Certifications

Professional certification paths for Red Team and Blue Team

Certification Career Paths

🔴 Red Team Career Path

Offensive security and penetration testing certifications

CEH
Beginner
OSCP
Intermediate
GPEN
Intermediate
CRTP
Intermediate
OSEP
Advanced
OSWE
Advanced

Recommended Learning Path:

  1. 1. Start with CEH for foundational ethical hacking concepts
  2. 2. Progress to OSCP for hands-on penetration testing skills
  3. 3. Specialize with CRTP for Active Directory expertise
  4. 4. Advance to OSEP for evasion and advanced techniques
  5. 5. Master web security with OSWE for specialized skills

🔵 Blue Team Career Path

Defensive security and incident response certifications

GSEC
Beginner
BTLO
Beginner
GCIH
Intermediate
CySA+
Intermediate
GCFA
Advanced
GNFA
Advanced

Recommended Learning Path:

  1. 1. Begin with BTLO or GSEC for security fundamentals
  2. 2. Develop analyst skills with CySA+ for threat detection
  3. 3. Master incident response with GCIH
  4. 4. Advance to GCFA for digital forensics expertise
  5. 5. Specialize with GNFA for network forensics

Cyber RoadMap

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Cyber Seek

Explore the key jobs within cybersecurity, common transition opportunities between them, and detailed information about the salaries, credentials, and skillsets associated with each role.

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Showing 14 of 14 certifications

Red Team Intermediate

OSCP

Offensive Security Certified Professional

by Offensive Security

4/5
Difficulty
5/5
Popularity
5/5
Job Market

Hands-on penetration testing certification focusing on practical exploitation skills.

Duration: 90 days lab + exam
Cost: $1,499
Prerequisites: Basic networking and Linux knowledge
Exam Format: 24-hour practical exam + 24-hour report

Key Skills:

Penetration Testing Exploitation Report Writing Linux Windows

Career Paths:

Penetration Tester Security Consultant Red Team Operator
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Red Team Advanced

OSEP

Offensive Security Experienced Penetration Tester

by Offensive Security

5/5
Difficulty
4/5
Popularity
5/5
Job Market

Advanced evasion techniques and modern penetration testing methodologies.

Duration: 90 days lab + exam
Cost: $1,499
Prerequisites: OSCP or equivalent experience
Exam Format: 48-hour practical exam + 24-hour report

Key Skills:

Evasion Techniques Advanced Exploitation AV Bypass Lateral Movement

Career Paths:

Senior Penetration Tester Red Team Lead Security Researcher
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Red Team Advanced

OSWE

Offensive Security Web Expert

by Offensive Security

5/5
Difficulty
3/5
Popularity
4/5
Job Market

Advanced web application security testing and source code review.

Duration: 90 days lab + exam
Cost: $1,499
Prerequisites: Web development and OSCP knowledge
Exam Format: 48-hour practical exam + 24-hour report

Key Skills:

Web Application Security Source Code Review Custom Exploits

Career Paths:

Web Application Penetration Tester Security Researcher
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Red Team Beginner

CEH

Certified Ethical Hacker

by EC-Council

2/5
Difficulty
5/5
Popularity
3/5
Job Market

Entry-level ethical hacking certification covering basic penetration testing concepts.

Duration: 5 days training
Cost: $1,199
Prerequisites: Basic IT security knowledge
Exam Format: 4-hour multiple choice exam

Key Skills:

Ethical Hacking Vulnerability Assessment Basic Penetration Testing

Career Paths:

Junior Penetration Tester Security Analyst
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Red Team Intermediate

CRTP

Certified Red Team Professional

by PentesterAcademy

3/5
Difficulty
3/5
Popularity
4/5
Job Market

Active Directory focused red team certification with practical labs.

Duration: 30 days lab + exam
Cost: $249
Prerequisites: Basic Windows and AD knowledge
Exam Format: 24-hour practical exam

Key Skills:

Active Directory Lateral Movement Privilege Escalation

Career Paths:

Red Team Operator Penetration Tester
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Red Team Intermediate

GPEN

GIAC Penetration Tester

by SANS/GIAC

3/5
Difficulty
4/5
Popularity
4/5
Job Market

Comprehensive penetration testing certification from SANS Institute.

Duration: 6 days training
Cost: $7,000+
Prerequisites: Basic security and networking knowledge
Exam Format: 4-hour proctored exam

Key Skills:

Penetration Testing Vulnerability Assessment Network Security

Career Paths:

Penetration Tester Security Consultant
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Blue Team Intermediate

GCIH

GIAC Certified Incident Handler

by SANS/GIAC

3/5
Difficulty
4/5
Popularity
5/5
Job Market

Incident response and digital forensics certification.

Duration: 6 days training
Cost: $7,000+
Prerequisites: Basic security knowledge
Exam Format: 4-hour proctored exam

Key Skills:

Incident Response Digital Forensics Malware Analysis

Career Paths:

Incident Response Analyst SOC Analyst Digital Forensics Examiner
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Blue Team Advanced

GCFA

GIAC Certified Forensic Analyst

by SANS/GIAC

4/5
Difficulty
3/5
Popularity
4/5
Job Market

Advanced digital forensics and incident response certification.

Duration: 6 days training
Cost: $7,000+
Prerequisites: GCIH or equivalent experience
Exam Format: 4-hour proctored exam

Key Skills:

Digital Forensics Memory Analysis Timeline Analysis

Career Paths:

Digital Forensics Examiner Incident Response Lead
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Blue Team Beginner

GSEC

GIAC Security Essentials

by SANS/GIAC

2/5
Difficulty
5/5
Popularity
4/5
Job Market

Foundation-level security certification covering essential security concepts.

Duration: 6 days training
Cost: $7,000+
Prerequisites: Basic IT knowledge
Exam Format: 4-hour proctored exam

Key Skills:

Security Fundamentals Risk Management Network Security

Career Paths:

Security Analyst SOC Analyst Security Consultant
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Blue Team Advanced

GNFA

GIAC Network Forensic Analyst

by SANS/GIAC

4/5
Difficulty
2/5
Popularity
3/5
Job Market

Network traffic analysis and forensics certification.

Duration: 6 days training
Cost: $7,000+
Prerequisites: Network and security fundamentals
Exam Format: 4-hour proctored exam

Key Skills:

Network Forensics Traffic Analysis Intrusion Detection

Career Paths:

Network Security Analyst Digital Forensics Examiner
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Blue Team Intermediate

CySA+

CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst

by CompTIA

3/5
Difficulty
4/5
Popularity
4/5
Job Market

Cybersecurity analyst certification focusing on threat detection and analysis.

Duration: Self-paced
Cost: $370
Prerequisites: Network+ and Security+ recommended
Exam Format: 165 questions, 165 minutes

Key Skills:

Threat Analysis Vulnerability Assessment Incident Response

Career Paths:

SOC Analyst Cybersecurity Analyst Threat Hunter
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Blue Team Beginner

BTLO

Blue Team Level 1

by Security Blue Team

2/5
Difficulty
3/5
Popularity
4/5
Job Market

Entry-level blue team certification with hands-on labs.

Duration: Self-paced
Cost: $399
Prerequisites: Basic IT knowledge
Exam Format: 24-hour practical exam

Key Skills:

SOC Operations Log Analysis Incident Response

Career Paths:

SOC Analyst Security Analyst
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Management Advanced

CISSP

Certified Information Systems Security Professional

by ISC2

4/5
Difficulty
5/5
Popularity
5/5
Job Market

Management-level security certification covering eight security domains.

Duration: Self-paced
Cost: $749
Prerequisites: 5 years of security experience
Exam Format: 100-150 questions, 3 hours

Key Skills:

Security Management Risk Management Governance

Career Paths:

CISO Security Manager Security Architect
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Management Advanced

CISM

Certified Information Security Manager

by ISACA

4/5
Difficulty
4/5
Popularity
4/5
Job Market

Information security management and governance certification.

Duration: Self-paced
Cost: $760
Prerequisites: 5 years of security experience
Exam Format: 150 questions, 4 hours

Key Skills:

Security Management Governance Risk Management

Career Paths:

Security Manager CISO Security Consultant
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Certification Success Tips

Set Clear Goals

Define your career objectives and choose certifications that align with your goals.

Plan Your Timeline

Allow adequate time for study and hands-on practice before attempting the exam.

Hands-On Practice

Set up home labs and practice real-world scenarios, especially for practical exams.

Join Communities

Connect with other candidates and professionals for study groups and advice.

Track Progress

Monitor your learning progress and adjust study plans as needed.

Maintain Certifications

Keep up with continuing education requirements to maintain your certifications.

Certification Statistics

6
Red Team
6
Blue Team
2
Management
$3,087
Avg Cost