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Cybersecurity

Intro to Ethical Hacking

Understand how security professionals find and fix weaknesses legally: what ethical hacking is and why authorization is everything, the attacker mindset and attack surface, the phases of a penetration test, common vulnerabilities and their defenses, and careers and ethics. Intermediate, ending with an authorized-assessment-plan capstone.

INTERMEDIATE · en · ~240 min

Instructor: Self-paced · Reviewed by: Iroko Skills Academy team · Published by: Iroko Skills Academy team

Learning objectives

  • Explain ethical hacking and why authorization is the absolute line
  • Think in terms of attack surface and common weakness classes
  • Describe the phases of a penetration test and why reporting is the deliverable
  • Map common vulnerabilities to their defenses and operate legally and ethically

Before you start

Prerequisites: None

Device/connectivity: Laptop or desktop computer with a modern web browser and keyboard, Internet access for lessons, tools, and assignment submission

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What you'll cover

  1. Foundations and Mindset

    • What ethical hacking is
    • The hacker mindset and attack surface

  2. Process and Vulnerabilities

    • The phases of a penetration test
    • Common vulnerabilities and defenses

  3. Careers and Capstone

    • Careers, ethics, and staying legal
    • Capstone: a security assessment plan

Assessment and completion criteria

Complete every published lesson to earn a completion badge. A self-paced certificate also requires passing every server-graded quiz. Practical assignments provide project feedback and may support a separate verified-proficiency record, but they do not delay the standard course certificate.

  • Optional reviewed project: A security assessment plan (authorized and ethical) · rubric v1 · pass ≥ 70%