Protonyte Certified Security Fundamentals
An 8-week, hands-on cybersecurity course taught by working penetration testers. Go from zero to thinking like an attacker, with real labs, a private support group and a PCSF certificate at the end.
Built for anyone starting in cybersecurity
No prior hacking experience needed. Just a laptop, curiosity and the commitment to practise.
Students
CS and IT students who want job-ready skills beyond the syllabus.
Developers
Coders who want to understand how their apps get attacked.
IT professionals
Network and system admins moving into security roles.
Career switchers
Anyone ready to start a new career in a high-demand field.
Eight weeks, from foundations to your first exploit
Every week ends with a hands-on lab. Tap a week to see what you'll learn.
Foundations & mindset
Where cybersecurity fits, and how to study it properly
Course introduction
- Support group (important)
- Flavors of cyber security
- Notes keeping
- Important tools
Security fundamentals
- CIA triad and threat actors
- Red, blue and purple teams
- Career paths in security
- Legal and ethical boundaries
Networking essentials
How the internet works, and how attackers see it
Networking basics
- Introduction to networking
- IP addresses & MAC addresses
- OSI model
- Common ports and protocols
Going deeper
- TCP/UDP & three-way handshake
- Subnetting
- DNS, DHCP and NAT
- Reading packets
Linux & your hacking lab
Build the environment you will use for the rest of the course
Lab setup
- Installing Kali Linux
- Virtual machines and networking
- Vulnerable practice targets
- Staying safe while testing
Linux for hackers
- File system & core commands
- Users, permissions & services
- Bash basics and scripting
- Package management
Windows & Active Directory basics
Most corporate networks run on Windows, so attackers learn it first
Windows fundamentals
- File system and permissions
- Users, groups and policies
- PowerShell basics
- Common Windows services
Active Directory intro
- What AD is and why it matters
- Domains, users and computers
- Authentication basics
- Why AD is a prime target
Methodology & information gathering
Real testing follows a process, not random tool runs
Security methodologies
- Standards & methodologies
- Phases of a penetration test
- Scoping and rules of engagement
- Documentation as you go
Information gathering
- Passive vs active reconnaissance
- OSINT & Google dorking
- Subdomain & technology discovery
- Email and employee mapping
Scanning & enumeration
Turn a list of hosts into a map of real attack surface
Scanning
- Port scanning with Nmap
- Service & version detection
- Scan timing and evasion basics
- Reading scan output properly
Enumeration
- SMB, FTP and HTTP enumeration
- Directory and file discovery
- Banner grabbing
- Turning findings into attack paths
Vulnerability analysis & web attacks
Find the weaknesses, then understand why they exist
Vulnerability scanning
- Tools & techniques
- Reading CVEs and CVSS scores
- Removing false positives
- Prioritising by real risk
Web application attacks
- OWASP Top 10 overview
- SQL injection
- Cross-site scripting (XSS)
- Broken authentication & access control
Exploitation, reporting & career
Prove the impact, write it up, and plan your next step
Exploitation
- Tools & techniques
- Metasploit fundamentals
- Password attacks
- Basic privilege escalation
Reporting & next steps
- Writing a professional pentest report
- Bug bounty basics
- Career paths & next certifications
- Final assessment
Finish the course, earn your PCSF certificate
Pass the final capstone and receive a Protonyte-issued certificate you can share on LinkedIn and add to your CV.
- Verified certificate with a unique ID
- Proof of hands-on skills, not just attendance
- A strong first step toward CEH and OSCP
Learn from an active penetration tester
An experienced manager and penetration tester working in offensive security, recognized in Hall of Fame lists for finding valid security bugs at companies including Docbyte and nohat.
What our graduates say
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PCSF, next batch
- 8 weeks of live, instructor-led classes
- Hands-on labs every week
- Private student support group
- Class recordings and notes
- PCSF certificate on completion