SEC617: Wireless Penetration Testing and Ethical Hacking

SEC617Offensive Operations

6 Days (Instructor-Led)
36 Hours (Self-Paced)

Course created by:

James Leyte-Vidal & Larry Pesce

SEC617: Wireless Penetration Testing and Ethical Hacking

Course created by:

James Leyte-Vidal & Larry Pesce

GIAC Assessing and Auditing Wireless Networks (GAWN)
Learn about certification
36 CPEs
Apply your credits to renew your certifications
In-Person, Virtual or Self-Paced
Attend a live, instructor-led class at a location near you or remotely, or train on your time over 4 months
20 Hands-On Lab(s)
Apply what you learn with hands-on exercises and labs

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Overview
Syllabus
FAQs
Schedule & Pricing

Learn to evaluate, assess, and exploit vulnerabilities across Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, RFID, and emerging wireless technologies, empowering practitioners to defend against sophisticated wireless attacks.

SEC617 will not only give you a basic understanding of wireless threats and vulnerabilities, but it can be as advanced as you want to make it with the questions that you ask.
Daniel MayernikIntegrity Applications Incorporated

Course Overview

Modern organizations often underestimate wireless security, leaving critical infrastructure vulnerable to sophisticated attacks. SEC617 addresses this critical gap by providing security professionals with comprehensive skills to identify, evaluate, and defend against wireless technology threats. From Wi-Fi networks to Bluetooth devices, RFID systems, and software-defined radio, this WiFi hacking course delivers hands-on training that expands your wireless security expertise across multiple technologies and protocols.

What You’ll Learn

Detect and neutralize rogue wireless access points
Penetrate low-power wireless device vulnerabilities
Exploit Bluetooth network authentication gaps
Execute advanced WPA2 Enterprise penetration tests
Develop custom wireless attack tools efficiently

Business Takeaways

Reduce wireless attack surface by identifying overlooked vulnerabilities across technologies
Strengthen security posture in critical environments like offices, factories, and data centers
Validate and certify devices to support secure procurement and deployment decisions
Enhance detection and response for rogue devices and wireless-based intrusions
Bridge IT, OT, and physical security through unified wireless threat assessments
Support compliance and governance with evidence-based wireless security practices
Equip teams with hands-on tools for real-world wireless penetration testing and defense

Meet Your Authors

Slide 1 of 2
James Leyte-Vidal
Principal Instructor
James Leyte-Vidal, GSE #209, has shaped offensive cybersecurity through decades of frontline innovation, authoring Ethical Password Cracking and leading Fortune 100 InfoSec teams to elevate global cyber defense.
Read more about James Leyte-Vidal
Slide 2 of 2
Larry Pesce
Senior Instructor
Larry has revolutionized embedded device security with decades of hands-on offensive research, co-authoring SANS's flagship wireless and IoT penetration testing courses, and pioneering SBOM exploitation techniques for supply chain defense strategies.
Read more about Larry Pesce

Course Syllabus

Explore the course syllabus below to view the full range of topics covered in SEC617: Wireless Penetration Testing and Ethical Hacking.

Section 1Wi-Fi Data Collection and Analysis

Explore wireless threat landscapes and fundamental analysis techniques. Learn to identify rogue devices, understand protocol weaknesses, and develop remote penetration testing skills using compromised Windows and macOS systems.

Topics covered

Wireless threat characterization
Wi-Fi protocol layer analysis
Packet capture techniques
Rogue access point detection
Radio frequency exposure mapping

Labs

802.11 Packet Analysis
Monitor Mode and Kismet
Identifying Rogue APs

Section 2Wi-Fi Attack and Exploitation Techniques

Develop advanced skills to exploit Wi-Fi vulnerabilities across consumer and enterprise networks. Focus on protocol-level deficiencies and practical attack methodologies.

Topics covered

Hotspot network exploitation
Client-side Wi-Fi attacks
WEP technology vulnerabilities
Denial of Service strategies
Wi-Fi protocol fuzzing techniques

Labs

Client Attacks
Wi-Fi DoS attacks
Wi-Fi Fuzzing
Attacking WEP Networks

Section 3Enterprise Wi-Fi Attacks

Dive deep into WPA2 and WPA3 network assessments, exploring authentication and security modes. Investigate nearest neighbor attacks and operation within constrained environments.

Topics covered

WPA2 network penetration
Enterprise authentication bypass
WPA3 security analysis
Nearest Neighbor attacks

Labs

Attacking WPA2 Pre-Shared Key Networks
Attacking WPA2 Enterprise Networks
Attacking WPA3 Networks
Command Line Wi-Fi Analysis with Tshark

Section 4Bluetooth and Software Defined Radio Attacks

Examine Bluetooth technologies across classic, enhanced data rate, and low energy protocols. Learn Software Defined Radio techniques for identifying and assessing proprietary wireless systems.

Topics covered

Bluetooth pairing vulnerabilities
BLE device service exploitation
Software-defined radio techniques
RF spectrum analysis
Wireless signal decoding

Labs

Attacking Bluetooth Classic
Attacking Bluetooth Low Energy
Practical Application of SDR

Section 5Privacy, RFID, Smart Cards, and NFC Hacking

Evaluate RFID technologies, privacy risks, and security vulnerabilities in contactless systems. Develop skills to analyze and exploit smart card and NFC technologies.

Topics covered

RFID system components
Tracking and privacy attacks
Low-frequency RFID exploitation
Smart card reconnaissance
NFC protocol analysis

Labs

Privacy: Spoofing and Detection of Apple AirTags
Low-Frequency RFID Tag Decoding and Analysis
High-Frequency RFID Tag Attack and Analysis

Section 6Capture the Flag Event

On the last day of class we will pull together all the concepts and technology we have covered during the week in a comprehensive Capture the Flag event. In this hands-on exercise, you will have the option to participate in multiple roles:, attacking recorded Wi-Fi networks, decoding proprietary wireless signals, exploiting smart card deficiencies, and more.

Things You Need To Know

Course Schedule & Pricing

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Location & instructor
Virtual (OnDemand)
Instructed by James Leyte-Vidal
Date & Time
OnDemand (Anytime)Self-Paced, 4 months access
Course price
$8,780 USD*Prices exclude applicable local taxes
Registration Options
Self-Paced
Location & instructor
Melbourne, VIC, AU & Virtual (live)
Instructed by Larry Pesce
Date & Time
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Course price
A$13,350 AUD*Prices exclude applicable local taxes
Registration Options
In-Person Virtual
Location & instructor
Las Vegas, NV, US & Virtual (live)
Instructed by Monta Elkins
Date & Time
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Course price
$8,780 USD*Prices exclude applicable local taxes
Registration Options
In-Person Virtual
Location & instructor
London, GB & Virtual (live)
Instructed by Monta Elkins
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Course price
£7,160 GBP*Prices exclude applicable taxes | EUR price available during checkout
Registration Options
In-Person Virtual
Location & instructor
Orlando, FL, US & Virtual (live)
Instructed by Larry Pesce
Date & Time
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Course price
$8,780 USD*Prices exclude applicable local taxes
Registration Options
In-Person Virtual
Location & instructor
Washington, DC, US & Virtual (live)
Date & Time
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Course price
$8,780 USD*Prices exclude applicable local taxes
Registration Options
In-Person Virtual

Showing 6 of 6

Learn Alongside Leading Cybersecurity Professionals From Around The World

Slide 1 of 3
The detailed cryptographic explanations in SEC617 made it easier to understand how various encryption algorithms work-which for me is a first!
Jonathan WilhoitFluor
Slide 2 of 3
SEC617 is great for someone looking for a top-to-bottom rundown of wireless attacks.
Garret PicchioniSalesforce
Slide 3 of 3
If you're thinking about wireless, take SEC617. If you're not, take SEC617.
Greg NotchNHL

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SEC617: Wireless Penetration Testing and Ethical Hacking