Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) & Red Teaming Course
Course Overview:
This Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) & Red Teaming Course is designed for cybersecurity professionals looking to master stealthy and sophisticated attack methodologies used by elite adversaries. Gain hands-on experience in real-world offensive security techniques and enhance your skills in advanced penetration testing and red teaming operations.
What You’ll Learn:
- Advanced Reconnaissance – OSINT, evasion tactics, and stealthy data collection
- Initial Access & Privilege Escalation – Exploiting vulnerabilities, bypassing security controls
- Active Directory Exploitation – Attacking enterprise environments, lateral movement
- Post-Exploitation Techniques – Persistence, credential dumping, data exfiltration
- Custom Payload Development – Evasion strategies, undetectable malware creation
- Red Team Operations – Command & control frameworks, adversary emulation
Why Enroll?
- Hands-on Labs – Real-world attack simulations
- Deep-Dive into APT Tactics – Learn from industry experts
- Red Team Mindset – Think like an attacker, defend like a pro
- Career Boost – Enhance your cybersecurity expertise
Take your cybersecurity skills to the next level and become an elite Red Teamer!
About this course:
Advanced
Flexible Timing
16-24 Weeks
Theory + Hands-on Labs + Real-World Case Studies
Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) Module
What is an Advanced Persistent Threat (APT)?
APT vs. Standard Cyber Attacks
Cyber Warfare & Nation-State Actors
MITRE ATT&CK Framework & Cyber Kill Chain
Real-World APT Case Studies: Lazarus, APT29, FIN7, Equation Group
Topics Covered:
Passive Reconnaissance (Google Dorking, WHOIS, DNS Enumeration)
Active Reconnaissance (Shodan, Censys, SpiderFoot)
Harvesting Employee & Target Data (LinkedIn, Social Media)
Creating Phishing & Pretexting Scenarios
Topics Covered:
Phishing (Spear Phishing, Watering Hole Attacks)
Exploiting Public-Facing Services (RDP, VPNs, Web Apps)
Supply Chain Attacks & Trusted Relationship Exploits
Custom Malware Deployment (Trojanized Installers, Fake Updates)
Objective: Gain root access on Linux systems.
Key Topics:
SUID/GUID Exploits: find / -perm -u=s -type f 2>/dev/null .
Cron Jobs: Hijack scheduled tasks.
Tools: LinPEAS, Linux Exploit Suggester.
Lab Task:
Exploit a writable /etc/passwd file to create a root user.
Objective: Elevate from user to SYSTEM.
Key Topics:
Kernel Exploits: PrintNightmare, EternalBlue.
Service Misconfigurations: Unquoted paths, weak permissions.
Tools: WinPEAS, PowerUp.ps1.
Lab Task:
Exploit an unquoted service path on Windows Server 2019.
Objective: Understand AD architecture and components.
Key Topics:
Domains, forests, Group Policy, Kerberos.
Enumeration: BloodHound, PowerView.
Tools: BloodHound, Impacket.
Lab Task:
Map an AD lab using SharpHound.
Objective: Compromise AD environments.
Key Topics:
Kerberoasting: Extract service account hashes.
Golden Ticket Attacks: Forge TGTs with Mimikatz.
DCSync: Dump domain hashes.
Tools: Rubeus, Mimikatz.
Lab Task:
Perform Kerberoasting and crack TGS tickets with Hashcat.
Topics Covered:
Extracting Hashes from SAM, NTDS.dit & LSASS
Attacking AD Credentials with Mimikatz, Rubeus & CrackMapExec
Offline Password Cracking (John the Ripper, Hashcat)
Session Hijacking & Token Manipulation
Topics Covered:
Setting Up Covert C2 Servers (Cobalt Strike, Empire, Havoc)
Customizing C2 Implants for Stealth & Evasion
Covert Communication Channels (DNS Tunneling, HTTPS Proxying)
Red Team Tradecraft & OPSEC Considerations
Topics Covered:
Advanced SQL Injection (SQLi) & Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF)
Command Injection & Remote Code Execution (RCE)
API Security Exploitation (OAuth Bypass, API Key Leaks)
Exploiting Web Servers (Apache, IIS, Nginx, Tomcat)
- Topics Covered:
Covert File Transfers (FTP, SCP, WebDAV, SMB, DNS)
Evading Data Loss Prevention (DLP) Systems
Staging Data for Exfiltration
Compressing & Encrypting Data for Stealth Extraction
Antivirus & EDR Evasion (Packing, Obfuscation, AMSI Bypass)
Bypassing Windows Defender, CrowdStrike, SentinelOne
Process Injection & DLL Sideloading
Living Off the Land Binaries (LOLBins) for Fileless Attacks
Abusing ADCS Misconfigurations for Privilege Escalation
Exploiting Kerberos Authentication via PKINIT
Weaponizing ADCS for Domain Takeover
Objective: Breach Wi-Fi networks.
Key Topics:
WPA2 Cracking: Capture handshakes with Aircrack-ng.
Evil Twin: Deploy rogue access points.
Tools: Aircrack-ng, Wifite.
Lab Task:
Crack a WPA2 handshake using Hashcat.
Azure AD & AWS IAM Exploitation
Hijacking OAuth Tokens & API Keys
Bypassing Conditional Access & MFA Restrictions
Leveraging Cloud Misconfigurations for Privilege Escalation
Project: Conduct a Full-Scope APT Engagement (Recon → Exploitation → Persistence → Exfiltration → Defense Evasion)
Exam: Red Team vs. Blue Team Capture the Flag (CTF) Challenge
Certification Upon Completion
Want Additional Modules or Customization? Let me know!
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) – Advanced Persistent Threats (APT)
An Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) is a stealthy, sophisticated cyberattack carried out by well-funded adversaries (e.g., nation-states, cybercriminal groups). APTs aim to gain long-term access to a target network, steal sensitive data, or disrupt operations while remaining undetected.
APTs are typically carried out by:
Nation-State Actors (e.g., China, Russia, USA, North Korea)
Cybercrime Organizations (financially motivated groups)
Hacktivists (motivated by political or ideological reasons)
| Aspect | APT Attack | Traditional Attack |
|---|
| Goal | Long-term infiltration | Quick financial gain or disruption |
| Techniques | Custom malware, zero-days, stealth | Basic malware, phishing, brute force |
| Persistence | Months to years of presence | Short-lived attacks |
| Targets | Governments, enterprises, critical infrastructure | Random individuals, small businesses |
Reconnaissance – Gather intelligence on the target.
Initial Access – Exploit vulnerabilities or use phishing attacks.
Establish Foothold – Deploy malware/backdoors.
Privilege Escalation – Gain higher-level access.
Lateral Movement – Spread across the network.
Data Exfiltration – Steal or manipulate data.
Maintain Persistence – Ensure long-term access via hidden backdoors.
APT29 (Cozy Bear) – Russian intelligence-linked
APT28 (Fancy Bear) – Russian military-backed
APT41 (Winnti Group) – Chinese state-sponsored hackers
Lazarus Group – North Korean cybercriminal unit
Equation Group – Linked to the NSA (USA)
Phishing attacks (spear-phishing emails, malicious links)
Exploiting zero-day vulnerabilities
Watering hole attacks (infecting trusted websites)
Compromised credentials & social engineering
Supply chain attacks (infecting software updates)
Remote Access Trojans (RATs) – e.g., PlugX, Gh0st RAT
Keyloggers – Capture user credentials
Rootkits – Hide malware in system processes
Bootkits – Infect bootloaders for persistent access
Fileless Malware – Resides in memory to evade detection
Government & Military – Espionage & intelligence gathering
Financial Institutions – Stealing money & disrupting economies
Healthcare & Pharma – Medical research theft
Critical Infrastructure – Power grids, water supply, telecom networks
Technology & Defense – Intellectual property theft
Implement multi-layered security (firewalls, IDS/IPS, SIEM)
Use Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) – Never trust, always verify
Enforce network segmentation to limit lateral movement
Regularly update & patch systems to fix vulnerabilities
Conduct security awareness training to prevent phishing attacks
Threat hunting – Proactively searching for indicators of compromise (IoCs)
Behavioral analysis – Identifying unusual activity in logs
Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR) – Monitoring for persistent threats
Network Traffic Analysis (NTA) – Detecting abnormal data transfers
Threat Intelligence Feeds – Staying updated on emerging APT tactics
APT Attack Tools:
Cobalt Strike – Red teaming & post-exploitation
Mimikatz – Credential dumping
Metasploit – Exploitation framework
Empire – PowerShell-based attack framework
APT Defense Tools:
Splunk, ELK Stack – SIEM & log monitoring
CrowdStrike, Carbon Black – EDR solutions
Snort, Suricata – Intrusion detection/prevention
Zeek (Bro) – Network traffic analysis
Stuxnet (2010) – Targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities
SolarWinds Attack (2020) – Supply chain attack affecting major U.S. agencies
Colonial Pipeline Attack (2021) – Ransomware disrupting fuel supply
Operation Aurora (2009-2010) – Chinese APT attack on Google & other firms
Classroom Traning
We offer customized VILT (Virtual Instructor-Led Training) sessions at your convenient hours to provide effortless training.
Online Training Class
One can also opt for the prerecorded video sessions available at any point of time from any particular location.
Corporate Training
Hire a preferred trainer at your work premises at your chosen time slots and train your employees with full efficiency.
