Table of Contents#

1. Intro
2. Objectives of the CRTP Certification
3. Prerequisites
4. Key Tools & Techniques Covered
5. Course Content Breakdown
6. Exam Format
7. Resources
8. Conclusion

⚠️ Caution: #FreePalestine

Intro#

The Certified Red Team Professional (CRTP) is an intermediate-level, hands-on certification offered by Pentester Academy (now under INE). It focuses entirely on attacking Windows Active Directory environments—perfect for those specializing in internal network penetration testing and Red Team ops.

Objectives of the CRTP Certification#

• Understand the structure and weaknesses of Active Directory.
• Perform real-world internal AD attacks using Red Team techniques.
• Use tools like PowerView, Rubeus, Mimikatz, and BloodHound effectively.
• Exploit common AD misconfigurations:
  • Unconstrained Delegation
  • Kerberoasting
  • AS-REP Roasting
  • Abusing ACLs and GPOs
• Perform lateral movement and persistence techniques.
• Map Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) to the MITRE ATT&CK framework.

Prerequisites#

Before diving into CRTP, it’s recommended you have:

• A solid understanding of Windows OS fundamentals.
• Basic networking concepts (TCP/IP, DNS).
• Familiarity with Active Directory.
• Basic PowerShell scripting experience.
• Background in penetration testing is highly recommended.

Key Tools & Techniques Covered#

Course Content Breakdown#

• Active Directory Enumeration Basics
• User Hunting & Local Privilege Escalation
• Kerberos Attacks:
  • AS-REP Roasting
  • Kerberoasting
• Abusing ACLs & GPOs
• Lateral Movement:
  • Pass-the-Hash / Pass-the-Ticket
  • PSExec / WMI / WinRM
• Ticket Attacks:
  • Golden Ticket
  • Silver Ticket
• Persistence:
  • Scheduled Tasks
  • Registry
  • WMI Event Subscriptions
• Defensive Evasion & AV Bypass

Exam Format#

• 24‑hour hands‑on practical exam: Exploit a full AD environment, escalate to Domain Admin.
• 48 hours to submit a professional Red Team–style report.
• 1‑month lab access (extendable).
• Fully scenario‑based—no multiple‑choice.

Resources#

Conclusion#

CRTP is more than a certification—it’s a realistic, hands-on journey into enterprise AD exploitation and Red Team tradecraft. Whether you’re targeting a Red Team role or sharpening your AD-attack skills, CRTP stands out as a transformative investment.