— Cybersecurity – Ethical Hacking & Vulnerability Assessment
Penetration Testing & Web Security Audit
As part of my cybersecurity learning journey, I conducted a web security audit and penetration test in a controlled lab environment. This guided project helped me gain hands-on experience in identifying vulnerabilities, testing security controls, and improving web application defenses.
Project Goals
✅ Perform a comprehensive security audit on a simulated web application.
✅ Identify critical vulnerabilities such as SQL Injection, XSS, and authentication flaws.
✅ Use penetration testing tools to simulate real-world cyberattacks.
✅ Provide detailed risk assessment and remediation recommendations.
✅ Improve knowledge of ethical hacking methodologies and cybersecurity best practices.
Tools & Technologies used
✔ Kali Linux – Penetration testing OS.
✔ Metasploit Framework – Exploitation tool for testing vulnerabilities.
✔ Burp Suite – Web security testing and proxy interception.
✔ Nmap – Network scanning & reconnaissance.
✔ OWASP ZAP – Web application security scanner.
✔ Nikto – Web vulnerability scanner.
✔ Hydra – Brute force attack testing.
Implementation
— Strategy
Implementation Steps
✔ Reconnaissance & Information Gathering – Used Nmap & Whois lookup to gather system information.
✔ Vulnerability Scanning – Ran OWASP ZAP & Nikto to detect security flaws & misconfigurations.
✔ Exploitation Testing – Used Metasploit & Burp Suite to test for SQL Injection, XSS, and authentication weaknesses.
✔ Brute Force Attack Simulation – Tested password vulnerabilities using Hydra.
✔ Risk Assessment & Security Hardening – Provided detailed remediation strategies for fixing vulnerabilities.
✔ Report Generation – Created a penetration testing report with findings, risks, and recommendations.
📉 Identified and reported 5+ critical security vulnerabilities, improving web security posture.
⚡ Developed hands-on experience in ethical hacking & cybersecurity tools.
🛡️ Strengthened authentication controls, reducing risk of brute force attacks.
🔍 Improved knowledge of penetration testing methodologies (OWASP Top 10, NIST).
📊 Created a structured security audit process, applicable to real-world cybersecurity roles.
Key Takeaways
💡 Practical experience in ethical hacking & web security testing.
💡 Hands-on use of penetration testing tools for vulnerability assessment.
💡 Understanding of web application security flaws & mitigation techniques.