Course Introduction

Scroll to begin 

Welcome to the Ethical Hacker Course

Select Play to watch a video introducing the Ethical Hacker course.

The Fictional Companies in the Ethical Hacker Course

Throughout the content of the course, you follow an engaging gamified narrative and get lots of practice with hands-on labs inspired by real-world scenarios. On this journey, you will be guided by your virtual mentor “Alex” at our fictional offensive security company, Protego Security Solutions. Within your role as a junior penetration tester at Protego, you will learn all the penetration testing phases of a client engagement. Pixel Paradise, a video game company, is the fictional company that will serve as your client during the course. 

Below are informational flyers for each fictional company.

Your Employer: Protego Security SolutionsOffering the best in penetration testing and security assessment services.Founded2009 in San Francisco, CA by a group of cybersecurity professionals who had previously worked for the U.S. Department of Defense. Privately owned.Employees75 including a dedicated team of ethical hackers and cybersecurity analystsRevenue$37 Million annuallyServicesSecurity assessments, cybersecurity risk assessment, disaster recovery planning, user training and testingOfficesHeadquarters in San Francisco, CA. Branch offices in London and Singapore.

Protego Security Solutions employs a team of highly-skilled and certified cybersecurity professionals. In addition to penetration testing, we provide made-to-order cybersecurity training to our clients. Because of this focus on training and learning, we hire promising entry-level candidates who work and grow professionally in our supportive mentored environment.

Our MissionAt Protego Security Solutions (PSS), we are committed to helping our clients secure their networks, systems, and applications against cyber threats. Every business has a right to be secure. Our teams of ethical hackers and security experts are dedicated to identifying vulnerabilities, mitigating risks, and providing comprehensive solutions to protect our clients' digital assets.Our Services

• Penetration Testing
• Vulnerability Assessment
• Network Security Testing
• Website Security Testing
• Mobile Application Security Testing
• Social Engineering Testing
• Cybersecurity Consulting
• User Security Training

Protego Personnel Certifications

• Infosec Institute Certified Penetration Tester (CPT)
• CompTIA PenTest+
• Certified Information Security Managers (CISM)
• Certified Information Systems Security Professionals (CISSP)
• Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
• Certified Expert Penetration Tester (CEPT)
• Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC) Penetration Tester (GPEN)
• And many others

Accreditations

• PCI Qualified Security Assessor (“QSA”)
• HITRUST CSF
• Council of Registered Ethical Security Testers (CREST)
• ISO 27001
• CHECK Service Provider

About UsAt Protego, we believe in each other. We value the contributions of all employees and create a people-first culture of inclusion. We are proud to engage with our Bay Area community, and we are committed to continued growth and leadership in the gaming industry.Matt Willis

CEO, FounderJanice Katz

V.P. FinanceFernando Gomes

V.P TechnologyAlex Prevost

Director, Customer EngagementYour Client: Pixel ParadiseElizabeth deGray

Creative Director & CEOWilliam A. Hurst

Technical DirectorAlphonse Luis Silva

V.P. Marketing & SalesOur mission is to push the boundaries of creativity and innovation in the gaming industry to the next level. Our quest is to create immersive engaging gaming experiences that captivate players and inspire them to explore rich new worlds, conquer new challenges, and take off on thrilling adventures.As a company, we are dedicated to fostering a culture of collaboration, excellence, and inclusivity. We value the contributions of every team member. We are proud to be based in San Francisco, a hub of innovation and creativity, and we are excited to continue to grow and expand our reach in the years to come.Living on island time since 2012

Privately Owned

75 developers, programmers, graphic designers, content creators

$30 Million Annual Revenue

Games for Windows, MacOS, Linux, and all major gaming platforms

+ tee shirts, coffee mugs, posters, and other swag

Just a few awards...2013

Most Promising New Video Game Enterprise, International Association Video Games Traders (IAVGT)

2013

Runner Up, Games World Magazine best games of the year

2015

3rd Place, Games World Magazine best games of the year

2019

European Gamers Alliance Outstanding New Game

2020

Celtic Fog Warriors Union best of 2020

What Will I Learn in This Course?

The digital landscape is evolving at an unprecedented rate and cyber threats lurk around every corner. Cybersecurity resilience in the modern world cannot be just an add on - it's a necessity.

Offensive security professionals like ethical hackers and penetration testers can help proactively discover unknown threats and address them before the cybercriminals do.

This course is designed to prepare you with an Ethical Hacker skillset and give you a solid understanding of offensive security. You will become proficient in the art of scoping, executing, and reporting on vulnerability assessments, while recommending mitigation strategies.

After completing this course, continue your cybersecurity career in offensive security (red team) as an ethical hacker or penetration tester. Or use this course to strengthen your defensive security (blue team) knowledge. By understanding the mindset of threat actors, you will be able to more effectively implement security controls and monitor, analyze, and respond to current security threats.

Ethical Hacking Statement

In this course, you will explore and apply various tools and techniques within a controlled, "sandboxed" Ethical Hacker Kali Linux virtual machine environment to simulate cyber-attacks and discover, assess, and exploit built-in vulnerabilities. It is crucial to acknowledge that the hands-on labs are meant solely for educational purposes, aiming to equip you with the skills to identify and safeguard against real-world threats. The vulnerabilities and weaknesses demonstrated here must be used responsibly and ethically, exclusively within this designated "sandboxed" environment.

Engaging with these tools, techniques, or resources beyond the provided "sandboxed" virtual environment or outside your authorized scope may lead to violations of local laws and regulations. We strongly emphasize the importance of seeking clarification from your administrator or instructor before attempting any experimentation.

It is imperative to comprehend that unauthorized access to data, computer systems, and networks is illegal in numerous jurisdictions, regardless of intentions or motivations. We emphasize the significance of using your newfound knowledge responsibly and ensuring compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.

By accepting this "Ethical Hacker Statement," you acknowledge the critical importance of utilizing the skills acquired in this course for ethical and lawful purposes only, and you commit to upholding the principles of responsible cybersecurity practices. Remember, with great power comes great responsibility.

Your Acknowledgment

Do you acknowledge and accept your responsibility, as the user of this course, to be cognizant of and compliant with local laws, regulations, and ethical use?