Anyone on the OSCP journey soon?

unkn0wnsh3ll

Congrats mokaz.....:) Good job

mokaz

Hi all, thanks alot for the gratz all the best to the others out there still doing it!!!

JollyFrogs

Congratz Mokaz! Awesome job mate

Hugbear

Hi all
Thought I introduce myself as I plan to do a lot of posting on my journey through OSCP:
Finished my MSc (security) about a year and a half ago, and teach part time at the university while holding down a full time job as well. I have done the CISSP years ago and found it basic, but to be fair it does not claim to give expert knowledge ('mile wide inch deep'). The CEH was, in my opinion a waste of resourses other than knowing tools and switches it didn't teach much. Earlier this year attempted my CSISC which I thought was a better certification to open doors in InfoSec, I found it too full of theory and the course book ( expensive) was in my opinion substandard (I just found out that I failed to meet the grade got 400 needed 450 to pass) the exam was multiple choice with 2 options being almost the same chose the better option type questions, would I be doing it again? No, I found that reading various parts of frameworks like Corbit and ISO27001 was enough for me.
OSCP was always in the back of my mind, but with family commitments (1yr & 4 yr old would not leave me a lone) it seemed a far away dream. Beside when I first explored it, there wasn't enough recognition for it. After the CRISC escapade I explored it and quite liked the recognition it had gained in the infoSEC industry so here I am.

I am quite fortunate that where I am working they paid for the course (3 months lab) start 9/8 (DD/MM for american readers) , I budgeted for another 3month with personal money although I would rather put this into another certification (OSCE if I enjoy this one enough??), I have a broadband for this I could use at work and 'informally' gave me time during work time to do this course (expect to spend about 3-4 hrs a day from work). SO game on, I am unfortunate that I don't work with linux or python scripting .

JollyFrogs - thanks for your posts they are informative, although at the moment above my head, hope to one day post as knowledageable as you.
mokaz - Congrads...

To all of you that post your frustration stories keep it up, it is refreshing to hear of your success afterwards and definately inspired me to take the plung (I know I will go through your PAIN).
A thought I had in keeping notes : As Visio lets you do hyperlinks, do your diagram with the hyperlink pointing to the location of the notes for the victim machine, think it is a good idea?

PS kept the wife happy by buying a nice expensive present, will have to get a part time being a Gigalo to pay for it (with my looks probably take me till retirement, if ever). Would love to hear from anyone with young kids and how you bribed them to leave you alone.

unkn0wnsh3ll

I'm in same boat like you hugbear, but just one kid of 10yrs....kind of difficult to makeup in the evening to connect VPN, If i get a day or two break connecting VPN, I need motivating factor to start again.....Welcome to OSCP study family...By the way I havent yet bribed, but trying to keep up by taking regular breaks in a week to keep up time with them.....(Its been only two weeks since i have started the course)

griffondg

Just a note that I'm still alive and kicking in the OSCP labs. I've just extended for the second time but with work, family, and life I haven't moved as fast as I've liked but I've never wavered from my determination to slay this beast I may be moving slow but I'm having a blast and learns tons!

Eric

Blade3D

I finally finished the packet and videos, I only have a week left in lab time. I'm going to try to knock out as much of the labs as I can then I plan to extend for a month. I really wish I would have done the labs as I read and watched the videos. I got into a relationship and work has been busier so I haven't had as much time as I thought I would. Hopefully, I can stick to it and knock it out now. When you extend your time that includes a retest? If so, should I just take the exam to use up the first exam and see what it's like?

Sledge.

Realistically, how much time per week (and how many weeks) would you guys say that OSCP would take to properly prepare for?

Trying to gauge whether I am ready to 'Try Harder'.

Thanks!

Sledge

mokaz

Sledge. wrote: »

Realistically, how much time per week (and how many weeks) would you guys say that OSCP would take to properly prepare for?

What do you mean with prepare for? Actually for me I've spent one full month of preparations, getting familiar with the OS way of doing things, reading every possible blogs about OSCP, preparing my PWK environment and VMs... After that I've spend every weekends from April to early August plus every possible weekdays evening on the cert.. So to be clear I've not been in any relationship during that time and informed my family and friends that for the next 6 months i wouldn't be much available.

As well I've piled many digital readings so whenever I've had some times traveling or taking trains or such I've always had my lectures and took notes..

But then again it really all depends on your abilities to learn on your own, and time management i'd say. Sometimes I've spend way too much times on concepts which turned out not to be that relevant to the whole process but again i guess that is exactly the way OS wants you to dig in..

Best of luck to you all !!
Cheers,
m.

mongrel

How I wish I were as bright as you guys... to pass the OSCP