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CYBR 412 Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing

To properly secure an organization¿s information infrastructure and assets, periodic assessments of security posture at multiple levels are critical. This course provides a comprehensive approach to penetration testing and vulnerability assessment, covering key phases from reconnaissance to exploitation and post-exploitation techniques. Students will apply industry-standard penetration testing methodologies, use advanced tools such as Nmap, Wireshark, Metasploit, and Snort, and conduct controlled cybersecurity testing to simulate real-world attacks. Emphasis is placed on reporting and remediation, ensuring students can document findings and recommend actionable security improvements. This course aligns with CompTIA PenTest+ certification objectives, equipping students with essential offensive security skills needed for penetration testing, ethical hacking, and vulnerability analysis.

Prerequisites

Special information

First day attendance is mandatory.
Formerly: ICS 482. Note: Students are responsible to both be aware of and abide by prerequisites for CFS/CYBR/ICS courses for which they enroll, and will be administratively dropped from a course if they have not met prerequisites.
4 Undergraduate credits

Effective May 6, 2020 to present

Learning outcomes

General

  • Evaluate cybersecurity theories related to human behavior, threat actors, and the strategic objectives of vulnerability assessments and penetration testing.
  • Assess cyber threats, exploits, and attack methodologies to differentiate between various penetration testing scenarios and threat landscapes.
  • Execute ethical hacking phases, including reconnaissance, scanning, exploitation, maintaining access, and covering tracks, within controlled environments.
  • Analyze and utilize industry-standard tools (e.g., Wireshark, Nmap, Snort, Metasploit) to conduct comprehensive network and system vulnerability assessments.
  • Design and implement penetration testing strategies, including privilege escalation, remote and client-side attacks, and web application exploitation.
  • Develop and apply advanced evasion techniques, such as tunneling and firewall bypassing, to assess network security defenses.
  • Interpret and synthesize penetration testing results to formulate detailed security reports, communicate findings, and recommend mitigation strategies for identified vulnerabilities.
  • Assess and justify ethical considerations in vulnerability assessments and penetration testing, including responsible disclosure, legal constraints, and professional conduct.

Summer 2025

Section Title Instructor books eservices
50 Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing Helmus, Jonathan C Books for CYBR-412-50 Summer 2025 Course details for CYBR-412-50 Summer 2025

Fall 2025

Section Title Instructor books eservices
01 Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing Helmus, Jonathan C Books for CYBR-412-01 Fall 2025 Course details for CYBR-412-01 Fall 2025
50 Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing Helmus, Jonathan C Books for CYBR-412-50 Fall 2025 Course details for CYBR-412-50 Fall 2025

Spring 2026

Section Title Instructor books eservices
50 Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing Helmus, Jonathan C Books for CYBR-412-50 Spring 2026 Course details for CYBR-412-50 Spring 2026