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. Take your ethical hacking knowledge to the next level with this intermediate course designed for aspiring cybersecurity professionals. Begin with active information gathering and port scanning, where you'll master tools like Nmap and Zenmap, and learn techniques for bypassing firewalls and utilizing Nmap scripts. This comprehensive module ensures you have a robust understanding of network mapping and vulnerability scanning, critical for identifying and mitigating security threats. Next, you'll dive into web application penetration testing, starting with the installation and configuration of essential tools like OWASP and BurpSuite. You'll explore various attack methods, including brute force, injection, and cross-site scripting (XSS). Detailed video lessons guide you through each technique, from HTTP request manipulation to exploiting SQL and XML injection vulnerabilities. By the end of this module, you'll have a thorough understanding of how to test and secure web applications against a range of cyber threats. The course then shifts focus to wireless penetration testing, where you'll learn the fundamentals of wireless attacks and the tools needed to execute them. You'll work with Airodump-ng, Aircrack-ng, and Hashcat to capture and crack passwords, create password lists, and find hidden networks. The final module on system hacking and exploitation covers advanced topics like using the Metasploit framework, crafting payloads with Msfvenom, and performing privilege escalation on Windows 10. Practical lessons ensure you can apply these techniques effectively, preparing you for real-world cybersecurity challenges. This course is designed for individuals with a basic understanding of ethical hacking who wish to advance their skills. Prior completion of a foundational ethical hacking course or equivalent experience is recommended.