PNPT Course Review — Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) Fundamentals by Heath Adams and TCM Security

Course list for PNPT certification

Hey Everyone,

In my journey to conquer the OSCP, I have achieved the EJPT and EWPT certifications. However, one major weak spot for me remains Windows Privilege Escalation. From the research I’ve done, it seems that many people develop this skill while preparing for the PNPT.

I began by working through the Practical Ethical Hacking course, and after completing it, I shifted my focus to the Open-Source Intelligence Fundamentals course. Now that I’ve finished it and written my notes, I want to share my experience so you can review it before deciding whether to enroll yourself.

What is this course?

The Open-Source Intelligence Fundamentals course from TCM Security focuses on the essential skills needed to perform Open-Source Intelligence as part of an external penetration test. Designed for aspiring penetration testers, Heath Adams (The CyberMentor) teaches core skills and methodologies for identifying the digital footprints of individuals and companies — specifically for use in penetration testing.

Who is this course for?

This course is specifically designed for penetration testers and aspiring cybersecurity professionals to gain a foundational understanding of how to identify the digital footprints of companies. It also briefly touches on investigating individuals.

It is not intended for those interested in using OSINT for journalistic or law enforcement purposes. Instead, it is tailored for a more technical audience aiming to enhance their penetration testing skills. If you’re hoping to use this course to doxx your enemies, you’ll be disappointed — and frankly, you should find something more productive to do with your time.

What did I think of the course?

Overall, the course presented the material in a very digestible way, which makes sense given that OSINT and passive reconnaissance are some of the most accessible techniques used by penetration testers. Many aspiring hackers, in fact, develop these core skills as teenagers.

That said, I found the course repeated a lot of foundational details. While I appreciate the value of covering basics like Google’s advanced search operators, I was hoping for more intermediate-level skills. OSINT is such a powerful tool, and while the basics are important, the abundance of simple information in this course might lead some less experienced individuals to believe that OSINT is simplistic — which it absolutely is not. As someone who follows many OSINT researchers, I know there is much more depth to explore.

Despite these critiques, I enjoyed the course overall. I appreciate that Heath Adams ensured everyone had a solid baseline understanding of OSINT, especially for those preparing for the PNPT.

How could the course improve?

This course could be improved by shifting its focus from OSINT to external reconnaissance more broadly, incorporating open standards like the PTES (specifically the section on information gathering) to provide students with a comprehensive methodology for researching a company. Additionally, the heavy reliance on mostly passive recon tools might encourage some students to offload much of this work without fully understanding its importance, particularly in the context of the exam.

I would love to see the course either expanded to be twice as long or supplemented by an intermediate-level course. Such a course could delve deeper into methodologies, frameworks, and real-world examples, offering a more well-rounded learning experience.

Links:

Course: https://academy.tcm-sec.com/p/osint-fundamentals

Heath Adams: https://www.thecybermentor.com/