From ordering takeout to filing our taxes, we interact with applications that operate on the web every day. Some of these applications are rigorously tested and hardened against exploitation from malicious actors, and some are not, but even the best-developed applications can be susceptible to obscure attacks or third-party issues. Vulnerability scans and code reviews can catch some problems, but really testing these applications for weaknesses is the job of independent bug bounty hunters and professional web app pentesters.
Learning the skills to pentest web apps requires some fundamental knowledge of computer systems and how the web works, but starting out can be fairly beginner-friendly. Building on these basic skills, practicing your techniques, and staying up-to-date with the latest attack methods and vulnerabilities can make you a formidable ethical web hacker.
TCM Security offers a pathway of learning and certification, from a complete beginner in web app pentesting (Practical Web Pentest Associate) to a practitioner of professional-level methods and techniques (Practical Web Pentest Professional) to a TCM-certified expert in ethically hacking web applications (Practical Web Pentest Expert). Our courses and exams are 100% practical to absorb abilities by doing, rather than demonstrating knowledge by answering questions. By the end of this series of training and certification, you will have advanced knowledge of ethical web hacking techniques and will have conducted simulated web app pentests and documented the findings in a professional report.
Bug Bounty vs Pentesting
Before we delve deeper, it’s good to draw a distinction between bug bounty hunting and web app pentesting. The big differences are scope, methods, timeframe, and reporting.
What is Bug Bounty?
Bug Bounty Hunting is a crowdsourced security solution where freelance security researchers attempt to find vulnerabilities and prove exploitability within an application or other product that has been indicated as fair game by a company.
A bug bounty program generally provides a barebones scope with lots of lateral space to research and test. Few methods are off the table and the testing period is usually ‘on-going’. Once a vulnerability is found a proof of concept (PoC) is provided to verify the issue. Also, bug bounties are most interested in critical vulnerabilities, proving not only that a vulnerability exists, but also that it can be exploited with high impact.
What is Web App Penetration Testing?
Web App Pentesting is generally a role within a pentesting firm where a test is conducted on a contractual basis with an organization.
The scope is well-defined and sometimes the methods that can be used are tightly defined and frameworks (like the OWASP Top 10) are used to guide the test. A specific timeframe is set and adhered to while the reporting revolves more around the existence of a vulnerability rather than how it could specifically be exploited. At the end of the testing period, a detailed report and debrief are presented to the client.
Beginner to Certified Web Pentest Associate
First of all, if you are a complete beginner to IT and security in general, then gaining an understanding of the fundamentals will better prepare you for more advanced studies like web app pentesting. TCM offers a free tier of training courses that can help you gain your footing in the concepts and methodology that will be very helpful for progressing into higher-tier topics.
Starting out in bug bounty hunting is an entry point for many into the wider world of penetration testing, so getting your feet wet with our practical courses can help you decide whether or not you want to proceed further down the web app pentesting path. Our first level consists of one introductory course and a certification to prove your skills.
Practical Bug Bounty | 9.5+ hours
Bug bounty hunting is an industry all its own, and this course teaches the foundations, methodology, tactics, and tools to find bugs and vulnerabilities in web applications and participate in bug bounty programs. This course is beginner-friendly, accessible for those without web app experience, and an excellent method for determining whether or not web app pentesting is something you would like to pursue.
Practical Web Pentest Associate (PWPA) | 48 hours practical exam / 48 hours report writing
Prove that you can ethically hack a web application with this practical exam that gives you two days to conduct a penetration test on a web app and two more days to write up the often overlooked but ever-important report of findings. This is an ‘entry-level’ certification, meaning some knowledge and familiarity with networking and computer systems is advised, but completion of the Practical Bug Bounty course leaves you with all of the knowledge and skills necessary to pass the exam. Suitable for those looking for entry-level web pentesting roles or want to expand their overall pentesting capabilities to include web apps.
Associate to Professional Web App Pentester
Once you have completed the PWPA, you are TCM certified for junior-level web app pentesting roles. We also offer more advanced training and certification that can expand your skill set and demonstrate your ability to tackle more complex web application attacks and conduct more thorough web penetration tests.
Practical API Hacking | 6+ hours
As APIs become more and more integral to applications the ability to find the flaws and bugs in those systems will be a necessary skill for penetration testers. This course covers the fundamentals of APIs, and through hands-on labs, introduces the common tools and techniques from enumeration to successfully attacking an endpoint. A great next step for gaining knowledge and skills for a web app testing career.
Practical Web Hacking | 10+ hours
Building upon the knowledge and skills learned in the Practical Bug Bounty course, the Practical Web Hacking course serves as preparation for the PWPP certification exam. This course introduces several more techniques for pentesting web apps with practical challenges to walk you through executing the attacks. This course is for anyone who wants to broaden their available toolbox of methods for ethically hacking web applications and/or undertake the PWPP exam.
Practical Web Pentest Professional (PWPP) | 72 hours practical exam / 48 hours report writing
The PWPP is similar to the PWPA but dives deeper. This exam requires you to employ advanced web hacking tactics like race conditions, NoSQL, SSRF, and others in order to exploit a web application. The practical portion of the exam spans three days and requires professional-level skills and knowledge to complete, all of which can be learned in the Practical Web Hacking course. Like all TCM certifications, a thorough report of findings is required at the end of the exam to prepare you for the experience of working as a pentester.
Professional to Expert Web App Pentester
Advanced Web Hacking | 11+ hours
For those who want to further amplify their knowledge and abilities in web app testing, the Advanced Web Hacking course explores even more specialized techniques for finding and ethically exploiting vulnerabilities in web apps. Some of the attacks learned in the modules include Prototype Pollution, GraphQL Attacks, and Frontend JS Analysis, among others. This training requires advanced knowledge and experience with web hacking to take full advantage of the course so completing the PWPP or having up to 3 years experience in web hacking is suggested.
Practical Web Pentest Expert (PWPE) | 72 hours practical exam / 48 hours report writing
TCM’s highest level of certification, this exam tests the limits of one’s web application testing capabilities. Building off the training found in the Advanced Web Hacking course, the PWPE is a true-to-life practical examination of lesser-known tactics and methods of ethically exploiting web applications. Designed for those who already have a few years of experience with bug bounty hunting/web app pentesting, or have passed the PWPP and are pursuing a more challenging certification to test and prove their skills. At the end of the three-day examination period, there is a 48-hour allowance for a report that will be professionally reviewed.
In Closing
Some enjoy taking on bug bounty boards as a hobby, while others are employed to put applications through their paces to safeguard systems used by thousands to hundreds of thousands of people every day. If you are interested in safeguarding the digital ecosystem that is increasingly becoming a part of the ‘normal’ life of most people, or you take pleasure in finding the secrets inside systems and want to use that desire constructively, web application pentesting might be a good career choice.
About the Author: Josh Daniels
Josh is an avid storyteller and writer who loves learning about the behind-the-scenes of the digital world we live in. While his professional experience is in content marketing, Josh began pursuing a career in cybersecurity in 2022, gaining a Sec+ certificate along with other training from industry professionals and a life long learner attitude.
When he is not writing, Josh enjoys outdoor adventures with his family, watching movies, reading, and an unofficial (unpaid) side gig as a Game Master Consultant for several friends who play table top RPGs. At TCM, Josh has found a home where his passion for storytelling and cybersecurity meet.
“Once men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them.”
– Frank Herbert
About TCM Security
TCM Security is a veteran-owned, cybersecurity services and education company founded in Charlotte, NC. Our services division has the mission of protecting people, sensitive data, and systems. With decades of combined experience, thousands of hours of practice, and core values from our time in service, we use our skill set to secure your environment. The TCM Security Academy is an educational platform dedicated to providing affordable, top-notch cybersecurity training to our individual students and corporate clients including both self-paced and instructor-led online courses as well as custom training solutions. We also provide several vendor-agnostic, practical hands-on certification exams to ensure proven job-ready skills to prospective employers.
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