Ethical Hacking Roadmap
Foundations & Ethics
Understanding legal boundaries, NDAs, scoping, and the different types of hackers (Black, Grey, White).
Reconnaissance (OSINT)
Information gathering using public sources, Google Dorking, and passive mapping of the attack surface.
Network Scanning
Deep diving into Nmap, service enumeration, banner grabbing, and identifying open ports and vulnerabilities.
Vulnerability Research
Analyzing CVEs, searching exploit databases, and using automated scanners like Nessus or OpenVAS.
Exploitation Frameworks
Mastering Metasploit, crafting custom payloads, and executing controlled attacks on vulnerable services.
Web App Hacking
OWASP Top 10: SQLi, XSS, CSRF, and broken access control testing in a lab environment.
Advanced Exploitation
Privilege Escalation
Gain root/admin access through kernel exploits, misconfigurations, and lateral movement.
Post-Exploitation
Data exfiltration, maintaining persistence, and covering tracks (ethical clearing of logs).
Professional Reporting
Translating technical findings into executive business risks and providing remediation steps.