VAPT Course Syllabus

12 sections, published in full on this page with no email gate.

Module 1: Foundations

Networking fundamentals: TCP/IP, the three way handshake, DNS, HTTP and HTTPS
Linux for security: permissions, processes, services, cron, file system layout
Windows fundamentals: services, registry, user and group model
Virtual lab setup and safe testing practice
Scoping, authorisation and rules of engagement

Module 2: Reconnaissance and Enumeration

Passive reconnaissance and OSINT
Subdomain enumeration and asset discovery
Port scanning, service and version detection with Nmap
Content discovery and directory brute forcing
Technology fingerprinting

Module 3: Vulnerability Assessment

Automated scanning and what it does and does not find
Triage: separating real findings from scanner noise
CVSS scoring and adjusting for business context
Building an accurate asset inventory

Module 4: Web Application Security

Burp Suite in depth: Proxy, Repeater, Intruder, Comparer, extensions
SQL injection: error based, union based, blind and time based
Cross site scripting: reflected, stored and DOM based
Broken access control and insecure direct object references
Authentication and session management attacks
Server side request forgery
File upload vulnerabilities
Business logic flaws
The OWASP Top 10, exploited rather than read

Module 5: Network Penetration Testing

Service exploitation with Metasploit
Password attacks and credential reuse
Linux privilege escalation
Windows privilege escalation
Pivoting and tunnelling into internal networks

Module 6: Active Directory

Domain enumeration and attack path mapping with BloodHound
Kerberoasting and AS-REP roasting
Credential harvesting
DCSync and replication abuse
Delegation and ACL based escalation
Lateral movement techniques

Module 7: API Security

REST and GraphQL testing methodology
Broken object level authorisation
Broken authentication and JWT attacks
Excessive data exposure and mass assignment
Rate limiting and resource consumption
The OWASP API Security Top 10

Module 8: AI and LLM Security

Direct and indirect prompt injection
Model extraction and training data leakage
Agent and tool abuse
Retrieval poisoning
Scoping an AI security assessment by model capability

Module 9: Reporting

A graded module, not an appendix. This is the part almost every program skips and the part clients actually pay for.

Report structure and the three audiences it serves
Writing business impact rather than technical description
Reproduction steps a developer can follow unassisted
Evidence handling and redaction
Severity rating with defensible reasoning
Remediation guidance specific to the client stack
Retest procedure

Tools covered

Phase	Tools
Reconnaissance	Nmap, Amass, Subfinder, httpx, Gobuster
Scanning	Nessus, OpenVAS, Nikto, OWASP ZAP
Web	Burp Suite, SQLmap, ffuf
Network	Metasploit, CrackMapExec, Hydra
Active Directory	BloodHound, Impacket, Rubeus
Traffic	Wireshark, tcpdump

Assessment

Practical lab assessments at the end of each major module
One full penetration test with a graded written report
Seventy percent attendance required for certification
Certificate carries a unique ID verifiable at certificate.techonquer.org

Practise the syllabus free

Hacklido covers much of modules 2, 4 and 7 at no cost. Work through it before enrolling to confirm the level is right for you.

Enrol in the VAPT program

Verify every module below against your actual delivered curriculum before publishing. A syllabus page that does not match what you teach is a refund request waiting to happen.