Identifying open ports, live hosts, and running services.
Offered by the EC-Council, the CEH introduces you to the commercial tools and hacking methodologies used by professionals. It is highly requested in corporate job descriptions. 3. Junior Penetration Tester (eJPT)
Learning how to gather information about a target (footprinting) using public tools and social engineering.
Here are some of the top ethical hacking courses for beginners:
Most hacking tools are built for Linux-based operating systems like Kali Linux. Your course should teach basic terminal navigation, file permissions, user management, and script execution. Reconnaissance and Footprinting ethical hacking course for beginners
| Week | Topics | Learning objectives | Labs / Tools | |------|--------|---------------------|--------------| | 1 | Introduction & ethics | what ethical hacking is, legal/ethical rules, responsible disclosure, scope and authorization. | Read code of ethics; case studies. | | 2 | Networking fundamentals | Learn TCP/IP, OSI model, IP addressing, ports, DNS, common protocols. | Wireshark capture and analysis. | | 3 | Linux & command line | Gain comfort with Linux, Bash, file permissions, processes, networking commands. | Kali/Parrot VM; basic shell tasks. | | 4 | Reconnaissance & scanning | Perform passive and active reconnaissance, footprinting, port/service scanning. | Nmap, Netcat, whois, OSINT techniques. | | 5 | Vulnerability assessment | Identify vulnerabilities, CVE basics, common misconfigurations. | OpenVAS, Nikto, Nessus (trial), manual checks. | | 6 | Web application basics | Understand HTTP, common web vulnerabilities (OWASP Top 10) and simple exploitation. | Burp Suite (Community), OWASP Juice Shop, sqlmap. | | 7 | Exploitation fundamentals | Learn basics of exploitation, payloads, simple buffer overflow concepts, post-exploitation safety. | Metasploit framework (learning mode), safe VMs. | | 8 | Wireless, social engineering & reporting | Explore Wi‑Fi security, phishing/social engineering concepts, and how to write professional reports. | Aircrack-ng basics (passive demos), phishing simulation (educational), report template.
Ethical hacking involves the authorized duplication of a malicious hacker's mindset and actions. Instead of stealing data or causing damage, ethical hackers evaluate the security of a target system, network, or application to find weaknesses. The Core Phases of Ethical Hacking
By taking an ethical hacking course for beginners, you can:
If your goal is an industry-recognized certification, EC-Council’s offers a comprehensive foundational framework. For those who want a rigorous, 100% practical challenge, OffSec's PEN-200 course (which prepares you for the OSCP certification) is considered the gold standard for landing a job, though it features a steep learning curve for absolute beginners. How to Maximize Your Learning Experience Identifying open ports, live hosts, and running services
Advising businesses on how to improve their basic security posture.
ls , cd , grep , chmod , netstat , sudo , nano
This is the "fun" part—learning how to gain unauthorized access to machines, escalate privileges, and maintain access to gather data. Top Free Resources to Start Your Journey
Understanding the seven layers of network communication. Your course should teach basic terminal navigation, file
Offered by the EC-Council, the CEH introduces you to the specific tools and techniques used by hackers. The exam tests your knowledge of scanning networks, system hacking, and cloud computing security.
: Collecting data about the target using open-source intelligence (OSINT).
: Cracking Wi-Fi passwords (WPA2/WPA3). System Hacking : Password cracking and malware analysis. Top Industry Certifications for Beginners