Start Hacking

A brief introduction on how to start your hacking journey.

So let's get started shall we?

Networking

I would highly recommend you to brush up your networking skills as it would help you throughout your security journey, giving you a brief idea about how things on the internet work and get you comfortable with terminology used frequently.

Playlist By Practical Networking

A YouTube playlist explaining basics of Networking

Linux

You need to know your way around Linux, while I highly suggest that you just install a Linux distribution on a VM and just play around with it, try to use it as your daily driver and that should equip you with knowledge needed as the best way to learn something is by actually doing it. But if you don't wanna do that, I suggest these following resources

Linux Journey

A really guided and comprehensive guide to learn Linux

EDIT : As of 27-12-2022, linuxjourney.com is down as it was hosted on heroku on free tier which ended

Alternatives include

EDIT : As of 06-03-2024, the original website is up and running

Explain Shell

Explains you the shell commands

Programming

You will need a programming language, just the basics should be good, I'll recommend Python as it is widely popular and pretty much like English. I'll suggest approaching it in a way of making things, like for example, "I would like to make a port scanner", this helps a lot. See the video for reference

Automate Boring Stuff With Python

This is a free to read online book which should make you a Pythonista!

Hack Me

This contains resources where you can practice and hone your skills by hacking something

Over The Wire

Over The Wire helps you learn some basic security concept via little games

picoCTF

picoCTF is a always on-going CTF to practice your CTF skills

CTFLearn

CTFLearn is really similar to picoCTF, a ongoing CTF with various categories for you to practice

Try Hack Me

Try Hack Me provides very guided and beginner friendly way to learn hacking

Hack The Box

This is a really good resource for honing your pen-testing skills, if this feels overwhelming to you, feel free to try Try Hack Me first and then come back here

CTFs

CTFs are probably the best way to up your hacking game, I'll let LiveOverFlow explain why

CTFs have categories for example - Web Hacking, Binary Exploitation and such. I would really suggest you to try out every category and see which ones you love the most. Below are some places where you can try them out

NOTE - This only covers Jeopardy style of CTFs

Web Hacking

PortSwigger

PortSwigger will teach you web hacking along with some hands on practice. Highly recommended

OWASP JuiceShop

JuiceShop is an open-source web application which tons of vulnerabilities for you to hack

Cryptography

CryptoHack

A free platform providing challenges to learn modern cryptography

CryptoPals

Similar platform to CryptoHack providing challenges

Reverse Engineering

BeginRE

A interactive course teaching you reversing

Reverse Engineering Course

A self paced course on reversing

Malware Unicorn's Reversing Workshops

Workshop teaching how to reverse, check out both of them i.e Reversing 101 and Reversing 102

CrackeMe

Website hosting lot of binaries for you to crack

MicroCorruption

Gamify the way you learn reversing

PWN / Binary Exploitation

Nightmare

Introductory course to Binary Exploitation

Modern Binary Exploitation

A course hosted on GitHub

PWN College

A platform oriented for students

OST

OpenSecurityTraining provides tons of security courses

NOTE - They have a new website, but at the time of writing it didn't have all of the courses, nonetheless, here is the link - OST2

Exploit Education

A platform with downloadable VMs practically teaching you exploitation

PWNable(s)

Websites hosting challenges for you to pwn

Forensics

DFIR Training

Provides various resources and practice materials

DFIR-Diva

Provides resources for DFIR

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