related field, others work as network administrators or system administrators before becoming certified. The most popular certifications are the Certified Ethical Hacker, Licensed Security Tester Masters from the EC-Council and the Certified Expert Security Tester (from the Information Assurance Certification Review Board) as well as the CompTIA Security+ credential.
Security testing can be beneficial for any organization in any industry. However, the most regulated industries, such as banking and finance, are those that employ security testers. Security testers have the ability to verify compliance with regulations. Security testers can audit a hospital, medical device company or exchange for health information to make sure it is HIPAA compliant. Security testing is used by other organizations to identify vulnerabilities in websites, networks and systems and to enforce policies that will make them more secure.