Real-World Ethical Hacking: Hands-on Cybersecurity from Udemy

Join more than 70,000 students learning coding and hacking from Dr. Bryson Payne, and 12,000+ students in his top-rated, hands-on Ethical Hacking + Cybersecurity course.

New and updated for VirtualBox 6.1 and Kali 2022 and later. Learn Ethical Hacking, one of the fastest-growing and highest-paying careers, with over 1 Million cybersecurity job openings available this year. Learn practical, useful cybersecurity step-by-step from Computer Science Professor Dr. Bryson Payne, a SANS|GIAC Certified Pen Tester (GPEN), Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) and Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), and author of the Amazon #1 New Release and Top 10 Best Seller, Teach Your Kids to Code (2015, No Starch Press) and his latest book, Go H*ck Yourself (2022, No Starch Press). Dr. Payne is also the Coordinator for Cyber Program and the founding Director of the Center for Cyber Operations Education at the University of North Georgia and directs the UNG National Cyber Warrior Academy summer program. He served as a member of the Coaching staff for the US Cyber Team in the first-ever International Cybersecurity Competition in Athens, Greece in 2022 and continues to serve as a Senior Tech Mentor for Reverse Engineering for the 2022-2023 team.

Update 2022: Just added a new lesson in Section 5 on Social Engineering/Phishing, and...Order Dr. Payne's new book, "Go H*ck Yourself" on Amazon or at No Starch Press now.

Give Yourself a Huge Advantage in a High-Tech World

Quickly master new hands-on skills in Linux, Windows and Android hacking and cybersecurity.
Set up your own safe, FREE virtual network and VM (virtual machine) lab for Ethical Hacking on your PC, Mac, and Linux.
Protect yourself from viruses, phishing, ransomware, and other attacks by learning how the bad guys work, and how to stop them.
Includes Mobile Hacking on your own Android VM, plus Car Hacking using can-utils and ICSim on Kali Linux.
Great for beginners, or for capable computer users who want to learn both how and why to secure their data.
Learn to fix vulnerabilities, and how to stop 85% of attacks by doing just four things.

This is the security course everyone should take.

Packed with real-world, practical examples, real hacking techniques, and easy-to-follow plain English instruction, Real-World Ethical Hacking is the course for the new generation of cyber heroes, as they build one of the top job skills of the 21st century. With over S. this year alone, and over 6 Million openings expected worldwide over the next few years, now is the time to skill up in cyber.

I designed this course to be easily understood by beginners, with examples I use in my college information security courses and in high-school cyber summer camps. Whether you're retooling for a career change, adding skills to your resume for a raise, or just getting started, Real-World Ethical Hacking is the course for you.

Quick, 4- to 10-minute lessons will get you performing real ethical hacking exercises in minutes. Over 75 video lectures and more than 10hours of content will give you the practice you need to develop powerful new skills in cybersecurity and penetration testing. Protect your identity, your computer, your information, and your life - avoid social engineering, phishing, online attacks, ransomware and more. Plus, practical skills like:

Retrieve files from an old computer (Mac or PC, laptop or desktop), even if you've forgotten the password
Set up a virtual "sandbox" to safely open suspicious files without exposing your "real" computer
Learn command-line short-cuts and power tools that make you look like a computer wizard.
Understand how viruses and backdoors infect your computer AND phone, and how to stop them.

Everything you need to get started right away

Complete with all FREE online resources (VirtualBox, Kali Linux, and You'll also receive a Certificate of Completion upon finishing the course.

No Risk: Preview videos from Sections 1, 2, and 4 now for FREE, and enjoy a 30-day money-back guarantee when you enroll - zero risk, unlimited payoff. And, we've made this course easy to afford so anyone can get started now.

New section on Car Hacking shows how to perform a Replay Attack on your car's Controller Area Network (CAN) using a $20-$70 cable and Kali Linux running CANsniffer and CANplayer.

Praise for Dr. Payne's courses on Udemy:

"Inspired" - ...An inspiring course taught by an inspired teacher. The examples are well-chosen demonstrating principles through engaging, colorful projects rather than by teaching abstract principles first... — Kent Osband, Udemy student

Clear examples... Bryson's delivery is well paced and good fun. — Sean Jon Darcy, Udemy student

"Dr. Bryson Payne is a computer scientist and professor of the highest caliber... he brings the power of computers within easy reach for learners young and old."—Dr. Antonio Sanz Montemayor, Informatics Professor, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Spain

What's inside

Learning objectives

Secure your computer, your network, and your data from 99% of all attacks on the internet.
Test for security vulnerabilities using the tricks the bad guys use.
Find and fix weaknesses and harden your computer's security.

Avoid phishing, viruses, ransomware, and online scams.
Keep yourself safe online, at home, at school, or at work.

Secure your computer, your network, and your data from 99% of all attacks on the internet.
Test for security vulnerabilities using the tricks the bad guys use.
Find and fix weaknesses and harden your computer's security.
Avoid phishing, viruses, ransomware, and online scams.
Keep yourself safe online, at home, at school, or at work.

Syllabus

By the end of this section, you'll be able to reset any user's password and create an administrator account on almost any Windows PC using just 2 reboots, 2 special keys, and 4 terminal commands!

Real-World Ethical Hacking is based on lessons taught in the National Cyber Warrior Academy, but this video course is not endorsed or sponsored by the University or by the NSA. All opinions expressed are the author's alone, and even ethical hacking carries some risk. Please use the tools and techniques in this course responsibly and ONLY on computers you own or have express, written permission to test.

Our first hands-on, real-world ethical hacking exercise: Hacking Windows, resetting a password and creating new admin users, using a boot disk.

The attack vector for this hack will be the Windows "Sticky Keys" app SETHC.EXE, triggered any time you press the SHIFT key 5 times in Windows.

Where to get a legal copy of Windows 10 Enterprise, and how to burn your own Windows 10 install/boot disc.

Just two reboots, two special keys, and four commands to PWN any Windows PC.

Second reboot, second key combo, and final two commands to add an admin/root/super user to any Windows box from Windows XP to Windows 10.1!

Stage 3: Gaining Access! Log in as root/super/admin user and recover your files!

Lessons Learned:

Physical access is total access
Never leave your laptop/desktop unattended
Ethical Hacking is practical and useful!

To protect against this hack:

Change your BIOS settings to require a password to change the boot order or boot device
Encrypt your files to make them unreadable without your ORIGINAL password

Updated for VirtualBox 6.1 and newer - get started building your FREE ethical hacking virtual lab with Oracle VirtualBox on Mac, Windows, or Linux.

Updated for Kali Linux 2020.2 and newer versions!

Display output like a table (| column –t):
mount | column –t
cat /etc/passwd | column -t -s :

Go back to previous directory: cd -

Turn on aliases in your .bashrc alias ll=‘ls -l’; alias la=‘ls -a’

Run multiple commands: ; (in order) or && (if successful)

Reuse last argument: !$ Reuse last command: !! (e.g. sudo !!)

Reverse text (rev): echo hello | rev

Draw banner letters (figlet): figlet hello

clear [also ctrl+L]

cal [calendar] factor 24 [factors…] > filename [empty file]

head [top of file] tail [last few lines] grep [superfind]

2022 Update: If you're having trouble cloning a site in the previous lesson, try the Web Site Templates option in SET (press 1, 2, 3, 1, then choose any of the three pre-made web site templates, I chose Twitter). SET provides three usable templates to show how easy it is to trick users into filling in their username and password in a phishing site.

A quick review and bonus on cloning Twitter's login page, updated for Kali 2020.2 and later.

See how easily attackers can create malware to take over your computer - you'll never want to click on a suspicious file again!

In this lesson, you learn to run the Apache web server on Kali to share your virus as a downloadable file to Windows 10.

We'll add USB support, attach a WebCam to the Win10 VM, and temporarily turn off the Windows Firewall and Virus Protection to make it a little easier for our first virus to infect the Windows 10 VM.

2022 Updated step-by-step instructions for reverse-engineering each function in your car by interacting with the CAN bus, finding the CAN bus IDs of the system you're changing, then determining the data values for that function and resending them one-by-one using the cansend command. A full start-to-finish tour of car hacking in 30 minutes or less!

If you're having trouble running the CAN tools, ICSim, cansniffer, etc., it could be because of video scaling on larger monitors. Be sure to change your View>Virtual Screen 1>Scaling to 100% (unscaled output) to fix VirtualBox's performance issues on high-resolution monitors. Then, you should be able to resize text inside the VM, as well as use your Magnifier tool in Windows or Zoom accessibility tool in MacOS, to be able to view your VM well without the extreme lagging that Video Scaling causes in VirtualBox. Search "VirtualBox VM slowness" in Google to find the most up-to-date fixes. My performance was more than 4x faster after fixing the scaling issue!

Win7 isn't available from Microsoft anymore as a free VM, but I've included this lecture because you can still hack (and defend) a real Windows 7 computer, and there are millions of them still in use in businesses and homes - maybe even yours!

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Covers social engineering, which is standard in industry

Examines ethical hacking, which is highly relevant to cybersecurity

Explores car hacking, which is an emerging field

Teaches command-line tools and techniques, which are useful for both personal and professional growth

Develops mobile hacking skills, which are useful for those working in information security

Assumes some background knowledge of command-line tools and ethical hacking techniques

Reviews summary

Hands-on ethical hacking: practical skills

According to learners, "Real-World Ethical Hacking" provides a largely positive and highly practical foundation in cybersecurity. Students consistently praise the hands-on approach, particularly the virtual lab setup and real-world examples, which make complex topics accessible. Many appreciate Dr. Bryson Payne's clear and engaging instruction, noting his ability to explain difficult concepts simply. While the course is deemed excellent for beginners, some more experienced students suggest that certain sections could benefit from greater depth. Initial technical setup challenges with virtual machines are occasionally reported but are often overcome, partly due to the instructor's regular updates to the course content and tools.

Provides a solid foundation, especially for those new to the field.

"As a complete beginner to ethical hacking, I found this course incredibly accessible and well-structured to get started."

"It lays a solid foundation, covering basic concepts before moving to more advanced topics gradually."

"I would recommend this to anyone new to cybersecurity; it doesn't assume much prior technical knowledge."

The instructor keeps content current with latest tools and OS versions.

"I appreciate how the course is regularly updated, especially for Kali Linux and VirtualBox compatibility, it keeps it relevant."

"The recent additions, like the Social Engineering lesson mentioned, show the instructor's commitment to keeping it fresh."

"Any minor issues I encountered with older tool versions were quickly resolved by instructor updates and added notes."

Dr. Payne delivers complex topics with remarkable clarity.

"Dr. Payne explains everything in simple terms, even for someone new to ethical hacking like me, which is great."

"The instructor's enthusiasm makes the lectures engaging and easy to follow, keeping me motivated throughout."

"His teaching style is excellent, breaking down difficult concepts into manageable steps that are easy to digest."

Offers essential, practical exercises for real-world application.

"The hands-on labs using VirtualBox and Kali Linux were incredibly helpful, making complex topics easy to grasp."

"I loved the practical examples; I could immediately apply what I learned to test my own network and protect myself."

"This course is truly 'real-world' – it's not just theory, you actually *do* ethical hacking step-by-step."

"I found the demos and exercises with Metasploit and social engineering very practical and eye-opening."

More experienced learners may find certain sections too basic.

"While excellent for newcomers, some modules felt a bit too introductory for someone with prior IT or network experience."

"I wished for more in-depth coverage on certain tools and techniques after the basics were thoroughly covered."

"For intermediate hackers, this might serve more as a refresher than a deep dive into new exploits or advanced strategies."

Some learners face initial difficulties with VM configurations.

"Setting up the virtual lab with VirtualBox was a bit frustrating at times, requiring some troubleshooting on my end."

"I struggled with getting Kali Linux to work properly on my specific setup, but eventually found solutions online."

"The initial VM setup can be a hurdle for absolute beginners; some extra guidance might be helpful, but it's worth it."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Real-World Ethical Hacking: Hands-on Cybersecurity with these activities:

Configure a virtual ethical hacking lab

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Setting up your own ethical hacking lab will give you hands-on experience with the tools and techniques used in the course.

Browse courses on VirtualBox

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Install VirtualBox on your computer
Download and install Kali Linux
Configure your virtual network settings
Create a new virtual machine and install Kali Linux

Learn basic Linux commands

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Understanding basic Linux commands will help you navigate and use Kali Linux effectively.

Browse courses on Linux Commands

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Open a terminal window in Kali Linux
Learn how to navigate the file system using commands like cd and ls
Learn how to create and edit files using commands like touch, nano, and vim
Learn how to use basic commands like cat, grep, and awk to process text files

Practice social engineering techniques

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Practicing social engineering techniques will help you understand how attackers can trick people into giving up their information.

Browse courses on Social Engineering

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Learn about different types of social engineering attacks, such as phishing and spear phishing
Create a fake website or email to simulate a phishing attack
Test your phishing attack on friends or family members (with their permission)
Analyze the results of your phishing attack and learn from your mistakes

Two other activities

Expand to see all activities and additional details

Show all five activities

Analyze malware samples

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Analyzing malware samples will help you understand how malware works and how to protect yourself from it.

Browse courses on Malware Analysis

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Download a malware sample from a reputable source
Use a disassembler to analyze the malware sample and understand its code
Determine the purpose and functionality of the malware sample
Write a report on your analysis findings

Perform a vulnerability assessment on a website

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Performing a vulnerability assessment on a website will help you identify and fix security vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them.

Browse courses on Vulnerability Assessment

Show steps

Choose a website to assess
Use a vulnerability scanner to scan the website for vulnerabilities
Analyze the scanner results and identify the most critical vulnerabilities
Develop a plan to fix the vulnerabilities
Implement the plan and verify that the vulnerabilities have been fixed

Career center

Learners who complete Real-World Ethical Hacking: Hands-on Cybersecurity will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Information Security Analyst

Information Security Analysts spend their days putting their knowledge of computer science, network security, and risk management to use to protect their employer's networks and data from unauthorized access and cyberattacks. To be successful in this role, it is important to have a deep understanding of the ethical guidelines and practices surrounding computer and network security, as well as the latest cybersecurity hacking techniques such as phishing and ransomware. This course, _Real-World Ethical Hacking: Hands-on Cybersecurity_, introduces these important concepts, and will give you a solid foundation to build upon on your path to becoming an Information Security Analyst.

See salaries and explore the career path for Information Security Analyst

Penetration Tester

Penetration Testers are responsible for simulating cyberattacks on their employers' networks and systems in order to identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses. They then report their findings to management so that the vulnerabilities can be fixed. A deep understanding of ethical hacking techniques is critical to being successful in this role, and this course, _Real-World Ethical Hacking: Hands-on Cybersecurity_, will give you the expertise you need to excel.

See salaries and explore the career path for Penetration Tester

Security Consultant

Security Consultants help guide businesses in improving their cybersecurity through risk management and audits. In this role, you would work closely with clients to assess their cybersecurity needs and vulnerabilities, and provide recommendations on how to protect their data and networks. Knowledge of ethical hacking techniques such as phishing and social engineering can give you an edge on understanding how to test your clients' systems, and familiarity with security tools like Kali Linux is also a plus. This course, _Real-World Ethical Hacking: Hands-on Cybersecurity_, will help you build the foundation you need to be successful in this role.

See salaries and explore the career path for Security Consultant

IT Auditor

IT Auditors assess organizations' information systems and controls in order to ensure compliance with laws, regulations, and internal policies. Ethical hacking is a valuable skill for IT Auditors, as it can help them identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses in an organization's systems and controls. The importance of cybersecurity and the prevalence of hacking in today's world make it more important than ever to have a solid understanding of ethical hacking techniques, and this course, _Real-World Ethical Hacking: Hands-on Cybersecurity_, can help you gain that competitive edge.

See salaries and explore the career path for IT Auditor

Cybersecurity Engineer

Cybersecurity Engineers design, implement, and maintain cybersecurity systems and software. This role requires a deep understanding of cybersecurity principles and practices, as well as the ability to keep up with new technologies. This course _Real-World Ethical Hacking: Hands-on Cybersecurity_, is a great way to gain valuable cybersecurity knowledge and skills.

See salaries and explore the career path for Cybersecurity Engineer

Network Security Engineer

Network Security Engineers design, implement, and maintain network security systems and software. This role requires a deep understanding of network security principles and practices, including ethical hacking techniques such as phishing and social engineering. This course, _Real-World Ethical Hacking: Hands-on Cybersecurity_, is a great way to gain the knowledge and skills you need for this role.

See salaries and explore the career path for Network Security Engineer

Data Analyst

Data Analysts use data to solve business problems. They collect, clean, and analyze data to identify trends and patterns that can help businesses make better decisions. This course, _Real-World Ethical Hacking: Hands-on Cybersecurity_, may be useful to those interested in Data Analyst roles, as it provides a foundation in data analysis and cybersecurity principles.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Analyst

Computer Systems Analyst

Computer Systems Analysts analyze and design computer systems. This role requires a deep understanding of computer science principles and practices, as well as the ability to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders. This course, _Real-World Ethical Hacking: Hands-on Cybersecurity_, may be useful for those interested in Computer Systems Analyst roles, as it provides a foundation in computer science principles and cybersecurity practices.

See salaries and explore the career path for Computer Systems Analyst

Information Systems Manager

Information Systems Managers plan, implement, and manage information systems and technology. This role requires a deep understanding of information systems principles and practices, as well as the ability to manage teams and projects. This course, _Real-World Ethical Hacking: Hands-on Cybersecurity_, may be useful for those interested in Information Systems Manager roles, as it provides a foundation in information systems principles and cybersecurity practices.

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IT Manager

IT Managers plan, implement, and manage IT systems and infrastructure. This role requires a deep understanding of IT principles and practices, as well as the ability to manage teams and projects. This course, _Real-World Ethical Hacking: Hands-on Cybersecurity_, may be useful for those interested in IT Manager roles, as it provides a foundation in IT principles and cybersecurity practices.

See salaries and explore the career path for IT Manager

Network Administrator

Network Administrators manage and maintain computer networks. This role requires a deep understanding of networking principles and practices, as well as the ability to troubleshoot and resolve network issues. This course, _Real-World Ethical Hacking: Hands-on Cybersecurity_, may be useful for those interested in Network Administrator roles, as it provides a foundation in networking principles and cybersecurity practices.

See salaries and explore the career path for Network Administrator

Security Architect

Security Architects design and implement security systems and solutions. This role requires a deep understanding of security principles and practices, as well as the ability to work with a variety of stakeholders. This course, _Real-World Ethical Hacking: Hands-on Cybersecurity_, may be useful for those interested in Security Architect roles, as it provides a foundation in security principles and cybersecurity practices.

See salaries and explore the career path for Security Architect

Software Engineer

Software Engineers design, develop, and maintain software systems. While this course, _Real-World Ethical Hacking: Hands-on Cybersecurity_, is not directly related to software engineering, it may be useful for Software Engineers who are interested in learning about ethical hacking techniques and cybersecurity principles.

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Systems Administrator

Systems Administrators manage and maintain computer systems and software. This role requires a deep understanding of computer science principles and practices, as well as the ability to troubleshoot and resolve system issues. This course, _Real-World Ethical Hacking: Hands-on Cybersecurity_, may be useful for those interested in Systems Administrator roles, as it provides a foundation in computer science principles and cybersecurity practices.

See salaries and explore the career path for Systems Administrator

Web Developer

Web Developers design and develop websites and web applications. While this course, _Real-World Ethical Hacking: Hands-on Cybersecurity_, is not directly related to web development, it may be useful for Web Developers who are interested in learning about ethical hacking techniques and cybersecurity principles.

See salaries and explore the career path for Web Developer