This practical cybersecurity course focuses on building a complete penetration testing lab using Kali Linux and Metasploitable 2 inside Oracle VM VirtualBox. The course begins by guiding you step-by-step through installing and configuring Kali Linux and Metasploitable 2 to create a safe environment for ethical hacking practice.

Once the lab is ready, you will explore real penetration testing scenarios such as exploiting web servers running on HTTP port 80, attacking SMTP services to discover usernames and passwords, testing VNC services on port 5900, and using Nmap scripts to analyze MySQL vulnerabilities. You will also understand the difference between bind shells and reverse shells, and how attackers establish remote access during exploitation.

All demonstrations are performed in a controlled lab environment strictly for educational and ethical purposes. The course emphasizes responsible security testing, legal awareness, and defensive understanding of vulnerabilities.

By the end of this course, you will confidently set up your own cybersecurity lab and understand how penetration testers identify, analyze, and exploit vulnerabilities in systems safely and legally.