Greetings all:

I am in the process of taking the practical portion of the IACRB CPT exam. As most of you well know, you've got 60 days to complete and submit. I'm on the final step of the exam, which requires cracking of the root password on a Linux host. For me, this step seems to be taking quite a long time (15+ days now). While I realize that real-world password cracking can take days, months, or even years (depending on complexity), I'm curious to see if others have had the same experience. Also, what are your general feelings on the CPT and the amount of weight it carries in the pen-testing field? I've passed the CEH (InfoSec training) and have been considering the OSCP.  Thoughts on that?

My planned direction is to "break into" this field starting next year, and I'm looking for suggestions on a sound approach. Ideally, I'd like to work as an independent, providing services to small companies (in the long run), but I realize that true pen-testing is seldom a one-man show.

Thanks in advance!

Welcome!

Thanks for the information; it's much appreciated.  I figured things were taking too long, but I couldn't be sure.  I'm using JTR on the passwords, and I've got two machines working together.  Best I can do, hardware-wise.  Looks like I'll be searching for other wordlists.  I've already obtained the root password for the first host; only need to get the second one at this point, then I'm ready to submit my results.

I've also considered taking InfoSec's Advanced Ethical Hacking course in the spring of next year.  I understand that course focuses more on shellcoding, exploits, malware and the like.  I've heard good reviews, so I may go for that one next.

Here is a tip...  As with real world penetrations, you should perhaps seek to obtain the password of ANY account not necessarily the root password. With a normal user account, you could then use a local exploit to escalate privileges. So, again, depending on how your performing password cracking, there is a likelihood you went overboard and could have obtained root access by other means. "just a thought"

*sigh* my biggest dilemna Well I have GREM in Jan/Feb and I'm itching to take some training/testing again. Just don't know which way to go with this. I don't want to go the vendor route but I may be forced to do JNCIA + JNCIS soon because of the amount of Juniper crap I deal with nowadays... CCIE(s) reading + lab studies are still around but I do it more for perversion than anything else. (For those who don't know, I've actually spent about 10 years learning Cisco things...) Just too darned lazy to opt for taking the CCNA, then the CCSP route to get to the CCIE(S). I started studying immediately for the CCIE in 98-99 (see appendix @ http://www.ouah.org/protocol_level.htm written 2000 imagine that!) and kept on studying at my own leisure...

Anyhow, my big fear with the CCIE is the lab. Failure = a lot of moolah. It's not a cheap exam. The written I don't believe I'd have a problem with. It's the lab because I don't have enough time to create scenarios, etc., I still have my lab, IPExperts audio, books, etc., its just not worth studying at the level to me anymore.

I like technical exams. I may do the OSCE soon, but I'm thinking... GREM first. Let me take a break for a month or two... Right after the GREM I may do, CREA, CCFE, EnCE one right after the other. I may follow up with other SANS classes depending on polit(r)ic(k)s. Unsure though. By next year if I was successful, I would be a bizarre professional

CPT, OSCP, CEH --> attacker
CHFI, EnCE CCFE --> analyst/forensic
GREM, CREA --> reverser

Not only that, would likely cost more to print my business cards. I was also looking at the NOP Now that would be hardcore... http://www.immunitysec.com/services-cnop.shtml

So, I admit myself confused, the CEH/CPT by ISI does not require the shell-coding/programming knowledge?

Okay, that explained it. What books did you guys use during the course? Did they provide any?

I just passed the CPT exam last month and the CEH this morning after taking the online version of the InfoSec Institute Ethical Hacking course. I found the course materials to be excellent. However, for the CEH test, I also recommend studying the Michael Gregg book before taking the CEH. The CPT multiple choice was very easy but the practical took me several days to finish. Escalating privileges on the two machines was fairly challenging.

I am currently taking their Advanced Ethical Hacking course and am about 1/2 done. I don't recommend it if you are not a programmer. I have been programming for over 30 years so I am really enjoying the course.

I am taking the GIAC GPEN test on Monday. I took one of GIAC's GPEN practice tests and did really well on it. Just have a few things to brush up on. There is a lot of overlap between CEH/CPT and GPEN.