PenTest+
PenTest+
CompTIA PenTest+
CompTIA
Intermediate penetration testing certification covering planning, scanning, exploitation, and reporting.
● Career
Cybersecurity careers by domain
Explore job families and certification issuers — two ways to map credentials to your path.
Purple Team
Bridges offensive tests with defensive improvements and detection validation.
Roles in this job family
Purple Team Engineer
Mid-levelRuns collaborative exercises and verifies new detections.
Purple Team Lead
SeniorPlans joint red/blue schedules and tracks coverage metrics.
Related certifications
CySA+
CySA+
CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst
CompTIA
Analyst-level credential covering threat detection, vulnerability management, and security monitoring operations.
OSCP
OSCP
Offensive Security Certified Professional
Offensive Security
Hands-on penetration testing certification focused on identifying vulnerabilities and exploiting them in controlled lab environments.
GCIH
GCIH
GIAC Certified Incident Handler
GIAC / SANS
Incident handling credential focused on detecting intrusions, collecting evidence, and coordinating effective response workflows.
OSWE
OSWE
Offensive Security Web Expert
Offensive Security
Advanced web application penetration testing exam focused on white-box review, custom exploits, and complex app logic bypasses.
OSEP
OSEP
Offensive Security Experienced Penetration Tester
Offensive Security
Advanced red-team style exam emphasizing evasion, Active Directory attack chains, and operational tradecraft beyond OSCP.
CCT INF
CCT INF
CREST Certified Tester — Infrastructure
CREST
Advanced CREST qualification for infrastructure penetration testing: network and operating-system layer assessment, report writing, and hands-on exploitation. Recognized for UK NCSC CHECK and equivalent to roughly 5–6 years of pentest experience.
GPEN
GPEN
GIAC Penetration Tester
GIAC / SANS
Penetration testing certification validating skills in scoping engagements, executing attacks, and reporting actionable findings.
LPT
LPT
Licensed Penetration Tester Master
EC-Council
Elite EC-Council practical license for senior pentesters; often earned via exceptional CPENT performance or dedicated LPT track.
CCT
CCT
CREST Certified Tester
CREST
UK/EU-recognized practical penetration testing exam for consultants delivering CREST-accredited client engagements.
CRTO
CRTO
Certified Red Team Operator
Zero Point Security
Red team operations certification covering C2 tradecraft, evasion, and adversary simulation beyond pure AD exploitation.
OSED
OSED
Offensive Security Exploit Developer
Offensive Security
Advanced Windows exploit development (EXP-401) — stack overflows, DEP/ASLR bypass, and custom shellcode for senior offensive researchers.
OSED
OSED
Offensive Security Exploit Developer
Offensive Security
Offensive Security Exploit Developer — professional certification mapped from the Paul Jerimy security certification roadmap.
PNPT
PNPT
Practical Network Penetration Tester
TCM Security
Practical pentest exam with report writing; popular career bridge before OSCP.
GWAPT
GWAPT
GIAC Web Application Penetration Tester
GIAC / SANS
Deep web application security testing certification covering authentication, session management, and modern app attack surfaces.
SC-200
SC-200
Microsoft Security Operations Analyst
Microsoft
SOC analyst path using Microsoft Sentinel and Defender for threat detection and incident response.
GSEC
GSEC
GIAC Security Essentials
GIAC / SANS
Broad technical security baseline covering networking, IAM, crypto, and defense fundamentals.
CPENT
CPENT
Certified Penetration Testing Professional
EC-Council
Advanced 24-hour practical penetration test simulating multi-segment enterprise networks, AD, and evasion techniques.
CPTS
CPTS
HTB Certified Penetration Testing Specialist
Hack The Box
Practical penetration testing certification built on Hack The Box Academy labs and a multi-machine capstone exam.
BSCP
BSCP
Burp Suite Certified Practitioner
PortSwigger
Web application security exam proving ability to find and exploit vulnerabilities using Burp Suite in timed practical scenarios.