🛡️ Ultimate Free Resources To Learn Ethical Hacking Online

🧰 Your Free Ethical Hacking Toolkit: What’s Inside This Guide

• Top Free Platforms to Learn Ethical Hacking: Interactive, hands-on learning environments.
• Complete Free Curriculums & Roadmaps: Structured paths for focused progress.
• Free Tools for Practice: Essential software for your hacking lab.
• Other Highly Valuable Free Resources: YouTube channels, eBooks, and foundational knowledge.
• Practical Labs & Sandboxes: Safe environments to hone your skills.
• Tools You’ll Use as You Learn: Dive deeper into key software.
• Certifications to Target After Learning: Boost your career with recognized credentials.
• Daily Study Plan: A roadmap for consistent progress.
• Suggested Learning Flow for Beginners: A complete path from zero to hero.

🎓 Top Free Platforms to Learn Ethical Hacking

🔐 Hack The Box (HTB Academy)

• Website: academy.hackthebox.com
• Why it’s great: Gamified, interactive labs. Perfect for beginners with modules like Introduction to Cybersecurity and Linux Fundamentals.

💻 TryHackMe

• Website: tryhackme.com
• Why it’s great: Learn via structured, bite-sized rooms. Start with “Pre Security” and “Complete Beginner.”

🌐 PortSwigger Web Security Academy

• Website: portswigger.net/web-security
• Why it’s great: 100% free professional-grade labs on real-world vulnerabilities like XSS, SQLi, and CSRF.

🧠 OverTheWire Wargames

• Website: overthewire.org
• Why it’s great: Master Linux, networking, and exploit basics through hands-on, text-based challenges.

🏁 PicoCTF by Carnegie Mellon

• Website: picoctf.org
• Why it’s great: A free Capture The Flag (CTF) platform with challenges created by cybersecurity experts.

📚 Cybrary

• Website: cybrary.it
• Why it’s great: Hundreds of free cybersecurity and ethical hacking courses. Great starting point with “Intro to IT & Cybersecurity” and “CompTIA Security+.”

🕵️ Hacker101 by HackerOne

• Website: hacker101.com
• Why it’s great: Video tutorials and CTFs focused on bug bounty and real-world exploitation.

🗺️ Complete Free Curriculums & Roadmaps

✅ Practical Ethical Hacking Roadmap

• Resource: Red Teaming Toolkit on GitHub
• Why it's valuable: A curated study plan with tools, scripts, and labs.

✅ Awesome Hacking Resources

• Resource: Awesome Hacking on GitHub
• Why it's valuable: Community-sourced list of hundreds of categorized hacking tools and resources.

✅ PentesterLab (Free Badge Tracks)

• Website: pentesterlab.com
• Why it’s valuable: Learn web vulnerabilities hands-on. Look for free tracks like Intro and Essential.

🛠️ Free Tools for Practice

• Kali Linux: kali.org
• Burp Suite (Community Edition): portswigger.net/burp
• Wireshark: wireshark.org

📚 Other Highly Valuable Free Resources

🎥 YouTube Channels

• The Cyber Mentor – Real-world penetration testing tutorials.
• John Hammond – CTFs, malware analysis, and walkthroughs.
• NetworkChuck – Fun and technical cybersecurity content.

🧾 OWASP Top 10

• Resource: owasp.org/www-project-top-ten
• Why it's valuable: Learn the top 10 most critical web app vulnerabilities.

📘 Free eBooks & PDFs

• The Web Application Hacker’s Handbook – Available on GitHub.
• Metasploit Unleashed – Learn the Metasploit Framework in depth.

🧪 Practical Labs & Sandboxes (Free)

• VulnHub: vulnhub.com – Download vulnerable machines.
• PortSwigger Academy: portswigger.net/web-security – Hands-on web hacking.
• Google Gruyere: google-gruyere.appspot.com – Learn via insecure web apps.

🛠️ Tools You’ll Use as You Learn

• Kali Linux – Preloaded with tools like Nmap, Wireshark, and Burp Suite.
• Metasploit Framework – Exploit development and testing.
• Burp Suite (Community) – Web app vulnerability scanning.
• Wireshark – Analyze live or saved network traffic.

💡 All these tools are free and open-source (some have premium upgrades).

🎯 Certifications to Target After Learning

• CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker) – Broad overview of hacking domains.
• CompTIA Security+ – Core cybersecurity certification.
• OSCP (Offensive Security Certified Professional) – Hands-on, rigorous, and highly respected.

🧭 Suggested Learning Flow for Beginners

1. Understand the Basics
   Learn networking, Linux commands, and system architecture. Use HTB Academy and OverTheWire.

2. Study Web Vulnerabilities
   Explore XSS, CSRF, SQLi using PortSwigger and Hacker101.

3. Explore Real Attacks
   Try TryHackMe learning paths or PicoCTF.

4. Advance to Tools & Exploits
   Use Kali Linux tools in lab environments like VulnHub.

5. Contribute & Compete
   Join CTFs, GitHub, or bug bounty platforms like HackerOne.

🚀 Start Your Ethical Hacking Journey Today!

Ethical hacking is no longer a secretive domain—you can learn everything legally and for free. These handpicked resources will guide you from a complete beginner to a job-ready cybersecurity pro.

Stay consistent. Hack ethically. And grow your skills—one exploit at a time.

ENJOY & HAPPY LEARNING!
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