Knowing how to ethically hack computer systems, web applications, and other software programs can give security professionals a competitive advantage. On the other hand, beginners seeking a career in ethical hacking or cyber-security must master the skills, techniques, and coding challenges in a safe environment to become relevant in the industry.
The rise of ethical hacking is due to security researchers realizing there was a 38% increase in cyber attacks year-over-year. Meanwhile, an ethical hacking report showed that 83% of ethical hackers noticed tangible changes due to the rise of artificial intelligence in cyber-security. Discover how to practice ethical hacking in ways that empowers you to guarantee computer and web security.
What Is Ethical Hacking?
Ethical hacking is a security training discipline often deployed by cyber-security professionals who need to learn ethical hacking skills to protect sensitive data and identify vulnerabilities in computer systems. Ethical hackers are paid by organizations or governments to implement various techniques that expose how systems are vulnerable so that enhanced cyber-security efforts and protocols are implemented.
Ethical Hacking vs. Unethical Hacking
Excelsior University defines a white hat hacker as someone who hacks into computer systems and websites legally and with permission while black hat hackers are known as unethical cyber-hackers who are famous for exploiting vulnerabilities without permission and illegally. An ethical or white hat hacker hacks systems to protect sensitive data while a malicious hacker manipulates or steals data.
The Importance of Practicing Ethical Hacking Online
Cybersecurity skills gaps statistics show that 71% of organizations are impacted by the skills shortage while 97% of companies added hands-on-experience as a requirement for filling jobs. It’s essential to practice ethical hacking to find web security flaws, use penetration testing, and simulate real-world situations that often threaten network security.
Ethical hackers, even seasoned professionals with higher skill levels, often use vulnerable websites, virtual labs, and other legal environments to master their expertise and ensure they can find common vulnerabilities as a practical approach to staying relevant. Practice is the key, and cyber-security professionals stay on top of various threats by learning advanced techniques with continuous practice.
What Are Ethical Hacking Labs?
Ethical hacking labs are often built at home using VMware. These virtual labs or network of machines can also run different operating systems at the same time, allowing ethical hackers to practice different hacking techniques, network security attacks, and capture the flag (CTF) challenges.
These virtual labs are ideal learning environments for anyone learning cybersecurity practices in realistic scenarios. The ethical hacking lab environment runs separately from your main operating system to enable you to practice ethical hacking in a highly customizable, secure, and legal environment.
What Are Ethical Hacking Sites?
Ethical hacking sites are websites or web apps that help cyber-security training and web hacking professionals learn ethical hacking or practice the skills. These are websites set up in safe and controlled settings that also meet the requirements for a legal environment.
The websites behave similar to lab environments, allowing ethical hackers to look for system flaws, web security vulnerabilities, cross-site request forgery, and malicious actors in controlled environments. Learning cybersecurity through these sites helps to identify buggy web application security.
Different Ethical Hacking Techniques
Seasoned hackers use advanced techniques, but there are numerous ethical hacking techniques even beginners should practice to advance their skills. Here’s a breakdown of beginner and advanced-level techniques that make ethical hackers more appealing to potential employers:
- Reconnaissance: Reconnaissance is one of the first ethical hacking skills security professionals learn and use to gather information about networks before finding security vulnerabilities.
- Penetration Testing: Penetration testing refers to the many methods ethical hackers use to test system weaknesses and vulnerabilities through deliberate hacking efforts.
- Black Box Testing: This is another form of pen testing that fits realistic scenarios because penetration testers won’t be familiar with the IT environment they’re testing.
- White Box Testing: White box testing is another penetration testing method used when testers have complete visibility and some knowledge about the IT environment.
- Gray Box Testing: This form of pen testing is used when testers have some knowledge about the IT environment but may not have extensive visibility before testing.
- Reverse Engineering: Reverse engineering is when security teams analyze known malware to understand its purpose, vulnerabilities, and functionalities.
- Social Engineering: Social engineering is also known as phishing because ethical hackers trick the system or individuals into providing information that can expose networks to risks.
- Web Hacking: Web hacking is also known as web application security hacking and involves running tests for cross-site scripting, SQL injection, and identifying malicious coding challenges.
Other techniques include scanning, maintaining access, vulnerability assessments, password cracking, cryptography, foot printing, network hacking, blockchain security testing, and denial of service. Different labs and vulnerable platforms will help you practice every skill and technique.
Top Ethical Hacking Labs
Ethical hacking practice helps you master the skills necessary to close security gaps, prevent malicious hacker attacks, and identify vulnerabilities on computers, software, websites, and more. Labs can help you practice application security, penetration testing, and multiple real-world defense methodologies. Use these virtual labs to practice ethical hacking and become a seasoned professional:
Hack the Box
Hack the Box is one of the cloud-based labs that help security teams experiment with diverse scenarios in a controlled setting. The cloud-based lab environment challenges hackers with varying vulnerabilities and complexities and the simulation of multiple real-world scenarios related to ethical hacking and penetration testing. The platform also famously uses fun methods like capture the flag challenges.
Main Features:
- Techniques include capture the flag and different forms of penetration testing
- Hacking skills practice for targeted services like databases, networks, and servers
- Learn and practice ethical hacking through different levels and complexities
- The platform offers tiered memberships with free-to-use and beginner-friendly options
Hellbound Hackers
Hellbound Hackers or HBH is an excellent lab environment to practice your hacking skills. It’s also an online community that allows fellow ethical hackers to share knowledge, advice, tips, and techniques. However, it’s the ideal beginner’s platform because it focuses more on training for data protection rather than focusing intensively on advanced techniques like reverse engineering.
Main Features:
- Extensive tools for beginner to expert hackers like cryptography and network security
- A practical approach to community-driven ethical hacking with CFT challenges
- Comprehensive tutorials and documents for beginners to learn hacking techniques
- Regular updates with tiered subscriptions and a free model
Over the Wire
Over the Wire is another one of the free-to-use cloud-based labs that empower cyber-security training, especially for ethical hackers. It’s also one of the most exciting platforms because every challenge is overcome in the form of a community game called war games. The platform aims to empower hackers to practice ethical hacking in new ways that keep everyone engaged and malicious hackers at bay.
Main Features:
- An extensive range of war games designed to help cyber-security hackers improve
- Hackers start as bandits and succeed by overcoming advanced challenges
- The war games mirror real-world cyber-security vulnerabilities and risks
- All connected devices are also hackable targets on this platform
OWASP
OWASP is a community-driven cybersecurity training ground with ethical hacking environments that help hackers test and identify the vulnerabilities in applications and websites. The platform provides training for its top ten security risks that include broken access control, SQL injection, sensitive data leaks, cross-site scripting, and more. The platform also guides development with improved security.
Main Features:
- Standardized documents for web security developers and analysts
- Enables penetration testing with black, white, and gray box models
- Has open-source resources that empower new hackers
- Allows ethical hackers to practice various skills and techniques
Pentester Lab
Pentester Lab has everything hackers need to practice pen testing, cybersecurity training, and ethical hacking techniques. Learn how to overcome common ethical hacking challenges using a variety of challenges, tests, and exercises on the platform. They also have a bootcamp that welcomes newer hackers who wish to learn ethical hacking from professionals who’ve been at it for years.
Main Features:
- A full hands-on lab with an extensive range of modern vulnerabilities
- Hundreds of tutorial videos published by the community to help beginners
- Access to completion certificates to prove you can hack specific systems
- Has a range of free and premium cybersecurity courses available
Root Me
Root Me is an incredible platform that provides extensive labs and challenges to hackers from all levels. The site boasts over 100 challenges that help hackers master different skill sets. It also covers multiple topics like network protocols, various operating systems, and even mobile device security. It’s the ideal site with comprehensive tools aimed at hackers looking to protect systems, apps, and devices.
Main Features:
- Comprehensive range of labs, challenges, and tutorials
- Helps you practice reverse engineering, cryptography, and more
- Regular updates with countless educational resources available
- Free pricing plans available with optional premium content
Best Ethical Hacking Websites
Some ethical hackers prefer working on pre-designed and controlled environments that challenge them with finding specific vulnerabilities within a website. These platforms don’t offer many collaboration opportunities, but they serve beginners and expert hackers well when learning cybersecurity or practicing common risks and vulnerabilities based on real-world scenarios:
Damn Vulnerable Web App (DVWA)
The Damn Vulnerable Web App (DVWA) lab environment has been set up to help security experts learn about exploiting vulnerabilities on web applications. It is a MySQL and PHP web application with numerous common web-based vulnerabilities waiting for ethical hackers to exploit, including SQL injection, cross-site request forgery (CSRF), and cross-site scripting (CSS).
Main Features:
- Adjustable difficulty levels for different hacker skill levels
- Free site with many common web vulnerabilities
- Beginner-friendly web application security training
- Active community of ethical hacking professionals
Google Gruyere
Google Gruyere is another fantastic yet vulnerable application waiting for hackers to learn and practice their hacking to reach new levels. Hackers learn how malicious actors exploit vulnerabilities in websites and applications and practice stopping them. It isn’t clear whether hackers pay for the practice environment or not, but it’s one of the best options for entry-level hackers learning from scratch.
Main Features:
- Teaches techniques like cross-site request forgery and scripting
- Trains hackers to identify a buggy web application
- Challenges include black-box testing, coding reviews, and DoS attacks
- It’s ideal for beginners who need to learn everything about basic hacking
Hack This Site
Hack This Site looks like a hacker’s paradise, and the website has countless vulnerabilities to challenge your skills from the moment you enter. The platform is ideal for beginners through to advanced hackers, offering community-driven collaborations and challenges that keep skills sharp and expertise up-to-date. Community members can also help others by sharing tips to overcome certain challenges.
Main Features:
- Realistic, fictional, and application-style missions to practice hacking
- Techniques that encourage programming and forensic improvements
- A long list of CTF challenges that keep the community engaged and learning
- Offers free to premium memberships that welcome all hackers
OWASP Webgoat
OWASP has a few platforms in which you can practice ethical hacking. Webgoat is another project designed to help ethical hackers practice their skills in a highly vulnerable environment. Lessons are designed to teach hackers about new attacks, vulnerabilities, and cyber-security threats. It’s also the ideal environment to practice ethical hacking for server-side applications.
Main Features:
- It includes vulnerabilities like cache poisoning, spyware, and coding challenges
- It integrates well with Windows, .NET, OSX Tiger, and Linux operating systems
- The platform uses a default configuration that binds to the local host
- It has tiered pricing with free plans for entry-level hackers
Port Swigger
Port Swigger is trusted by security engineers worldwide as a trusted penetration testing and application practice ground for different cybersecurity learning paths. The platform also integrates artificial intelligence to support hackers on their journey to excellence and resilience. AI can be used in cybersecurity, and Port Swigger empowers ethical hackers to experiment with AI in websites and apps.
Main Features:
- AI-driven web security platform with real-world environments
- Support for multiple challenges and techniques to find new vulnerabilities
- Security researchers are welcome to access extensive documents
- The platform has free-to-use subscriptions for new hackers
How to Create Vulnerable Machines at Home
Make sure you have virtual machine software installed before downloading a virtual labs creation tool that makes environments deliberately vulnerable. Then, you can use one of the following platforms to set up the virtual environment that helps you practice ethical hacking for advanced cyber-security:
VulnHub
VulnHub is a popular platform that supplies you with virtual machines to set up a custom environment. The online platform focuses on using real-world scenarios to help ethical hackers hone skills and learn about various cybersecurity concepts. Build your own vulnerable machines to test security vulnerabilities and improve your ethical hacking training using the free site.
Metasploitable 2
Metasploitable 2 is a product by Rapid 7 that uses deliberately vulnerable virtual machines to help ethical hackers advanced their skill levels in custom, real-world situations. The virtual machines provide you with a variety of vulnerabilities to help you learn how to hack new vulnerabilities. The same company designed a penetration testing toolkit that helps to practice hacking computer systems.
How to Learn Hacking Skills Conclusion
Practice ethical hacking skills with a variety of labs and websites, focusing on mastering different techniques that empower you to find system flaws. Also, cybersecurity won’t be replaced by AI, but it requires you to have some knowledge about advanced techniques that streamline collaborations between emerging technologies and yourself to deliver cyber-security services high in demand.
How to Practice Hacking FAQs
Can I learn ethical hacking at home?
Access online labs and virtual environments designed for beginner-friendly learning paths in cybersecurity focused on ethical hackers. Many sites have a detailed breakdown that guides learning cybersecurity for ethical hackers. However, support your at-home practices with a proper ethical hacking or cyber-security certificate if you wish to turn the venture into a career.
Where can I practice ethical hacking in a safe environment?
Ethical hacking in controlled settings using labs or vulnerable sites designed with security flaws for practice are the safest environments in which you can practice ethical hacking. These labs and sites also provide a learning environment that follows all legal aspects of ethical hacking and cybersecurity, whether competing in capture the flag challenges or engaging with the active community.
Is there a free platform to practice hacking online?
Various different labs offer free services to help you practice ethical hacking. Some examples include Over the Wire, Try Hack Me Ltd, Hack the Box, Hack This Site, Google Gruyere, Hellbound Hackers, OWASP, Hacker One, and Port Swigger. Almost all labs offer some free hacking practice, but continued learning and practices may require subscriptions. Alternatively, use generative AI in cybersecurity to learn ethical hacking and practice simple techniques for free.
How can I prepare for a career in cyber-security?
Ethical hacking practices in cybersecurity have become non-negotiable. Start with an associate or bachelor’s degree in computer science, cybersecurity, or information technology to get into entry-level jobs. Then, advance your career by doing a master’s degree in cybersecurity and practice ethical hacking regularly to update your skill levels. Here are some certifications to consider:
- CISP – Certified Information Security Professional
- CISSP – Certified Information Systems Security Professional
- CEH – Certified Ethical Hacker
- Security+ – CompTIA Security+ Certification
- Network+ – CompTIA Network+ Certification
- PenTest+ – CompTIA PenTest+ Certification
- CHFI – Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator
- SSCP – Systems Security Certified Practitioner
