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Organizations today face a growing paradox in offensive security. On the one hand, the need for skilled penetration testers has never been greater. On the other, the traditional pathways into the field are increasingly out of reach for many. High costs, theoretical training models, and a disconnect between certifications and practical job performance mean both employers and aspiring testers are left underserved.
White Knight Labs addresses this challenge head-on with their Entry Level Pen Tester (ELPT) program, a solution designed to equip learners with the practical skills, real-world context, and professional readiness they need to succeed on day one.
Customer Challenge: Entry Barriers and Skill Gaps
Too often, organizations hire junior security staff who hold expensive certifications but struggle to translate that knowledge into meaningful outcomes. Employers expect more than technical exploits; they want team members who can communicate clearly, write actionable reports, and navigate complex engagements with confidence.
At the same time, aspiring testers find themselves blocked by expensive training programs that offer little practical guidance for day-to-day work. For learners in developing regions, these costs can make even an entry-level opportunity feel impossible.
The ELPT Approach
White Knight Labs designed the ELPT program to close this gap by aligning certification directly with on-the-job needs. Drawing from the team’s extensive operational and training backgrounds, including Greg Hatcher’s Special Forces experience and John Stigerwalt’s hands-on offensive security work. The curriculum, therefore, balances deep technical skills with the business context necessary for client engagements.
The program covers essential areas: from network and application penetration testing to fundamentals like Active Directory and cloud environments. It also goes further than technical hacks, emphasizing crucial competencies such as report writing, client updates, and teamwork under real constraints.
Each learner is guided through detailed labs, video walkthroughs, and scenario-driven exercises that mimic true engagement flows, from discovery and exploitation to documentation and communication. This is not a single-shot lab challenge; it’s a blueprint for how to operate in a professional red team environment.
Delivering Real Value for Organizations
For employers, the ELPT represents a new source of entry-level talent that doesn’t need months of additional training before adding value. Graduates are prepared not just to find weaknesses but to articulate them clearly and guide remediation efforts, a critical skill often missing at the junior level.
By removing financial barriers, White Knight Labs also expands the global pool of candidates. Their affordable pricing, flexible access model, and commitment to practical skill-building help organizations tap into motivated learners worldwide, not just those with access to costly legacy certifications.
A Sustainable Pipeline for the Future
Spanning hardware, embedded systems, cloud services, and sophisticated detection defenses, as offensive security grows more complex the industry needs professionals who can keep pace and adapt. The ELPT aims to be more than a training course; it’s a pipeline for developing capable practitioners who bring depth, discipline, and communication to every engagement.
For businesses ready to invest in meaningful security outcomes, White Knight Labs delivers a solution that aligns talent development with real-world needs, bridging the gap between ambition and opportunity for the next generation of red teamers.
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Guests:
John Stigerwalt | Founder at White Knight Labs | Red Team Operations Leader | https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-stigerwalt-90a9b4110/
Greg Hatcher | Founder at White Knight Labs | SOF veteran | Red Team | https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregoryhatcher2/
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Keywords: penetration testing, red team, ransomware simulation, offensive security, EDR bypass, cybersecurity training, White Knight Labs, advanced persistent threat, cybersecurity startup, DEF CON training, security partnerships, cybersecurity services
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Resources
Visit the White Knight Labs Website to learn more: https://itspm.ag/white-knight-labs-vukr
Learn more and catch more stories from White Knight Labs on ITSPmagazine: https://www.itspmagazine.com/directory/white-knight-labs
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