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Have you been fascinated by hacking and cybersecurity? Does the thought of becoming an ethical hacker excite you? If so, you’re making a smart career move.
With over 700,000 cybersecurity jobs open in 2025 and a talent shortage of about 65%, ethical hacking skills are in extremely high demand. Major companies like Apple, Tesla, JP Morgan all hire ethical hackers to find weaknesses in their systems.
So how much can you potentially earn as an ethical hacker? Entry-level salaries start around $90,000 going up to $170,000 for senior roles as per CareerExplorer.
Now you might be wondering –
How do I get started in ethical hacking?
Which are the best certifications and courses to take?
This guide has got you covered.
I have analyzed dozens of ethical hacking courses and handpicked the 7 BEST options for 2024 based on content, credentials offered, reviews, and more.
Let’s get started!
Why Get Certified in Ethical Hacking?
Before jumping into the courses, let me clarify why you should invest time and effort into getting certified as an ethical hacker even if you’re just starting out.
Unlike college degrees that mainly test theoretical knowledge, ethical hacking courses take a hands-on practical approach in simulated environments. This allows you to experiment safely and gain REAL cybersecurity experience on latest tools and techniques.
Some key advantages of enrolling in a certification program are:
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Earn globally-recognized credentials: Certifications like CEH, CompTIA PenTest+ are trusted by IT security professionals worldwide.
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Differentiate your skills: Getting certified highlights specialized expertise beyond academics to stand out from competition. 89% of IT leaders prioritize certifications during hiring as per research by Global Knowledge.
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Level up faster: The focused learning helps you skill up and land better cybersecurity jobs much quicker vs self-learning.
In summary, investing in an ethical hacking certification will turbocharge your career and ROI making it well worth your time and money.
Moving forward, let me walk you through the crème de la crème of ethical hacking courses available online in 2025:
My Selection Methodology for the Best Ethical Hacking Courses
With so many options thrown at you, it can get confusing to find the RIGHT program.
To zero in on the absolute best, I have used the following criteria while researching courses:
Comprehensive Curriculum
The course covers all fundamentals of ethical hacking such as:
✅ Reconnaissance and footprinting
✅ Scanning networks and websites
✅ Attacks – system hacking, wireless security evaluation etc.
✅ Post exploitation tactics
Relevant Credentials Offered
It provides credentials or certifications relevant in the industry such as:
✅ CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker)
✅ CompTIA PenTest+
✅ CySA+ CEUs
Positive Reviews
The course has a high rating of at least 4+ stars demonstrating student satisfaction.
Interactive Learning
Uses labs, demos, simulations etc. for hands-on practice instead of just theory.
Affordability
Reasonably priced to offer good ROI compared to self-paced learning. Some quality free courses are also considered.
Using the above methodology, I have cherry-picked the 7 best ethical hacking courses provided by leading e-learning platforms like Udemy, Coursera, Cybrary and more.
Let’s examine each course and their key details:
1. Learn Ethical Hacking from Scratch (Udemy)
Udemy serves as the perfect launching pad to start your journey into cybersecurity and ethical hacking. With its vast catalog of affordable courses, you’re bound to find something matching your goals.
Learn Ethical Hacking from Scratch proves to be a top-notch choice with over 135+ lectures and 24 downloadable hacking tools to practice with. Created by top instructor Zaid Sabih and his company ZSecurity, the course trains over 85,000 professionals globally.
Key Details
- Rating: 4.6/5 (57,780+ reviews)
- Duration: 15.5 hours on-demand video
- Credential: Certificate of Completion
- Price: $34.99
I extremely recommend this Udemy bestseller for beginners looking to dive into ethical hacking from square one. The curriculum covers everything from Linux basics, footprinting tactics to wireless network hacking in an easy-to-follow format.
As you complete the training, you’ll gain perpetual access to all the materials. You can also showcase the credential on LinkedIn and resumes when applying for IT security roles.
Most Relevant For:
✅ Beginners new to cybersecurity
✅ Looking for affordable starting point
✅ Practice ethical hacking techniques
2. IBM Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certificate (Coursera)
Transition into cybersecurity by developing practical skills through IBM’s extremely popular certificate course offered for FREE on Coursera.
Designed by the tech giant’s security experts, the programming covers latest tools like Burp Suite, Wireshark, nmap used by ethical hackers daily. You will examine case studies around cloud threats, endpoint protection, SIEM etc. through interactive demonstrations.
The self-paced format with real-world projects allows you to gain hands-on practice in risk assessments, penetration testing and incident response.
Upon passing the final quiz, you achieve IBM’s industry-recognized Cybersecurity Analyst certificate adding credibility to your resume.
Key Details:
- Rating: 4.7/5 (1,700+ reviews)
- Duration: 60 hours Flexible
- Credential: Professional Certificate by IBM
- Price: Free
With no costs involved, this Coursera program offers an incredible deal to launch your cybersecurity career. Over 158,000 professionals worldwide have already enrolled making it one of the most popular options around.
Most Relevant For:
✅ Looking to switch careers into cybersecurity
✅ Need strong foundational knowledge
✅ Preparing for entry-level IT support roles
3. CEH v11 Certified Ethical Hacker Bundle (Udemy)
CEH is universally respected as the industry gold standard certification for ethical hackers endorsed by the Pentagon and NSA.
Udemy offers an A-to-Z training bundle handcrafted by veteran instructor David Mayer to pass the ANSI-accredited CEH exam in a single attempt.
Key Details:
- Rating: 4.4 /5 (5,640+ reviews)
- Duration: 23 hours on-demand video
- Credential: CEH exam voucher + practice tests
- Price: $84.99
The step-by-step CEH course gleans techniques straight from David’s experience as a penetration tester. You will study the 5 phases of ethical hacking via demos – from reconnaissance using tools like Maltego CE to gaining access through Metasploit payload exploits.
$500 worth of supplemental practice tests and CEH exam vouchers further sweeten the deal making this one of the top choices for certification aspirants in 2025.
Most Relevant For:
✅ Planning to achieve CEH certification
✅ Trying to break into penetration testing
✅ Preparing for cybersecurity job interviews
View CEH Training Bundle on Udemy
4. Penetration Testing Student Training (Hack Today)
While individual courses allow you to dip your feet in the water, enroll into this 4-MONTH bootcamp by Hack Today for an in-depth dive into cybersecurity and ethical hacking.
Key Details:
- Rating: 5/5 (91 reviews)
- Duration: 200 hours content access
- Credential: PenTest+ Exam Voucher
- Price: $3,999
Well-structured into 8 sections, this program is amongst the most comprehensive around teaching skills like network scanning, Linux administration, Metasploit, Burp Suite etc. through REAL pentesting exercises and not just theory.
The icing on the cake is Hack Today‘s cyber range hosting 100 unique labs that allow practicing attacks safely. You‘ll gain hands-on expertise by infiltrating subnets, exploiting Windows/Cisco vulnerabilities just like actual hackers!
Moreover, you have direct access to the senior instructor Jonathan Risto through live teaching and doubt resolution. Enroll today to develop expertise like an advanced RED team member.
Most Relevant For:
✅ Shifting careers into cybersecurity
✅ Serious about becoming pentester/ ethical hacker
✅ Comfortable with intense, bootcamp-style pace
Register for Training Bootcamp by Hack Today
5. Certified Ethical Hacking Essentials (A+V-Skills)
This concise 4-WEEK course packs a punch covering all cornerstones of network attacks, social engineering, malware etc. needed to kickstart an ethical hacking career.
Created by A+V-Skills cybersecurity experts, the Certified Ethical Hacking Essentials course is affordable priced at $199 allowing you to begin skilling up without burning a hole in your wallet.
Key Details:
- Rating: 4.9/5 (35+ reviews)
- Duration: 10 hours lectures
- Credential: Certificate of Completion + CEUs
- Price: $199
The self-paced online material breaks down complex hacking techniques into simplified modules helping newcomers. You learn vulnerabilities across networks, wireless systems, web apps and crack passwords via tutorials.
Upon meeting the completion criteria, you achieve the credential displaying mastery of core pentesting skills for entry-level cyber roles.
Most Relevant For:
✅ Beginners getting started with ethical hacking
✅ Looking for a quicker certified program
✅ Need an affordable, short time commitment
Enroll Now in 4-Week Ethical Hacking Course
6. Ethical Hacking Essentials (Udemy)
Expand your cybersecurity knowledge beyond traditional computing by learning to hack IoT and cloud infrastructure through this course.
Created by Edward Viaene, an experienced white hat hacker with credits in Forbes and Yahoo Finance, this training enhances skills to evaluate modern tech ecosystems.
Key Details:
- Rating: 4.4/5 (1,300+ reviews)
- Duration: 2 hours on-demand video
- Credential: Certificate of Completion
- Price: $12.99
The curriculum focuses on methodologies to detect IoT and cloud misconfigurations, malware infections and other key threats posing serious business risks when left unaddressed.
You will get to experiment via interactive online virtual hacking labs emulating real-world scenarios a penetration tester would encounter. The affordable fee makes this short course a steal deal for enhancing in-demand IoT and cloud pentesting skills.
Most Relevant For:
✅ Expanding skillset beyond traditional networks
✅ Testing IoT, smart devices and cloud for risks
✅ Learning the basics before longer programs
7. Network Penetration Testing for Ethical Hackers (Cybrary)
One of the core responsibilities of an ethical hacker is evaluating corporate network security. And you can become a pro at it through Cybrary’s free online course.
Seasoned instructor Mike Saunders will guide you through network penetration strategies, bypass firewalls, evade IDS using techniques like IP spoofing etc. without any complex jargon.
Key Details:
- Rating: 4.5/5 (515 reviews)
- Duration: 3 hours
- Credential: CPD and CEU credits
- Price: Free
The quick class is split across 3 modules that cover vulnerabilities you will likely encounter during professional network pentests. Sign up to access the materials completely for FREE.
As an added plus, you earn CPD credits after finishing the curriculum to showcase along with your certificate.
Most Relevant For:
✅ Understanding corporate network security risks
✅ Preparing for network administrator or ethical hacker roles
✅ Need a completely free course with credentials
Register on Cybrary for the Free Course
So there you have it – the absolute best ethical hacking courses with certifications to pursue in 2025 curated based on reputation, content quality, and value provided.
Invest your precious time and money into any of these programs depending on your career stage and learning preferences to future-proof your prospects in cybersecurity.
No more getting overwhelmed figuring out the perfect fit! 😌
Let me know in the comments if you have any other doubts.
Happy course hunting! 🏆