Updated in May 2025.

This course now features Coursera Coach! A smarter way to learn with interactive, real-time conversations that help you test your knowledge, challenge assumptions, and deepen your understanding as you progress through the course. This course provides a comprehensive introduction to ethical hacking and network security. By completing this course, learners will acquire the foundational skills necessary to secure networks and systems, along with the hands-on experience to implement key cybersecurity techniques. With practical lessons on setting up hacking labs, using Kali Linux, and performing penetration testing, students will be well-equipped to identify and mitigate network vulnerabilities. The journey begins with setting up your ethical hacking environment, including installing and configuring Virtualbox and Kali Linux on both Windows and Mac devices. From there, learners will dive into Kali Linux fundamentals, ensuring they are comfortable navigating the system, managing files, and using essential tools for ethical hacking. The course progresses to more complex topics such as maintaining online anonymity, exploring the dark web, and network penetration testing, all while developing a strong foundation in practical, real-world security techniques. The course takes a deep dive into various areas of cybersecurity, such as network sniffing, wireless attacks, post-connection attacks, and system penetration testing. These are complemented by detailed instructions on using tools like nMap, Wireshark, Bettercap, and Metasploit. Ethical hacking practices are enhanced with key exercises on wireless encryption cracking, sniffing passwords, and executing ARP poisoning. By the end of the course, students will have hands-on experience that prepares them for real-world ethical hacking scenarios. This course is ideal for anyone interested in cybersecurity, penetration testing, or ethical hacking. Beginners in the field will benefit from the thorough breakdown of core concepts and practical skills. No prior knowledge of ethical hacking or network security is required, though familiarity with basic computer systems and networks is helpful. The course is beginner-friendly, with plenty of opportunities for hands-on learning.