The Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP) credential similarly focuses on white-hat hacking and penetration testing, however it emphasizes the latter. It is Offensive Security's entry-level certification. OSCP certification is recommended by the IT community for "information security professionals who want to take a serious and meaningful step into the world of professional penetration testing." The OSCP is oriented more toward current cyber security professionals than those looking to enter this industry. Instead of a theoretical approach, OSCP provides a more hands-on teaching method, along with a higher emphasis on self-study. OSCP is quite popular and has established itself as the gold standard in penetration testing.

• OSCP certification
• OSCP exam requirements
• Certification cost
• Examine the courses
• Oscp salary 

The growing acceptance of offensive security credentials within the security industry promotes the perception that ethical hacking is a credible career, not just a practical skill. This acceptance has increased demand for a subset of computer and network abilities that were previously solely pursued by malicious individuals.

What is an OSCP certification?
Offensive Security (OffSec) offers the OSCP ethical hacking certification. This certification verifies a professional's understanding of penetration testing procedures utilizing tools included in the Kali Linux distribution. Kali is a Debian-based open-source Linux distribution that allows security and IT experts to assess the security of their systems.

Hiring cybersecurity pros that understand how to deploy hostile hacker tools and methodologies is very beneficial to any security team. Building a successful defense requires intimate knowledge of the offensive techniques likely to be utilized against their systems.

The possession of an OSCP certification implies that the person has gained the necessary abilities to perform in any of the following jobs, among others:

• Security analyst
• Computer forensics analyst
• Security specialist
• Penetration tester
• Security engineer
• Security code auditor
• Malware analyst
• Security consultant

The growing acceptance of offensive security credentials within the security industry promotes the perception that ethical hacking is a credible career, not just a practical skill. This acceptance has increased demand for a subset of computer and network abilities that were previously solely pursued by malicious individuals.

What are the OSCP exam requirements?
One or more exam attempts are included in OffSec's Penetration Testing with Kali Linux (PWK/PEN-200) course packages. After finishing the course, or whenever the student feels ready, they can take the OSCP certification exam.

Although there are some professional certifications, the OSCP test has no college or job experience requirements. Candidates should have a thorough understanding of TCP/IP networking, reasonable Windows and Linux administration expertise, and be familiar with basic Bash or Python scripting, according to OffSec. Candidates take the exam at the end of the OffSec training course.

Students and professionals contemplating an OSCP certification should be problem solvers and analytical thinkers. OffSec devised the preparation course and exam to assess applicants' capacity to use critical thinking to problem solving.

OSCP certification cost?
OffSec provides the PWK exam and related certification, the OSCP, as part of the PEN-200 training course. The PEN-200 self-paced Individual Course costs $1,499 USD. It includes one exam attempt and 90 days of lab access.

The Learn One subscription is $2,499 per year and includes one year of lab access and two exam attempts. A Learn Unlimited subscription costs $5,499 per year and provides access to the entire OffSec Training Library as well as unlimited exam attempts.

Examine the PEN-200 Course and the OSCP Exam
The OSCP PEN-200 test preparation course is unusual in that it mixes standard course contents with hands-on simulations in a virtual lab setting. The following subjects are covered in the course:

• Penetration Testing: What You Should Know
• Getting Comfortable with Kali Linux
• Command Line Fun
• Practical Tools
• Bash Scripting
• Passive Information Gathering
• Active Information Gathering
• Vulnerability Scanning
• Web Application Attacks
• Introduction to Buffer Overflows
• Windows Buffer Overflows
• Linux Buffer Overflows
• Client-Side Attacks
• Locating Public Exploits
• Fixing Exploits
• File Transfers
• Antivirus Evasion
• Privilege Escalation
• Password Attacks
• Port Redirection and Tunneling
• Active Directory Attacks
• The Metasploit Framework
• PowerShell Empire
• Assembling the Pieces: Penetration Test Breakdown
• Trying Harder: The Labs

The test replicates a live network in a private VPN with a small number of vulnerable devices. The exam lasts 23 hours and 45 minutes for candidates. After finishing the exam, test takers have 24 hours to upload the relevant documentation.

Candidates must submit documentation as part of the exam, which includes a professional report explaining the student's exploitation process for each target. In the form of a penetration test report, students detail all of the attacks, including all procedures, commands executed, and console output. The documentation should be detailed enough that a technically capable reader may step-by-step replicate the attacks.

OffSec emphasizes that the documentation requirements are strict, and failing to produce sufficient evidence will result in a reduction or elimination of points. They warn that once the student's exam and lab results are filed, it is final.

The exam is proctored over a virtual link that includes screen sharing, chat, and a webcam (but no audio). Using phones or other electronic devices while seated at your exam workstation is not permitted.

The exam entails breaking into five machines and delivering thorough reports. For a total of 100 points, sixty points are available for successfully compromising three independent devices and forty points for attacking two client machines (AD set). Students can get ten bonus points for completing at least ten PWK lab machines and writing full reports on them. The exam requires seventy points to pass.

OSCP salary information
Because the certification applies to many security roles across many company types, the typical reward for OSCP holders will vary. Obtaining this qualification will qualify a candidate for advancement to higher-paying positions or for increased salary in their existing employment.

Given the market's increased need for experienced cybersecurity specialists, acquiring an OSCP will open doors to mid-level opportunities. As a security expert's career progresses, they should think about obtaining further professional qualifications.

According to indeed the following is the typical salary for cybersecurity experts in professions that frequently need or reward for OSCP certification:

• Software Architect – $132,201
• Penetration Tester – $116,422
• Lead Analyst – $108,598
• Security Analyst – $94,120
• Security Specialist – $75,966

Conclusion
The OSCP certification verifies the technical abilities required to conduct offensive white hat hacking. Becoming an OSCP is a good opportunity for security experts with an established career in cybersecurity and hands-on hacking experience to exhibit their abilities and competence.Successful OSCP candidates understand the mechanics of vulnerabilities and think critically about leveraging the vulnerability into code execution