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Free Ethical Hacking Course: Penetration Testing & Attacks
6,373 students
Free Ethical Hacking Course: Penetration Testing & Attacks
Start your ethical hacking journey with hands-on practice. Learn tools, techniques, and concepts in under 2 hours.
Created byLorenzocybersecurity.com Udemy, Lorenzo Levano
Last updated 6/2025
English
What you'll learn
- Understand the fundamentals of ethical hacking and its role in cybersecurity.
- Learn how real-world hackers think, plan, and execute cyberattacks.
- Master the stages of the Cyber Kill Chain used in penetration testing.
- Perform basic information gathering and reconnaissance techniques.
- Use tools like Nmap to scan and map networks for open ports and services.
- Launch your first vulnerability scan and understand the results.
- Create and manage reverse shells using Netcat for remote access.
- Explore how attackers exploit common vulnerabilities in web apps and systems.
- Use Metasploit to simulate real exploitation scenarios step by step.
- Understand how privilege escalation and persistence mechanisms work.
- Learn the basics of Kali Linux and how to use it as a hacking environment.
- Practice ethical hacking techniques in a safe and controlled setup.
- Identify weak points in networks using scanning and OSINT tools.
- Simulate phishing attacks using GoPhish and learn social engineering basics.
- Understand the legal and ethical boundaries of penetration testing.
- Gain the skills to build your own basic ethical hacking home lab.
- Get a clear roadmap for advancing in cybersecurity and red teaming.
- Build a solid foundation for more advanced ethical hacking and bug bounty courses.
Explore related topics
Course content
7 sections • 16 lectures • 1h 56m total length
Requirements
- No prior knowledge of ethical hacking, penetration testing, or cybersecurity is required—this course is built for complete beginners.
- You don’t need to be a hacker or IT expert—just an interest in learning cybersecurity and how ethical hackers work.
- No programming or scripting experience is needed to start your ethical hacking journey with this course.
- A basic familiarity with computers is helpful, but not mandatory—this ethical hacking course starts from scratch.
- You’ll need a computer that can run cybersecurity tools like Kali Linux, Nmap, and Metasploit (we guide you).
- You don’t need to know Linux—this course introduces Kali Linux step by step for aspiring ethical hackers.
- No virtual machine setup is required upfront—we explain how to use Kali Linux in a beginner-friendly way.
- A stable internet connection is necessary to access cybersecurity labs, download tools, and follow demonstrations.
- There is no requirement for hacking certifications (like CEH or OSCP)—this course is your first step toward them.
- You don’t need any previous penetration testing experience—this is a hands-on introduction to real-world techniques.
- No need for prior experience with vulnerability scanners, network analyzers, or exploit frameworks—we cover it all.
- You will be introduced to essential hacking tools like Nmap, Metasploit, and Netcat without any technical jargon.
- The course is accessible to anyone with a passion for learning ethical hacking, red teaming, or blue team defense.
- You don’t need a cybersecurity lab—our demonstrations show how to use hacking tools in safe, simulated setups.
- No advanced network knowledge required—we break down key penetration testing concepts for complete beginners.
- You can take this course without any paid software—it’s fully based on open-source tools used by ethical hackers.
- This course welcomes future bug bounty hunters, SOC analysts, red teamers, or security engineers starting out.
- You do not need to understand how cyber attacks work—we’ll cover everything from reconnaissance to exploitation.
- Just bring curiosity, a learning mindset, and interest in ethical hacking, penetration testing, or cybersecurity careers.
Description
Are you curious about ethical hacking? Want to explore the world of cybersecurity and penetration testing, but don’t know where to start?
This course is for you — and best of all, it's completely free.
Whether you're aiming to become an ethical hacker, penetration tester, SOC analyst, or just someone who wants to understand how hackers think, this course is the perfect starting point.
What will you learn in this course?
In less than 2 hours, you'll be introduced to the core concepts, techniques, and tools used by ethical hackers. Everything is hands-on, practical, and explained in plain English — no fluff, no filler.
You’ll understand:
What ethical hacking is (and isn’t)
The real-world Cyber Kill Chain
Basic reconnaissance, scanning, and exploitation
How tools like Nmap, Netcat, and Metasploit are used
How reverse shells work
What vulnerabilities are and how they’re exploited
How hackers move from information gathering to access
What to do after gaining access (privilege escalation, persistence)
Simple steps to protect yourself and your network
This is a practical, beginner-friendly introduction to penetration testing, ethical hacking, and cyber attack simulation — designed to get you started without overwhelming you.
Why take this course?
Most ethical hacking courses are either too long, too expensive, or too technical for beginners.
This course was built differently.
It’s short and focused (under 2 hours)
It’s 100% free
It’s packed with real demonstrations
It explains the why, not just the how
It’s meant to get you results fast
And once you finish, you’ll have a clear understanding of what ethical hacking involves, and whether this path is right for you.
Who is this course for?
This course is ideal for:
Absolute beginners who want to enter cybersecurity
Students exploring hacking and penetration testing
Developers or IT professionals curious about security
Career switchers aiming for cybersecurity roles
Tech enthusiasts who want hands-on hacking experience
Future SOC analysts or red teamers
Anyone preparing for deeper courses (CEH, OSCP, etc.)
No previous experience required — just curiosity and a willingness to learn.
What tools will you use?
You’ll get practical experience with:
Kali Linux
Nmap for scanning
Netcat for reverse shells
Metasploit for exploitation
OSINT
GoPhish for phishing simulations
Everything is explained clearly — even if you’ve never used these tools before.
What students say (when they will)
"Straight to the point. Easy to follow. A great start for beginners."
"Loved the hands-on approach — finally understood how a reverse shell works."
"Perfect intro to ethical hacking. Can’t wait for the advanced course."
What’s next after this course?
This course is just the beginning.
Once you complete it, you’ll be ready to:
Take more advanced courses on ethical hacking and red teaming
Understand what certifications like CEH, OSCP, or CompTIA Pentest+ involve
Start building your own home lab
Dive deeper into bug bounties or CTF challenges
And if you're interested in the blue team side, check out my course on SOC analyst roles — where we flip the perspective and learn how to defend against attackers like the ones we studied here.
A new advanced course is coming soon.
In just a few months, I’ll be releasing a much deeper, full-length course on ethical hacking — with real labs, attack chains, custom VMs, and simulated environments.
This current course is a perfect launchpad to prepare for it.
Who this course is for:
- This course is for anyone who wants to learn ethical hacking from scratch and start a cybersecurity journey with zero prior experience.
- Ideal for complete beginners curious about hacking, penetration testing, or cybersecurity fundamentals.
- Perfect for students exploring ethical hacking and preparing for CEH, OSCP, or Pentest+ certification tracks.
- Designed for IT professionals looking to shift into ethical hacking, red teaming, or offensive security roles.
- Great for developers who want to understand how hackers exploit applications and how to defend their code.
- Aimed at cybersecurity beginners seeking hands-on penetration testing and attack simulation experience.
- Suitable for future SOC analysts who want to understand attacker behavior and intrusion tactics from the red team perspective.
- Meant for self-taught learners who want a structured, beginner-friendly ethical hacking introduction.
- Perfect for anyone exploring bug bounty hunting and looking to build foundational hacking skills.
- Tailored for non-technical users who want to gain insight into real-world cyberattacks and hacking tools.
- Great for tech enthusiasts who want to set up a basic hacking lab and experiment with tools like Kali Linux and Nmap.
- Ideal for college or university students seeking supplemental training in ethical hacking and penetration testing.
- Excellent for those preparing for cybersecurity job interviews or internships in security-related roles.
- For IT help desk or support staff wanting to transition into more advanced cybersecurity positions.
- A valuable course for entrepreneurs and business owners who want to understand cyber risks and hacker techniques.
- For curious minds who want to demystify hacking and gain practical skills without needing prior technical training.
- A smart entry point for those considering a long-term career in red teaming, penetration testing, or offensive security.
- For individuals interested in learning how cyberattacks work in order to better defend against them.
- A beginner-friendly first step before enrolling in advanced ethical hacking or cybersecurity certifications.
- For anyone who wants a short, free, practical course on ethical hacking using real tools and real scenarios.