The Complete Cyber Security Course : Hackers Exposed! (Udemy.com)
Volume 1 : Become a Cyber Security Specialist, Learn How to Stop Hackers, Prevent Hacking, Learn IT Security & INFOSEC
Created by: Nathan House
Last updated March 2024
Our take
Based on the ratings of 58,672 students, a sample of their written reviews and the syllabus, as the course stood in March 2024. No course pays to be reviewed.
Nathan House's course is volume 1 of a four-part series on security, privacy and anonymity, and it is pitched at individuals protecting their own digital life rather than IT staff. It runs 12.1 hours across 124 lectures in 13 sections. The syllabus moves from threat modeling and the current threat landscape to an encryption crash course, operating system hardening on Windows, macOS and Linux, social engineering, and a long section on isolation with virtual machines, Whonix and Qubes OS. Despite the big title, this is a foundation volume.
Reviewers mostly like the teaching. They call it clear, well structured and easy to absorb, and two people new to cybersecurity say the explanations worked for them. One working security professional liked seeing how easily some vulnerabilities get exploited. The complaints are consistent too. Delivery is dry, there are no quizzes or exercises, so it is nearly all watching, and some resource links point to dead sites. One reviewer says topics get a surface treatment and complex tools show up with little explanation.
The last update was March 2024, and one reviewer notes that Windows 11 is not covered, so treat the tool recommendations as a starting list and check for newer options. Even so, the sample is warm: 4.5 stars across 58,672 reviews, with under 3 percent at one or two stars. For a single paid course on personal security it is a solid, slightly dated place to start. Take it for the concepts and the isolation section, not for practice exercises.
Pros
- Reviewers call the explanations clear and easy to absorb, even for people new to security
- Wide sweep of topics: threats, encryption, OS hardening, social engineering and isolation
- Long section on sandboxes, virtual machines, Whonix and Qubes OS
- One reviewer calls the instructor clearly an expert, with 25-plus years in the field
Cons
- Almost all lecture: no quizzes or practice exercises to learn by doing
- Last updated March 2024, with a Windows 10 focus and some dead resource links
- Delivery is dry, and some tools appear with little explanation
It's very in depth and informative, the break down is very nice and easy to absorb and digest the various bits of information taught in the lecture.
Suits beginner to intermediate home users who can install software; it is not a professional-level technical course.
Featured in our guide: The 10 Best Cyber Security and Ethical Hacking Courses on Udemy in 2026
What you will learn
- An advanced practical skillset in defeating all online threats - advanced hackers, trackers, malware and all Internet nastiness & govenment mass surveillance.
- Start a career in cyber security. Become a cyber security specialist.
- The very latest up-to-date information and methods.
- We cover operating system security, privacy, and patching - On Windows, MacOS and Linux.
- Explore the threat landscape - Darknets, dark markets, zero day vulnerabilities, exploit kits, malware, phishing and much more.
- You will master encryption in an easy to follow crash course.
- Go in-depth into security through physical and virtual isolation and compartmentalization. Covering sandboxes, isolation, virtual machines, Whonix and Qubes OS.
- You will learn about nation state secret tracking and hacking infrastructure.
- A certificate of completion is available signed by the instructor Nathan House so CPE credits can be claimed.
Course content
13 sections · 124 lectures · 12 hours of video 1 article
- 1Introduction 7 free previews7 lectures · 28 min
- 2know Yourself - The Threat and Vulnerability Landscape11 lectures · 43 min
- 3Know Your Enemy - The Current Threat and Vulnerability Landscape 1 free preview18 lectures · 1.9 hours
- 4Encryption Crash Course 1 free preview13 lectures · 1.6 hours
- 5Setting up a Testing Environment Using Virtual Machines (Lab)5 lectures · 38 min
- 6Operating System Security & Privacy (Windows vs Mac OS X vs Linux)20 lectures · 1.6 hours
- 7Security Bugs and Vulnerabilities13 lectures · 47 min
- 8Reducing Threat Privilege4 lectures · 14 min
- 9Social Engineering and Social Media Offence and Defence6 lectures · 41 min
- 10Security Domains2 lectures · 10 min
- 11Security Through Isolation and Compartmentalization18 lectures · 2.4 hours
- 12Wrap Up6 lectures · 54 min
- 13BONUS Section1 lecture
Who it is for
The instructor says it suits
- This course is for anyone who wants to become an expert in security, privacy, and anonymity. This volume covers the required foundation building blocks of that skillset.
- For anyone who would love to gain a practical skillset in mitigating the risk from, malware, Trojans, hackers, tracker, cyber criminals and all online threats.
- This course is for anyone who wants to keep their precious files, emails, accounts and personal information out of the hands of the bad guys.
- For beginners and intermediate Internet users who are interested in security, safety, and privacy.
- For those who want privacy and anonymity online from hackers, corporations and governments.
- This course is designed for personal and home Internet security, privacy, and anonymity. Most of the topics apply in the same way to a business, but the course is delivered as if to an individual for personal Internet security, privacy and anonymity.
What you need before you start
- A basic understanding of using operating systems, networks, and the Internet. Be able to download and install software. A willingness to learn.
- Please note this is Volume 1 of 4 of the complete course. After the completion of all 4 volumes, you will know more than 80% of security professionals, government and law enforcement agents and even expert hackers about maintaining security, privacy, and anonymity.
How it compares
Against the other 1,182 rated Udemy courses in IT & Software on CourseDuck:
- Rating4.5 out of 5higher than 45% of them
- Reviews58,672#1 of 1,183 by number of reviews
- Length12.1 hourslonger than 77% of them
- Last updatedMarch 2024earlier than 65% of them
Course Description
Learn a practical skill-set in defeating all online threats, including - advanced hackers, trackers, malware, zero days, exploit kits, cybercriminals and more.
Become a Cyber Security Specialist - Go from a beginner to advanced in this easy to follow expert course.
Covering all major platforms - Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, MacOS and Linux.
This course covers the fundamental building blocks of your required skill set - You will understand the threat and vulnerability landscape through threat modeling and risk assessments.
We explore the Darknet and mindset of the cyber criminal. Covering malware, exploit kits, phishing, zero-day vulnerabilities and much more.
You will learn about the global tracking and hacking infrastructures that nation states run. Covering the NSA, FBI, CIA, GCHQ, China’s MSS and other intelligence agencies capabilities.
You will understand the foundations of operating system security and privacy functionality. A close look at the new Windows 10 privacy issues and how to best mitigate them.
There is a complete easy to follow crash course on encryption, how encryption can be bypassed and what you can do to mitigate the risks.
Master defenses against phishing, SMShing, vishing, identity theft, scam, cons and other social engineering threats.
Finally we cover the extremely important, but underused security control of isolation and compartmentalization. Covering sandboxes, application isolation, virtual machines, Whonix and Qubes OS.
This is volume 1 of 4 of your complete guide to cyber security privacy and anonymity.
Instructor Details
- 4.5 Rating
58,672 Reviews
Nathan House
Winner of the AI "Cyber Security Educator of the Year 2020" award.
Shortlisted for "Cyber Security Influence of the year 2021"
Nathan has over 25 years of experience in cyber security, where he has advised some of largest companies in the world, assuring security on multi-million and multi-billion pound projects. He is the CEO of Station X, a cyber security career development platform and consultancy. More recently he acted as the lead security consultant on a number of the UK's mobile banking and payment solutions helping secure to date over £71Bn in transactions.
My clients have included; BP, ExxonMobil, Shell, Vodafone, VISA, T-mobile, GSK, COOP Banking Group, Royal Bank of Scotland, Natwest, Yorkshire bank, BG Group, BT, London 2012.
Over the years he have spoken at a number of security conferences, developed free security tools, and discovered serious security vulnerabilities in leading applications.
Qualifications and education
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Reviews
By Azad Sadr on 8/27/2026
A very in-depth explanation with a lot of examples on what may be more beneficial depending on each users needs and their situation. While I do think the course may need an update on a few subjects (such as most computers now transitioned to Windows 11 instead of 10), the core material that is taught is still very relevant and insightful. As for the options provided, since a lot has changed in the past few years, so anyone who is serious about learning this subject should still do their research for the most up-to-date tools available, but this volume gives a very strong fondation. Many thanks and on to volume 2!
By Brian Bauer on 8/18/2026
As a cybersecurity professional, it is good to see the ease with which some vulnerabilities can be exploited. It provides areas of study or emphasis to try to convey to leadership on the importance of cybersecurity activities or products. As a federal employee and former military member, I have some concerns about the information presented in Section 3, Modules 31 and 32. Post-2012 public information releases does NOT preclude the instructor (or the platform hosting the content) from doing due diligence on further exposing potentially confidential or even classified material. Would advise that the instructor relook the material being presented and the intended audience.
By Deepak M on 6/10/2026
I had learnt various aspects of the cyber security role in different environments and backgrounds and I also learned how the person is scamed using their own details against them.
By Ottena Rowe on 5/30/2026
The instructor explains complex concepts in a way that is easy to understand and follow. I’ve found the course to be incredibly informative so far, and I’m excited to continue learning so I can start implementing these security practices in my own life.
By Dustin Fynn on 4/15/2026
It's very in depth and informative, the break down is very nice and easy to absorb and digest the various bits of information taught in the lecture.
By Anonymized User on 3/30/2026
The course was super informative, and even many years after is publishing is still pretty relevant. I would like to see updates to at least remove Resources per chapter for links to websites that are no longer in service. One thing I would really enjoy to see added are practice exercises to give people the opportunity to learn by doing. Almost every video in this course is lecture, without any exercises, leaving the students to fend for themselves on individual practice and deeper exploration of topics.
By Rick Brouwer on 2/25/2026
Really interesting to learn the basics and more on cyber security, I am a beginner on this subject but could still follow it for the most part!!
By Jim L on 2/10/2026
Great course, and it covers a huge range of topics. Much of the course is very dated though, covering things like Windows 7 & 8, which doesn't have much application anymore. But it's still good to know some history.
By Zbigniew Mazurak on 2/3/2026
The course was very interesting, and the instructor clearly is an expert, but he quickly jumps off from one subject to another, or suddenly introduces complex testing tools that he has scarcely discussed (or not at all). Moreover, he clearly hasn't updated this course in years.
By Kevin Emmanuel Bijja on 2/3/2026
This course provides a comprehensive and practical foundation for anyone looking to master the essentials of information security and network protection. Nathan House breaks down complex concepts like encryption and threat modeling into digestible, actionable lessons that are perfect for beginners.
By D J on 3 months ago
A very detailed introduction to the basics of Cyber Security with lots of additional references for further information to specific topics.
At the beginning almost too overwhelming for non-IT specialists until you decide/accept that you will not/do not have to implement all, but simply chose the things most important to you and then gradually work your way up the ladder to the next personal security level.
Looking forward to the up-coming volumes.
By Mohammad Tareq Khan on 6 months ago
Yes, i got some ideas about cyber security and so many IT terms which is awesome
Quality Score
No CourseDuck member has rated this course yet. Taken it? Give each part a thumbs up or down.
Overall Score : 90 / 100











