10 free courses for learning white-hat hacking

White or ethical hacking is one of the fastest-growing IT fields. These courses will teach you how to find vulnerabilities, protect systems, and help you build a career in cybersecurity.

Published 2 min read

Google Cybersecurity Certificate from Coursera
Basic training from Google. The course covers network threats, Linux fundamentals, administration, working with SIEM systems, and cyberattack models. Suitable for beginners, it includes assignments and an official certificate.

Cybrary
An online learning platform for beginners and professionals in cybersecurity. It offers free and paid courses, practical labs, tests, and career tracks in areas such as SOC analysis, vulnerability management, SIEM operations, and preparation for certifications like CompTIA Security+ and CEH.

Ethical Hacking Tutorials by Null Byte
An educational project by WonderHowTo featuring hundreds of video lessons: from network scanning to exploiting vulnerabilities and post-exploitation. Examples include using Metasploit, WPA/WPA2 attacks, SQLi, XSS — all demonstrated with real-world examples.

Introduction to Cyber Security by OpenLearn
A course from the Open University designed for a broad audience, including users without an IT background. It covers principles of online security, threats to individuals and organizations, methods to prevent attacks, passwords, phishing, and social engineering. Upon completion, you can receive a free certificate.

Practical Ethical Hacking
An online platform offering practical courses in white-hat hacking, preparation for CEH and CompTIA Security+ certifications, as well as free exam practice tests. Courses are available in both paid and free formats, and participants can join Zoom sessions, engage with a Discord community, and access additional materials.

Complete Beginner Path by TryHackMe
Gamified learning for beginners. Step-by-step coverage of topics such as network protocols, cryptography, command-line usage, scanning, and vulnerability discovery. Practice takes place in a simulated environment.

Hack The Box Academy by HTB Academy
Courses with realistic attack scenarios and simulated breaches. Suitable for various skill levels: from basics to topics on Active Directory, Web Hacking, privilege escalation, and vulnerability exploitation. An excellent foundation for aspiring penetration testers.

Cybersecurity Essentials by Cisco Networking Academy
An introductory course from Cisco. Focused on the fundamentals of network security, cryptography, and information system protection. A certificate is issued upon completion, recognized within the industry.

Hacker101 by HackerOne
A free course in video lesson format. Explains core web security principles through real-world cases. Includes mini CTF challenges and access to a CTF platform where you can hone your vulnerability discovery skills.

Web Security Academy by PortSwigger
A free course from the creators of Burp Suite. A platform with practical exercises for discovering vulnerabilities in web applications: XSS, SQL injections, SSRF, and more. Runs directly in the browser, making it an excellent tool for reinforcing knowledge.