Top 18 Best Ethical Hacking Courses & Certification [Complete Toolkit]
With the recent surge in major ransomware attacks, we need ethical hackers to help us fortify our networks and systems more than ever. So if you’re interested in working as an ethical hacker and testing out the cybersecurity of complex networks, you’ve come to the right place!
In this article, I have gathered the best online ethical hacking courses in 2024 that will not only introduce you to the field of ethical hacking, but also teach you the skills needed to become an ethical hacker like creating backdoors, launching attacks on databases, and much more.
These online courses will prepare you to appear in several renowned ethical hacking certification exams and qualify successfully on your first try. So let’s get started!
Top 18 Best Ethical Hacking Courses & Certification 2024 (Free + Paid)
1. Ethical Hacking: Introduction to Ethical Hacking (LinkedIn Learning)
First on my list is a beginner-level online ethical hacking course on LinkedIn that will give you an insightful introduction to the field of ethical hacking. Taken by more than 40,000 students, this online course will show you the roadmap you need to follow to become a good ethical hacker.
Your instructor for this online course will be Lisa Bock, an IT specialist who holds a master’s degree in computer information systems from the University of Maryland. Lisa is the author of Ethical Hacking: Penetration Testing.
In this 1 ½ hours long online ethical hacking course, Lisa will take you through the current world of cybersecurity, teaching you about modern-day threats and the damage they can cause, the top motives for attacks, ways to secure an organization, security policies, and much more.
By completing this online course, you will earn a certificate of completion along with 1 CompTIA Continuing Education Unit (CEU)!
- Beginner level
- 1 ½ hours long
- Taught by author of Ethical Hacking: Penetration Testing
- Certificate of completion
- 1 CompTIA CEU
2. Ethical Hacker (Udacity)
Next up is a nanodegree course from Udacity. You’ll master the skills necessary to become a successful Ethical Hacker. Learn how to find and exploit vulnerabilities and weaknesses in various systems, design and execute a penetration testing plan, and report on test findings using valid evidence.
This course is taught by two industry experts.
- Sagar Bansal is the Chairman at Sagar Bansal Group as well as a consultant, speaker, and author in the information security industry. He helps large enterprises, governments and intelligence agencies reduce the cost of security by creating reliable and proactive security workflows.
- Paul Oyelakin is the founder of PJ Professional IT Services. He has experience in security compliance, penetration testing, and architecting network security solutions for business and government. He has an MBA, MS in Cybersecurity, and is a Certified Ethical Hacker & Information System Security Professional.
Over the course of two months, you’ll learn to manage the vulnerability lifecycle, perform security audits of internal systems, produce meaningful reports and more. And while this is one of the more expensive courses we reviewed, you get tons of value. And they offer scholarships for many students.
In addition to top-notch curriculum and instructors, Udacity offers each student a technical mentor and access to a community of peers to ensure they succeed. They also offer specialized career services, including a GitHub review and LinkedIn profile optimization, aimed at helping you land the best gig with your new degree.
- Intermediate level
- 2 months long (5-10 hrs/week)
- Taught by practicing cybersecurity experts
- Awarded a nanodegree upon completion
- Prerequisites: Linux, Networking, Programming & Windows OS
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3. Ethical Hacking: An Introduction (FutureLearn)
If you’d like to explore the boundaries and basics of ethical hacking to decide whether this is a career you want to pursue, this beginner-level online course on FutureLearn is a perfect choice. Taken by over 8,500 people, it will take you on a guided tour of the field of ethical hacking.
In this online ethical hacking course, you will be instructed by Daniel Goldsmith, Christo Panchev, and Antal Goldschmidt – lecturers from the Coventry University (U.K.) and the Institute of Coding. The trio are experienced ethical hacking academics with a strong grasp on their field.
In this 6 hours long online course, you will go through the foundations and methods of ethical hacking by going over topics like the legal boundaries within which ethical hackers operate, and the processes of penetration testing. You will also work on your own practical exercise, and much more.
This is an ideal online ethical hacking course for people with a little computer science experience who are trying to decide whether to enter this field or not!
- Beginner level
- 6 hours long
- Taught by lecturers from Coventry University and Institute of Coding
- Has academic credit for online FutureLearn degree
4. Ethical Hacking: Mobile Devices and Platforms (LinkedIn Learning)
We transmit personal data (like banking details) regularly through our mobile devices, and so these need to be incredibly safe from hacking attacks. If you want to learn the best ways to protect and secure mobile platforms, this beginner-level online ethical hacking course on LinkedIn is for you.
In this online course, you will be taught by Malcolm Shore, a cybersecurity expert who has a Ph.D. in information security. Malcolm has worked as the chief security officer for Huawei Australia and currently works as an adjunct professor at the Deakin University Cybersecurity Research Institute.
Through 2 hours of video instruction, you will learn all about securing mobile platforms like Android and iOS against cyber-attacks by going through topics like statistical and dynamic analyses of Android and iOS, basics of mobile OS models, tools and techniques for testing, and much more.
Taking this online course will give you solid preparation if you’re looking to appear for the Certified Ethical Hacker certification from the EC Council!
- Beginner level
- 2 hours long
- Taught by Ph.D.-level cybersecurity expert
- Certificate of completion
5. Learn Ethical Hacking From Scratch (Udemy)
If you’re a complete beginner interested in quickly acquiring the skills needed to become an ethical hacker, then this beginner-level online ethical hacking course on Udemy is the best choice for you. Taken by close to 400,000 students, this bestselling online course has a rating of 4.5 stars.
As for your instructor, Zaid Sabih, an experienced ethical hacker, will be teaching you in this online course. Zaid is the founder of Security, his e-learning platform where he publishes educational content related to ethical hacking. He has taught more than 500,000 students on Udemy.
In this 14 ½ hours long online ethical hacking course, you will get a crash course on ethical hacking and will go through topics like client-side and server-side social engineering, injecting Javascript onto webpages, discovering open ports, use Linux basics, redirect DNS attacks, and much more.
The course creators provide 24/7 support to all students, so if you have a question, all you need to do is post it in the Q&A section and get a response within 15 hours!
- Beginner level
- 14 ½ hours long
- Taught by experienced ethical hacker
- Certificate of completion
- Full lifetime access
6. Introduction to Cybersecurity Tools & Cyber Attacks (Coursera)
For those of you who are fascinated by the world of cybersecurity and want to further expand their knowledge, this online ethical hacking course on Coursera is the perfect choice. Taken by over 100,000 students, this beginner-level online course will give you a holistic tour of ethical hacking.
You will be provided with instructors for this online course by the IBM Security Learning Services team, which is made from the pool of IBM Global Subject Matter Experts. The team has published 8 courses on Coursera, teaching more than 130,000 students.
Through 20 hours of video lessons and case studies, you will understand how the field of cybersecurity has evolved to its modern state, what kinds of malicious software and viruses exist today, the key tools like firewalls and anti-viruses used to safeguard networks, and much more.
At the end of this online ethical hacking course, you’ll receive a certificate of completion which you can share with your network to let them know about your newly acquired skills!
- Beginner level
- 20 hours long
- Taught by IBM subject matter experts
- Certificate of completion
- Financial aid available
7. Hacking in Practice: Intensive Ethical Hacking MEGA Course (Udemy)
Next on my list is an intermediate-level online ethical hacking course on Udemy that will get you ready to become a Certified IT Security Specialist (CISS) and turbocharge your career. This 4.4 star-rated online course has been taken by more than 32,000 people on Udemy.
The IT Security Academy (ISA) and the Hacking School will be providing you with instructors for this online ethical hacking course. Expert and certified ethical hackers who are a part of ISA develop these online courses that have been taken by more than 150,000 students.
Once you’re done with the 21 hours of on-demand video lessons in this online course, you will have all the basic ethical hacking skills needed to fight malware, navigate the world of windows security, manage Wi-Fi threats, prevent identity spoofing, protect authentication processes, and much more.
Don’t worry if you find yourself unsatisfied with your learning from this online course – you can get your money back through Udemy’s 30-day money-back guarantee!
- Intermediate level
- 21 hours long
- Taught by instructors from IT Security Academy and Hacking School
- Certificate of completion
- Full lifetime access
8. Penetration Testing and Ethical Hacking (Cybrary)
Penetration testing is one of the foundations of ethical hacking which helps users identify the leaks and loopholes in their design. So if you’re interested in becoming a pen-tester and helping owners secure their networks, take this intermediate-level online ethical hacking course on Cybrary.
Ken Underhill, a cybersecurity professional, will be teaching you in this online course. Ken has served as an adjunct professor of digital forensics and holds the Certified Ethical Hacker and the Certified Hacking Forensic Investigator certifications offered by the EC Council.
In this 20 hours long online ethical hacking course, you will go through a broad range of ethical hacking topics including foot-printing, scanning, enumeration, system hacking, malware, sniffing, social engineering, session hijacking, SQL injection, mobile hacking, IoT, and much more.
By the end of this online course, you will have a certificate of completion, 23 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and enough knowledge to become a certified hacker.
- Intermediate level
- 20 hours long
- Taught by Certified Ethical Hacker
- Certificate of completion
- 23 CE Units
9. The Complete Ethical Hacking Course: Beginner to Advanced! (Udemy)
As the name suggests, this online ethical hacking course on Udemy will help you go from beginner to an advanced level in ethical hacking and launch your career as a professional or freelancer. Taken by over 270,000 students, this online course has a rating of 4.3 stars.
Your teacher for this online course will be Ermin Kreponic, an IT expert and Linux enthusiast who has a wide array of skills in network security and troubleshooting. Ermin has published 17 courses on Udemy, teaching more than 700,000 students from all around the world.
Through 24 ½ hours of intensive learning, you will get comfortable with ethical hacking by going over topics like penetration testing, making a virtual hacking environment, attacking networks, breaking passwords, remaining anonymous, launching a freelancing career, and much more.
Don’t worry if you find yourself forgetting important concepts – you can always come back to the contents of this online course through Udemy’s full lifetime access guarantee!
- Beginner-to-advanced level
- 24 ½ hours long
- Taught by IT expert with 17 Udemy courses
- Certificate of completion
- Full lifetime access
10. The Complete Ethical Hacking Course Bundle (StationX)
If you’re looking for a one-stop-shop of ethical hacking knowledge to get your career started, this beginner-to-advanced level online course bundle on StationX is the right choice for you. After taking these online courses, you’ll be equipped with all the fundamental tools in this field.
In this online course, you will be instructed by Zaid Al Quraishi, an ethical hacker and computer scientist who is passionate about his field and creates educational content regarding it. Zaid has been making tutorials since 2009 and has taught hundreds of thousands of students.
By taking the 5 online courses in this bundle, you will learn about the core ethical hacking practices including website hacking and penetration testing, hacking mobile platforms like Android and iOS, breaking into Wi-Fi and wired networks, social engineering, and much more.
The best part about this online course bundle is that you can learn at your own pace, enjoy full lifetime access, and get a full refund within 30 days if you are not satisfied!
- Beginner-to-advanced
- Bundle of 5 online courses
- Taught by experienced ethical hacking instructor
- Full lifetime access
- Self-paced learning
11. Ethical Hacking: Understanding Ethical Hacking (Pluralsight)
For those of you looking for a non-technical overview of ethical hacking that will help you understand network security, this beginner-level online ethical hacking course on Pluralsight is an excellent choice. Taken by over 1200 students, it has an average rating of 4.5 stars.
As for your instructor, Dale Meredith will be teaching you in this online course. Dale is a Certified Ethical Hacker who works as an instructor for the EC Council. He has more than 15 years of professional experience with ethical hacking.
In this 7 ½ hours long online course, Dale will teach you how to look at networks through the perspective of hackers, learn their motives, understand the stages and types of attacks, learn about network security policies and tools used by ethical hackers, and much more.
You can get started with Pluralsight’s free 10-day trial and complete this online course, along with countless others of your choice, for free!
- Beginner level
- 7 ½ hours long
- Taught by Certified Ethical Hacker
- Certificate of completion
- Free 10-day trial
12. Ethical Hacking: Wireless Networks (LinkedIn Learning)
Wireless networks can be life-saving but they are also quite vulnerable to attacks by hackers who can steal important information through them. So take this beginner-level online ethical hacking course on LinkedIn if you want to learn how to secure your wireless networks from cyber-attacks.
Malcolm Shore, a Ph.D.-level cybersecurity expert, will be teaching you in this online course. Malcolm is the chief security architect at David Lynas Consulting and adjunct professor at the Deakin University Cybersecurity Research Institute.
Through this short 1 ¾ hours long online course, you will learn the basics of implementing security measures for wireless networks, the security architecture of networks, how passwords are stolen, how to close all loopholes, select the right antennae for testing, and much more.
If you’re a new or premium user on LinkedIn, you can take this online ethical hacking course for free, and earn a certificate of completion at the end!
- Beginner level
- 1 ¾ hours long
- Taught by Ph.D.-level cybersecurity expert
- Certificate of completion
- Free access for new/premium LinkedIn users
13. Penetration Testing – Exploitation (edX)
Next on my list is an intermediate-level online ethical hacking course on edX that is #8 in a series of online courses that form a ‘MicroBachelors’ program in cybersecurity fundamentals. By taking this online course, you will become well-versed with the exploitation stage of ethical hacking.
Your instructor for this online course will be Aspen Olmsted, an adjunct professor at the New York University Tandon School of Engineering. He has a Ph.D. in computer science from the University of North Carolina and has served as the CEO of Alliance Software Corporation.
In this 5 weeks long online course (with 8-10 hours of weekly effort required), you will learn about exploitation techniques and strategies with topics like methods for penetration testing, uncovering key application flaws, exploiting SQL injection flaws, fuzz potential inputs, and much more.
You can gain access to the course contents for free of cost, with the option to pay a fee of $166 and get a verified certificate as well!
- Intermediate level
- 5 weeks long with 8-10 hours of weekly study
- Taught by adjunct professor from NYU Tandon School of Engineering
- Certificate of completion
- Free audit of course contents
14. Hacking and Patching (Coursera)
Third in a series of 4 online ethical hacking courses is this intermediate-level online course on Coursera that will take you through the depths of hacking and patching, teaching you best practices. Developed by the University of Colorado, over 39,000 students have taken this online course.
As for your teacher, Edward Chow will be instructing you in this online course. Edward is a professor of computer science who got his Ph.D. (in computer science) from the University of Texas at Austin.
Through 14 hours of video lessons and exercises, you will go through a comprehensive list of topics like various types of injection attacks and their defense, how to exploit SQL vulnerabilities to hack and patch web apps, penetration testing, memory attacks and defenses, and much more.
Coursera offers flexible deadlines for this online ethical hacking course, which means that you don’t need to fret too much about missing deadlines!
- Intermediate level
- 14 hours long
- Taught by computer science Ph.D.
- Certificate of completion
- Financial aid available
15. Ethical Hacking: Cryptography (Pluralsight)
Have you ever wondered how all the sensitive information you transfer through the web is kept safe? If so, you should get enrolled in this beginner-level online ethical hacking course on Pluralsight that will give you a good overview of the field of cryptography.
Dale Meredith, a Certified Ethical Hacker with over 15 years of professional experience, will be teaching you in this online course. Dale is a Microsoft Certified Trainer who has served in senior IT management positions for more than 7 years.
Through 2 ½ hours of video lessons, Dale will give you a solid overview of cryptography. He will teach you topics like the various encryption algorithms used, tools and applications used to deploy encryptions, kind of attacks initiated by hackers, how to defend against them, and much more.
By the end of this online ethical hacking course, you will come to appreciate the intricate software and measures that make sure your data remains secure!
- Beginner level
- 2 ½ hours long
- Taught by Certified Ethical Hacker
- Certificate of completion
- Free 10-day trial of Pluralsight
16. Ethical Hacking: Hacking Web Servers and Web Applications (LinkedIn Learning)
Next on my list is an intermediate-level online ethical hacking course on LinkedIn that will give you the practical knowledge needed to secure web pages and prevent them from being hacked. Taken by close to 8,000 students, this online course includes a project that will test your skills.
Your instructor for this online course will be Malcolm Shore, a cybersecurity expert who has a Ph.D. in information security. Malcolm has served as the chief security officer for Huawei Australia and is an adjunct professor at the Deakin University Cybersecurity Research Institute.
In this 1 ½ hours long online ethical hacking course, you will gain the practical skills needed to protect web pages and applications from cyber-attacks. You will go through topics like the Open Web Application Security Project, popular testing tools like Burp Suite, and much more.
Completing this online course will get you a certificate of completion as well as one step closer to clinching the Certified Ethical Hacker certification!
- Intermediate level
- 1 ½ hours long
- Taught by Ph.D.-level cybersecurity expert
- Certificate of completion
- Free access for new/premium LinkedIn users
17. Ethical Hacking: System Hacking (Pluralsight)
The final step of ethical hacking is to actually go ahead and hack the system in all ways that you prepared for and expose all the system’s weaknesses. So if you want to learn what goes into system hacking, you should checkout this beginner level online ethical hacking course on Pluralsight.
In this online course, you will be taught by Dale Meredith, an instructor at the EC Council who is a Certified Ethical Hacker and has been teaching in this field for more than 15 years. Dale is also an expert at conveying difficult concepts in an easy-to-understand manner.
Through 4 hours of video instruction, Dale will take you through the steps involved in actually hacking a system including gaining access by getting behind passwords, changing privileges, running applications, hiding the tools you used, leaving no traces, and much more.
Once you’re done with this online ethical hacking course, you can use the certificate of completion you’ll get at the end of this online course to lure prospective employers!
- Beginner level
- 4 hours long
- Taught by EC Council instructor
- Certificate of completion
- Free 10-day trial of Pluralsight
18. Practical Ethical Hacking – The Complete Course (Udemy)
The final entry on my list is a comprehensive online ethical hacking course on Udemy that is ideal for those with some knowledge of IT who are looking to dive deep into this modern field. Taken by more than 163,000 students, this beginner-level online course has a rating of 4.7 stars.
Heath Adams, a senior penetration tester, will be teaching you in this online course. Heath is a Certified Ethical Hacker and the CEO of TCM Security. He has taught 4 courses on Udemy, reaching out to 165,000+ students from all around the world.
In this 24 ½ hours long online ethical hacking course, Heath will first introduce you to the field of ethical hacking and what the day in the life of one looks like. He will then teach you about topics like setting up the lab, scanning & enumeration, post-exploitation, wireless penetration, and much more.
With full lifetime access, you need not worry about forgetting anything down the line because you can always come back and review anything you want from this online course!
- Beginner level
- 24 ½ hours long
- Taught by senior penetration tester
- Certificate of completion
- Full lifetime access
