© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
As cyber threats continue to evolve in complexity and scale, the demand for skilled professionals in cybersecurity has surged globally. Ethical hacking—once a niche skill—is now a critical component of digital defense strategies across industries. In response to this growing need, several educational platforms and institutions are offering free online courses in ethical hacking, aimed at equipping learners with foundational knowledge and practical skills.
Top Free Semiconductor Courses
Whether you’re a curious beginner or an aspiring security analyst, these free resources offer a valuable gateway into the world of ethical hacking.
Free Data Science courses you can apply
The NPTEL Ethical Hacking course, offered by Prof Indranil Sengupta from IIT Kharagpur, is a comprehensive 12-week programme designed to introduce students to the fundamentals of cybersecurity and ethical hacking. Tailored for learners in Computer Science, IT, Electronics, and Electrical Engineering, the course begins with core topics like networking, IP protocols, and cryptography, and progresses to hands-on demonstrations of real-world attacks and defense mechanisms.
Participants explore tools such as NMAP, Nessus, Wireshark, Burp Suite, and Metasploit, gaining practical experience in vulnerability scanning, password cracking, social engineering, and web server exploitation.
While enrollment is free, students can opt for a certification exam for a nominal fee. With industry support from tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and TCS, this AICTE-approved FDP course is ideal for anyone looking to build a strong foundation in ethical hacking and cybersecurity practices.
Want to know more and enrol: onlinecourses.nptel.ac.in/noc22_cs13/preview
Cisco Networking Academy’s Ethical Hacker course is a free online programme designed to build foundational skills in offensive cybersecurity. Aimed at aspiring ethical hackers, this course introduces learners to the mindset and techniques used to identify vulnerabilities and protect systems from malicious attacks.
Participants explore key concepts such as penetration testing, reconnaissance, scanning, and exploitation, while gaining hands-on experience with industry-standard tools. The curriculum emphasises real-world scenarios, helping students understand how ethical hackers think and operate to strengthen digital defenses.
Whether you’re a student, IT professional, or cybersecurity enthusiast, this course offers a practical entry point into the world of ethical hacking. You can enroll for the course via this link–netacad.com/courses/ethical-hacker?courseLang=en-US.
The EC-Council Cybersecurity Essentials Professional Certificate, available on edX, is a beginner-friendly programme designed to build foundational skills in cybersecurity. Ideal for students, career switchers, and IT professionals, this course covers key concepts such as network security, ethical hacking, risk management, and incident response.
Learners gain practical knowledge through interactive modules and real-world scenarios, helping them understand how to identify threats, secure systems, and respond to cyber incidents effectively.
The programme is structured to be accessible even to those with no prior experience in cybersecurity, making it a strong starting point for anyone interested in the field. Upon completion, participants earn a professional certificate from EC-Council, but with a fee.
For enrolment head to: edx.org/certificates/professional-certificate/ec-council-cybersecurity-essentials?index=product&queryId=a6f9f4b8d9335705ae9c63d25d46c8d5&position=1
Ethical hacking is commonly included as a core module within broader cybersecurity courses, as it plays a vital role in understanding how to identify and mitigate security vulnerabilities. Most cybersecurity programmes introduce learners to the principles of ethical hacking—such as penetration testing, threat analysis, and system exploitation techniques—as part of their foundational curriculum.
While there are specialized courses that focus exclusively on ethical hacking, these are often designed for individuals who already possess basic cybersecurity knowledge and wish to deepen their expertise in this niche area.
For beginners or aspirants exploring the field, enrolling in a general cybersecurity course is a practical starting point. It provides a comprehensive overview of digital security concepts while also covering the essential elements of ethical hacking. This approach helps learners build a strong base before advancing to more focused ethical hacking certifications or training programmes.
