Complete Ethical Hacking and Cybersecurity Course (Udemy.com)
Learn Ethical Hacking and Cybersecurity in a practical way, become an expert in Ethical Hacking and Cybersecurity!
Created by: Santiago Hernández
Last updated February 2026
What you will learn
- Understand Ethical Hacking and Cybersecurity Fundamentals and Advanced Techniques
- Master industry-standard tools: Learn how to use Kali Linux and over 30 hacking tools like Metasploit, Nmap, and SQLmap.
- Set up a safe hacking lab: Install virtual machines and vulnerable systems to practice securely.
- Conduct network analysis: Capture and analyze network traffic using Wireshark and TCPdump.
- Identify vulnerabilities: Learn how to discover, classify, and assess weaknesses in systems and web applications.
- Exploit vulnerabilities: Understand how to use exploits to compromise systems and networks.
- Create and deploy advanced payloads: Design custom payloads to bypass security mechanisms.
- Perform Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attacks: Intercept and manipulate network traffic in real-time.
- Implement privilege escalation techniques: Gain full control over compromised systems.
How it compares
Against the other 523 rated Udemy courses in Hacking on CourseDuck:
- Rating4.4 out of 5higher than 33% of them
- Reviews491#278 of 524 by number of reviews
- Length20.5 hourslonger than 89% of them
- Last updatedFebruary 2026more recently than 64% of them
Course Description
Welcome to this course, where you will learn everything you need to know to become an expert in Ethical Hacking and Cybersecurity!
My name is Santiago Hernández, and I will be your instructor throughout this training program. If you'd like to learn more about me, I recommend checking out the "Course Introduction" video, which is publicly available on this page.
The first thing you should know about this course is that it is highly practical. 95% of the course hours involve real-world use cases demonstrating how to perform the most popular hacking techniques using Kali Linux and the most widely used tools today.
This course is designed for anyone interested in starting their journey in the world of Hacking and Cybersecurity, beginning from a very basic level and advancing as the course progresses to advanced levels. In these advanced levels, you'll learn techniques such as real-time network traffic manipulation and Machine Learning applications in Hacking.
By the end of this course, you will have all the knowledge needed to conduct a security audit or perform Ethical Hacking for an organization and uncover various security vulnerabilities. Additionally, if your interest lies in defensive Cybersecurity, this course will provide the essential insights to understand the most commonly used attack techniques today and design effective defenses against them.
Cybersecurity, and more specifically Ethical Hacking, is one of the most in-demand disciplines with excellent working conditions today. This course is designed so that anyone with enough interest can become a professional in this field. Enroll now and see for yourself.
Course Syllabus
1. Setting Up Your Ethical Hacking Lab with Kali Linux
Installing VMware and VirtualBox: Learn how to set up virtual environments to safely practice ethical hacking techniques without affecting your main system.
Installing Kali Linux: Master the installation and configuration of Kali Linux, the industry's leading penetration testing and ethical hacking operating system, and understand its key features and tools.
2. Introduction to Ethical Hacking, Cybersecurity, and Penetration Testing
Understanding Ethical Hacking Principles: Grasp the ethical and legal considerations in cybersecurity, including white-hat, grey-hat, and black-hat hacking.
Ethical Hacking and Penetration Testing Methodologies: Dive into professional frameworks like OSSTMM, PTES, ISSAF, and OWASP Testing Guide to structure your penetration tests effectively.
3. Passive Information Gathering
Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT): Utilize publicly available resources to gather information about your target without direct interaction, a crucial step in ethical hacking and penetration testing exercises.
Techniques and Tools:
Google Hacking and Dorking: Use advanced search operators to uncover sensitive data exposed online.
Shodan and Censys: Discover internet-connected devices and potential vulnerabilities.
Whois Lookup and Archive: Retrieve domain registration details and historical website data for cybersecurity analysis.
TheHarvester and Maltego: Collect emails, subdomains, and social network profiles.
Recon-ng Framework: Automate reconnaissance tasks for efficient information gathering in ethical hacking.
4. Semi-Passive Information Gathering
DNS Enumeration: Use tools like DNSDumpster and DNSRecon to map domain information, subdomains, and DNS records.
Metadata Extraction with FOCA: Analyze documents to uncover hidden data that could be exploited in penetration testing.
Network Traffic Analysis:
Wireshark: Capture and analyze network packets to understand communication protocols in cybersecurity.
TCPdump for Ethical Hacking: Use command-line packet analysis for quick inspections.
5. Active Information Gathering
Network Scanning Techniques:
Nmap and Amap: Identify live hosts, open ports, and services running on target machines.
Operating System Fingerprinting for Ethical Hacking: Determine the OS and service versions to identify potential vulnerabilities in penetration testing.
Metasploitable 3 Setup for Ethical Hacking: Create vulnerable virtual machines to practice exploitation techniques safely.
6. Vulnerability Analysis in Ethical Hacking
Understanding Vulnerability Standards in Cybersecurity:
CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures): Learn how vulnerabilities are cataloged for ethical hacking.
CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System): Assess the severity of vulnerabilities in cybersecurity.
CPE (Common Platform Enumeration): Identify platforms and software versions for penetration testing.
Exploit Research for Ethical Hacking:
Exploit-DB and Metasploit Modules: Find and analyze exploits relevant to discovered vulnerabilities.
Vulnerability Scanning:
Nessus and OpenVAS: Perform comprehensive vulnerability assessments to detect security weaknesses during ethical hacking exercises.
7. Exploiting Host Vulnerabilities
Metasploit Framework Mastery:
Exploitation Techniques: Use Metasploit modules to exploit vulnerabilities and gain system access during penetration testing.
Payloads and Encoders in Ethical Hacking: Generate custom payloads with Msfvenom to bypass security mechanisms.
Armitage GUI for Ethical Hacking: Utilize a graphical interface for Metasploit to streamline exploitation processes in penetration testing.
Instructor Details
- 4.4 Rating
491 Reviews
Santiago Hernández
Santiago Hernández es ingeniero informático por la Universidad de Salamanca, con un máster en seguridad de la información y de las comunicaciones por la Universidad Europea y especialización en Deep Learning e Inteligencia Artificial por la universidad de Standford. Su experiencia profesional abarca diferentes posiciones en el ámbito de la Ciberseguridad y de la Inteligencia Artificial en compañías como Endesa, Telefónica/11paths o BBVA. Además, es profesor universitario en la UEM, en la UCLM y UCAM en diferentes postgrados relacionados con la Inteligencia Artificial y la seguridad de la información y ponente habitual en conferencias especializadas. Entre las conferencias en las que ha participado como ponente se encuentran: BlackHat Europe, ToorCon San Diego, Navaja Negra, Noconname, Cybercamp, CCN-CERT…
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Reviews
By Marian Schindler on 3/6/2026
Das wichtigste zuerst: Seine Aussprache ist klar, deutlich und in einem sehr angenehmen Tempo. Das ist leider nicht selbstverständlich. Ich bin am Anfang des Kurses, aber bereits jetzt schon begeistert.
By Okemo Hodge on 10/21/2025
Nice course. I have learned a lot. My word, there are so many hacks, cracks, and attacks against the Windows Operating System. If you can get pass the AI voice-over, then you can get thru this course easily. The instructor is very knowledgeable and thorough. Now, I have learned to do what hackers do. Thanks, man.
By Thabo Tau on 9/15/2025
I'm loving this tutorial. This is my first ethical hacking tutorial and I have learned so much already i'm not even halfway through. thank you for such an awesome tutorial, and yes it is well delivered by the tutor. Keep up the wonderful work.
By Javier Alexander on 8/25/2025
Muy bueno y muy claro en todas sus explicaciones pero deberian de ir agregando notas de actualizacion por que hay muchas paguinas web que ya no aparecen como las suguiere el curso. ni repositorios versions. ya pase problemas con la prueba con Foca y con Metashield por ejemplo.
By Luke Chambers on 8/13/2025
The AI generated voice and avatar are too much for me to bear. It is incredibly difficult to listen to this stuff, regardless of how good the information contained in the course is... especially when the script contains filler words like "hey." I wish it wasn't so hard to listen to because it seems like there is some good content toward the middle/end, but it's just too much.
By Christian on 2/27/2025
good enough match course for me, had some difficulties but solved through Q&A section
By Enoma Ojo on 2/12/2025
I am loving the experience so far. Ethical Hacking has been an area of interest to me personally. I hope to get the best from this course.
By Matteo Balliana on 2/7/2025
Insegnante molto preparato e chiaro nelle spiegazioni. Il materiale è organizzato in maniera logico-sequenziale, cosa non sempre scontata
By Garcia Marcos Ratinho on 1/3/2025
Curso excelente! O conteúdo é bem estruturado, abordando desde conceitos básicos até técnicas avançadas de Ethical Hacking. As explicações são claras, com demonstrações práticas que facilitam o aprendizado. Recomendo para quem deseja aprofundar seus conhecimentos em segurança ofensiva!
By Andrew F. on 11/21/2024
A friend of mine recommended this instructor to me, and for the moment, no regrets. Santiago explains very well, for sure I'll take more courses from him, thanks a lot!
Quality Score
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Overall Score : 88 / 100






