Module 0 — Orientation, labs and certifications
Three questions to settle before touching a single tool, because they decide the yield of the next fifteen weeks:
- Which platform to train on? HackTheBox Academy and TryHackMe look alike from a distance, but they do not serve the exact same purpose.
- Which certification to aim for? CPTS, OSCP, PNPT, eJPT: four names that come up in every job listing, four radically different formats.
- How to pace it? This course runs fifteen weeks, four hours a week, in a sequence that mirrors the HTB Academy Penetration Tester job-role path.
This module contains no exploit and no command to run. It is an orientation module: two hours of reading that save weeks of fumbling later.
What you will be able to do at the end of the module
- Explain to a recruiter why you picked this platform rather than that one.
- Compare CPTS, OSCP, PNPT and eJPT objectively on cost, time, exam format and industry recognition.
- Decode the vocabulary that blocks beginners:
.ovpnVPN, rooms, paths, proctoring, report writing, box. - Place every module of this course on the fifteen-week calendar and on the HTB Academy Penetration Tester path.
The three lessons of the module
- 0.1 — Lab platforms: HTB Academy vs TryHackMe — what they are, where they overlap, where they diverge, how you connect over an OpenVPN tunnel, and why this course picks HTB Academy as the backbone with TryHackMe as a safety net.
- 0.2 — Pentest certifications: CPTS, OSCP, PNPT, eJPT — the four certifications that matter in 2026 for a junior to senior pentester, with real costs, exam durations, pass rates and a recommended order of attempts.
- 0.3 — 15-week roadmap: module mapping — the week-by-week calendar, the mapping to the 28 matching HTB Academy modules, and a Gantt chart to visualize progression.
The vocabulary to settle right away
| Word | What it is | What it is not |
|---|---|---|
| HTB Academy | Theory + graded exercises platform, module by module, aligned with the CPTS certification. | A set of hackable machines (that's HTB Labs). |
| TryHackMe | Highly guided, visual rooms platform, ideal to start and to catch someone falling behind. | A direct OSCP preparation. |
.ovpn VPN | OpenVPN config file downloaded from the platform to join its lab network. | A commercial VPN like NordVPN that hides your IP. |
| CPTS | Certified Penetration Testing Specialist, HTB certification, 10-day practical exam + report. | A multiple-choice test. |
| OSCP | Offensive Security Certified Professional, the most recognized pentest certification for 15 years. | A junior certification. |
| eJPT | eLearnSecurity Junior Penetration Tester, the affordable entry point into pentest certification. | Proof enough for a senior role. |
| Kill chain | The sequence of stages of an attack, from reconnaissance to client reporting. | A fixed method that works on every target. |
Each term is picked up and detailed in the module's lessons.
How this course positions itself
This course (tests-intrusion on inskillsec.com) is a full
academic course in French with an English mirror, following the
HTB Academy Penetration Tester path. It adds:
- A local Docker lab reproducible on Docker Desktop for most modules — you do not need an active HTB subscription to run the exercises in class.
- A 15-week semester structure designed for an undergraduate university course or a continuing professional education program at 4 hours per week.
- A graded final client report, aligned with the format expected at the CPTS exam.
- Module quizzes at the end of each week to check retention before moving to the next one.
HTB Academy remains recommended as home training: that is where you do the graded exercises that show up on your professional file, and that is where you actually prepare the CPTS if certification is your goal.
Next step
Start with 0.1 — Lab platforms to understand what HTB Academy and TryHackMe are. Twenty minutes of reading, no tool to install.