eJPT Roadmap: How I'm Building Toward Red Team Operations

Getting into cybersecurity is not one straight path.

For me, it started with a basic Computer Science foundation and gradually turned into a much stronger interest in how networks, systems, services, and security controls actually behave.

I am still early in the journey. I have not earned a professional penetration-testing certification yet, and I am not presenting myself as an experienced red team operator.

What I do have is a growing foundation built through structured learning, hands-on labs, security exercises, and consistent practice.

Right now, my roadmap is:

Foundation → eJPT → OSCP → CRTO

And eJPT is my current milestone.

Where I Started

My cybersecurity journey did not begin with eJPT.

I first built my foundation through computer science studies and practical learning. I then completed the Hunarmand Punjab cybersecurity program, where I worked through foundational cybersecurity concepts and practical exercises.

From there, I started spending more time in Linux-based environments and security labs.

My learning gradually moved toward:

Linux fundamentals
Networking
Network enumeration
Nmap
Wireshark
Metasploit
Vulnerability analysis
Privilege escalation
Web and service enumeration
Practical exploitation in controlled labs
The important part for me has been actually doing the work instead of only consuming tutorials.

That is also why I document my labs, notes, and security learning publicly.

Why eJPT Is My Next Milestone

I chose eJPT because I want a structured way to validate the penetration-testing fundamentals I am currently building.

INE describes eJPT as an entry-level, hands-on certification designed around practical penetration-testing skills, including assessment methodologies, host and network auditing, host and network penetration testing, and web application penetration testing.

That fits where I am right now.

I am not trying to jump directly into advanced red team operations without understanding the fundamentals first.

Before I can operate effectively in larger environments, I need to become comfortable with the basic workflow:

Reconnaissance → Enumeration → Vulnerability Identification → Exploitation → Privilege Escalation → Documentation

The certification is therefore not the final objective.

It is a checkpoint in the process.

What I'm Building Before eJPT

I'm focusing on several areas rather than trying to memorize a collection of commands.

Networking

Understanding how hosts communicate is fundamental to penetration testing.

I'm building familiarity with:

TCP/IP
Common protocols
Ports and services
Network discovery
Basic traffic analysis
Service enumeration

Linux

Linux is a major part of my current security environment.

I'm becoming comfortable with:

Filesystem navigation
Permissions
Processes
Networking commands
Bash workflows
Package management
Security tooling

Reconnaissance & Enumeration

This is one of the areas I'm putting the most attention into.

Tools such as Nmap help me understand how to systematically discover hosts, ports, services, and potential attack surfaces.

The goal isn't simply to run:

nmap <target>

The goal is to understand what the result means and what I should investigate next.

Vulnerability Analysis

I'm also learning how to move from an identified service or weakness toward understanding its actual security impact.

This includes:

CVEs
Vulnerability assessment
Service versions
Misconfigurations
Exploitation concepts
Basic attack chains

Privilege Escalation

Initial access is only part of the problem.

I'm currently building my understanding of Linux and Windows privilege-escalation concepts through controlled labs.

This is an area I expect to develop substantially as I progress toward OSCP.

My Current Practice Environment

A large part of my learning happens through controlled environments.

I've worked with virtual machines and intentionally vulnerable systems to practice reconnaissance, enumeration, exploitation, and post-exploitation concepts.

Some of the labs I've documented include:

EternalBlue exploitation
vsftpd 2.3.4 exploitation
Metasploit-based exploitation
Reverse-shell exercises
Network enumeration
Privilege-escalation practice

These are lab exercises, not claims of real-world penetration-testing engagements.

That distinction matters.

I'm building practical experience, but I'm not going to describe a home lab as professional client work just to make a portfolio look more impressive.

My eJPT Preparation Approach

I'm not following an artificial “12-week guaranteed eJPT roadmap.”

My actual approach is simpler:

Learn → Practice → Document → Revisit → Apply

When I learn a technique, I want to understand:

What problem does it solve?
Why does it work?
What information do I need before using it?
What does the output tell me?
What can I try next?
What happens when the obvious approach doesn't work?

That mindset is more important to me than collecting commands.

I'm also building my own security notes and cheatsheets on GitHub so that the material becomes something I can return to rather than something I forget after watching a video.

What Comes After eJPT?

eJPT is my current milestone, not my end goal.

After eJPT, I plan to move toward OSCP.

The focus will shift toward deeper penetration testing, exploitation, privilege escalation, Active Directory, and working through more complex attack paths.

After that comes CRTO.

CRTO is the long-term direction because my actual career goal is not simply to become a general penetration tester.

I want to eventually work toward red team operations.

That means developing capabilities around areas such as:

Active Directory
Command and control
Lateral movement
Adversary simulation
Operational security
Red team tradecraft

But I'm deliberately keeping these as future milestones rather than pretending I already operate at that level.

The Roadmap I'm Following

My current roadmap looks like this:

01 — Foundation

Completed

Computer science foundation + cybersecurity fundamentals + practical labs.

02 — eJPT

Current Focus

Building and validating entry-level penetration-testing skills.

03 — OSCP

Next Target

Advanced penetration testing and deeper exploitation methodology.

04 — CRTO

Long-Term Goal

Moving from penetration testing toward professional red team operations.

What I Have Learned So Far

The biggest lesson so far is that cybersecurity isn't about knowing the most tools.

It's about understanding systems.

A tool can tell you that port 445 is open.

It cannot automatically tell you what that means for the target.

A vulnerability scanner can identify a potential weakness. It cannot replace understanding the service, the configuration, the attack path, and the consequences.

That is the mindset I'm trying to build.

I'm still learning.

There are plenty of areas where I am not yet strong enough. And that's exactly why I'm documenting the process.

Final Thoughts: eJPT roadmap

I'm not writing this as someone who has already reached the other side.

I'm writing it from the middle of the journey.

I've completed my foundational cybersecurity training, built practical experience through controlled labs, and I'm currently preparing for eJPT.

The next milestones are OSCP and eventually CRTO. There is still a lot to learn before I can call myself a professional red team operator. But the direction is clear.