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This is not a guide, it’s just the basics to help you get started.

Ethical hacking is a rapidly growing field, and there is a high demand for skilled professionals. Ethical hackers use their skills to identify and fix security vulnerabilities in computer systems and networks, helping to protect organizations from cyberattacks.

If you’re interested in becoming an ethical hacker, there are a number of resources available to help you achieve your goal. Here are a few tips:

Learn the basics of cybersecurity

Before you can start hacking, you need to have a good understanding of cybersecurity fundamentals. This includes topics such as networking, operating systems, and security vulnerabilities. There are a number of online courses and tutorials that can teach you the basics of cybersecurity.

Gain hands-on experience

The best way to learn ethical hacking is by doing. There are a number of ways to gain hands-on experience, such as:

  • Contributing to open source projects: There are a number of open source ethical hacking projects that you can contribute to. This is a great way to gain experience working with real-world security vulnerabilities.
  • Participating in bug bounty programs: Bug bounty programs are programs where companies offer rewards to people who find and report security vulnerabilities in their products and services. This is a great way to gain experience in ethical hacking and earn money at the same time.
  • Setting up your own home lab: You can set up your own home lab to practice your ethical hacking skills. This is a relatively inexpensive way to gain experience and learn new techniques.

Get certified

There are a number of different certifications that you can earn to demonstrate your skills as an ethical hacker. Some popular certifications include:

  • Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) from EC-Council
  • Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP) from Offensive Security
  • CompTIA PenTest+ from CompTIA

Network with other ethical hackers

There are a number of online and offline communities where ethical hackers can connect and share knowledge. Networking with other ethical hackers is a great way to learn new techniques and find job opportunities.

Resources to help you become an ethical hacker

Here are a few specific resources that can help you become an ethical hacker:

  • Online courses and tutorials
  • edX
  • Udemy
  • TryHackMe
  • PentesterLab
  • Hackers Arise (one of the best and from one of the best Hackers… Master OTW)

Books (just listing a few, hopefuly you know how to use google)

  • Linux Basics for Hackers by OTW
  • Getting Started Becoming a Master Hacker by OTW
  • Hacking: The Art of Exploitation by Jon Erickson
  • The Basics of Hacking and Penetration Testing by Patrick Engebretson
  • The Hacker Playbook 3 by Peter Kim
  • Penetration Testing: A Hands-On Introduction to Hacking by Georgia Weidman
  • The Web Application Hacker’s Handbook by Dafydd Stuttard and Marcus Pinto

Communities

  • HackTheBox
  • Vulnhub
  • HackerOne
  • Bugcrowd

Becoming an ethical hacker takes time and effort, but it can be a rewarding career. If you’re passionate about cybersecurity and want to help protect organizations from cyberattacks, I encourage you to consider becoming an ethical hacker.

-jT @majorjoker

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