Attacking And Defending Active Directory: AD Pentesting

Quick Facts

• Last updated: 2026-02-18

Introduction

This course, “Attacking and Defending Active Directory”, guides learners from setting up a full AD lab to performing real-world attacks and defences. It is for cybersecurity enthusiasts, penetration testers, SOC analysts, system administrators and beginners who want practical AD skills. You will learn lab setup, offensive techniques used by red teams, and defensive measures to detect and stop AD exploitation.

Course Overview

This course teaches Active Directory security through hands-on labs and real attack simulations. You start by building a virtual AD lab using VMware, VirtualBox, or Hyper-V. Early lessons cover AD basics, authentication, PowerShell and safe file transfer. The main focus is on offensive techniques — enumeration, credential theft, Kerberoasting, Pass-the-Hash and ticket attacks — using tools like BloodHound, Mimikatz, Rubeus, CrackMapExec and PowerView. Defensive modules teach monitoring, hardening Group Policy, and detection rules for SOC workflows. The course mixes lectures, step-by-step labs and red team vs. blue team scenarios so you understand both attacker tactics and defender responses. The content prepares you for practical roles such as penetration testing, incident response, and AD-focused security work.

What you’ll learn

• Build and configure an Active Directory lab on VMware/VirtualBox/Hyper-V.
• Perform AD enumeration and privilege escalation techniques.
• Execute credential theft: Mimikatz, Pass-the-Hash, Kerberoasting, Golden Ticket concepts.
• Use BloodHound to map attack paths and plan lateral movement.
• Run Rubeus for Kerberos abuse and automate attacks with CrackMapExec.
• Write defensive PowerShell and use PowerView for visibility and auditing.
• Harden Windows AD, secure Group Policy and detect common attack indicators.
• Simulate red team vs. blue team scenarios to practice response and remediation.

Who this is for

• Ethical hackers and penetration testers targeting AD environments.
• Bug bounty hunters expanding into enterprise security testing.
• SOC analysts and blue team professionals who detect and respond to AD attacks.
• System administrators who want to harden Active Directory.
• Cybersecurity students and beginners seeking practical, job-ready skills.

Prerequisites

• A basic understanding of Windows operating systems and computer networking.
• Familiarity with ethical hacking or system administration is helpful but not required.
• A computer that can run virtual machines (VMware, VirtualBox, or Hyper-V).

Syllabus Highlights

• Lab Setup: Build a fully functional Active Directory lab.
• Foundations: AD structure, domains, forests, trusts, OUs and authentication.
• Offense: Enumeration, credential dumping, Kerberoasting, Pass-the-Hash, Golden Ticket.
• Tools: Hands-on with BloodHound, Mimikatz, Rubeus, CrackMapExec, PowerView.
• Defense: Hardening AD, Group Policy security, detection and monitoring strategies.
• Exercises: Red team vs. blue team scenarios and incident response practice.

How to Enroll / Claim Free Access

1. Search the course title or instructor to find the course page.
2. Review the course details and prerequisites listed above.
3. Check the price at checkout, free status can change.
4. If a coupon or limited-time free option appears, apply it at checkout to enroll.

Free status can change anytime. Please verify the price on the enrollment/checkout page.

Tips to Complete Faster

1. Week 1: Set up the AD lab and review basic AD concepts (3–5 hours total).
2. Week 2: Learn PowerShell and tooling basics; run simple enumeration tasks (4–6 hours).
3. Week 3: Practice offensive labs (credential dumping, Kerberoast) and run BloodHound (6–8 hours).
4. Week 4: Complete defensive modules, hardening exercises, and a red/blue simulation (6–8 hours).
5. Keep notes, reuse lab snapshots, and repeat key attacks to reinforce detection techniques.

Instructor

Vivek Pandit is an ethical hacker with experience in Active Directory pentesting, ethical hacking and bug bounty hunting. He has trained more than 60,000 students worldwide, with a 4.3 instructor rating from 1,299 reviews and 84,002 students across 7 courses.

FAQ

• Is it really free?
  Free status can change anytime. Check the checkout page to confirm current pricing.
• Will I get a certificate?
  Not specified.
• How long will it stay free?
  There is no fixed duration listed; free status can change at any time.
• Is this safe to practice?
  Yes, run all attacks in your own lab and follow ethical guidelines. Do not use these techniques on production networks without permission.

Conclusion

Attacking and defending Active Directory is a practical skill set for modern enterprise security work. This course offers step-by-step lab setup, offensive tool practice and defensive measures to understand both sides of AD security. Verify the course price and free availability before enrolling. Join our WhatsApp group for free course alerts