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Best resources to learnEthical Hacking

Study sheet

Ethical hacking involves identifying and exploiting security vulnerabilities to improve system defense. You will understand penetration testing methodologies, reconnaissance, vulnerability scanning, and exploitation techniques, enabling you to secure networks and applications against malicious attacks.

Where to start

Start with TryHackMe Learning Paths, whose Pre-Security and Jr Penetration Tester paths take a complete novice from networking and Linux to exploitation; some rooms are free, but full paths need a subscription. If you only use one resource, make it Heath Adams' paid Practical Ethical Hacking course from TCM Security, covering testing methodology, Active Directory attacks and report writing. For web applications, continue with the free PortSwigger Web Security Academy.

17 resources · · How we curate

📹Videos(1)

video

NetworkChuck - Ethical Hacking Full Course

First half of TCM Security's free 2023 Practical Ethical Hacking course on YouTube, taught by Heath Adams: networking and Linux refreshers, Python basics, information gathering, scanning and enumeration, and exploitation of a first vulnerable machine. Part 2 continues into Active Directory.

beginner🇬🇧

📺YouTube(2)

youtube

The Cyber Mentors

Heath Adams's TCM Security channel teaches practical penetration testing: Linux and Python basics, network and web application hacking, Active Directory attacks, and privilege escalation. Free full-length courses let viewers build a lab and follow a realistic ethical-hacking methodology.

beginner🇬🇧
youtube

IppSec (YouTube)

Weekly full-length walkthroughs of retired Hack The Box machines showing a complete attack chain: enumeration, foothold, privilege escalation, and the reasoning behind each step. Several hundred videos, searchable by technique via the companion ippsec.rocks index.

intermediate🇬🇧

🎓Courses(5)

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course

Practical Ethical Hacking

Practitioner video course on network penetration testing, covering reconnaissance, scanning and enumeration, exploitation, Active Directory attacks, post-exploitation, web application basics and report writing using Kali Linux. Learners finish able to run a small internal pentest in a lab and document findings for a client.

intermediate🇬🇧
course

HackTheBox Academy

Hack The Box's structured, module-based learning platform, separate from its labs. Modules pair written theory with browser-based target machines and end in graded skills assessments; job-role paths lead to the CPTS and CBBH certifications. Fundamentals tier is free, most modules cost cubes.

intermediate🇬🇧
course

TryHackMe Learning Paths

Guided sequences of TryHackMe rooms, each combining short reading with browser-accessible target machines. The Pre-Security and Jr Penetration Tester paths take a complete novice through networking, Linux, web basics, enumeration and exploitation; some rooms are free, full paths require a subscription.

beginner🇬🇧
course

Practical Ethical Hacking

Heath Adams's 25-hour course, the paid and maintained version of his free YouTube series. Covers networking and Linux, Python scripting, external and internal penetration testing methodology, Active Directory attacks, web application testing, and report writing, with a lab you build yourself.

intermediate🇬🇧
course

pwn.college

Arizona State University's free hands-on security platform: lecture videos plus hundreds of in-browser challenges progressing from Linux basics and program interaction through reverse engineering, memory corruption, shellcoding, kernel security, and web exploitation.

intermediate🇬🇧

📚Books(2)

bookPaid

The Web Application Hacker's Handbook, 2nd Edition

Stuttard and Pinto's 900-page methodology for attacking web applications: mapping, bypassing client-side controls, authentication and session flaws, access control, injection, logic bugs, and a step-by-step testing checklist. Written by Burp Suite's creator.

intermediate🇬🇧
bookPaid

The Basics of Hacking and Penetration Testing

Short Syngress introduction to penetration testing, organized around a four-phase methodology: reconnaissance, scanning, exploitation, and maintaining access. Walks through Kali tools (Nmap, Nessus, Metasploit, Netcat) on a lab you build yourself. Second edition (2013) is dated on tool versions but a clear first book.

beginner🇬🇧

🌐Websites(7)

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website

VulnHub

Community-maintained catalogue of downloadable, intentionally vulnerable virtual machines you run locally in VirtualBox or VMware. Working through boxes teaches enumeration, exploitation, and privilege escalation end to end, and most have public walkthroughs to check your approach against.

intermediate🇬🇧
website

HackTricks

Community-maintained open-source pentesting knowledge base by Carlos Polop, organized by methodology: pentesting network services by port, web vulnerabilities, Linux and Windows privilege escalation, Active Directory, and cloud, with concrete commands and checklists.

intermediate🇬🇧
website

picoCTF (CyLab Security Academy)

Carnegie Mellon's free capture-the-flag platform, now branded CyLab Security Academy, with a year-round practice gym of beginner-friendly challenges in web exploitation, cryptography, forensics, reverse engineering, and binary exploitation, plus an annual competition.

beginner🇬🇧
website

PortSwigger Web Security Academy

Free interactive web-hacking curriculum from the makers of Burp Suite, with written learning paths and over 250 deliberately vulnerable labs covering SQL injection, XSS, SSRF, authentication flaws, access control, and other web vulnerability classes.

intermediate🇬🇧
website

OWASP Foundation

Nonprofit foundation publishing open web application security standards and guides, including the OWASP Top Ten, the Application Security Verification Standard, the Web Security Testing Guide and the Cheat Sheet Series, used to identify, test for and prevent common web vulnerabilities.

intermediate🇬🇧
website

tryhackme.com

TryHackMe is an online cybersecurity training platform offering hands-on labs, guided learning paths, and real-world scenarios (rooms and challenges) to practice penetration testing, web security, and network defense in an interactive, gamified environment.

intermediate🇬🇧
website

overthewire.org

OverTheWire is a free, hands-on security training platform offering interactive wargames (like Bandit and Natas) that teach Linux, networking, and web security concepts through progressively challenging levels.

intermediate🇬🇧
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Frequently Asked Questions

Where should I start learning Ethical Hacking?

Start with TryHackMe Learning Paths, whose Pre-Security and Jr Penetration Tester paths take a complete novice from networking and Linux to exploitation; some rooms are free, but full paths need a subscription. If you only use one resource, make it Heath Adams' paid Practical Ethical Hacking course from TCM Security, covering testing methodology, Active Directory attacks and report writing. For web applications, continue with the free PortSwigger Web Security Academy.

What are the best free resources to learn Ethical Hacking?

Dantes has curated 17 resources for Ethical Hacking, including 1 videos, 2 YouTube videos, 2 books, 5 courses, 7 websites. All resources are hand-picked for quality — no algorithmic filler. Browse the full list above to find the format that works best for you.

Is Ethical Hacking hard to learn?

Ethical Hacking is approachable at the beginner level — there are resources here specifically for those starting from scratch. As you progress, intermediate and advanced material is also available to take your skills further.

What types of Ethical Hacking learning resources are available on Dantes?

For Ethical Hacking, Dantes has curated 1 videos, 2 YouTube videos, 2 books, 5 courses, 7 websites. Each resource type serves a different learning style: videos and YouTube for visual learners, books for depth, courses for structured progression, and websites for quick reference.

How does Dantes select Ethical Hacking resources?

Dantes is an algorithm-free learning directory. Resources are hand-curated based on quality, accuracy, and usefulness — not engagement metrics or paid placements. The goal is to surface the best learning material for Ethical Hacking, whether it's a free YouTube series, a classic textbook, or an open courseware from a top university.

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