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-Dec-2022, linuxjourney.com is down as it was hosted on heroku on free tier which ended

Alternatives include

1. Web Archive Link

2. Official GitHub Repo

3. Clone of the website

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

Linux Journey: Learn Linux with Free Linux Tutorial & CourseLabEx

Explain Shell

Explains you the shell commands

explainshell.com - match command-line arguments to their help textexplainshell.com

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!

Automate the Boring Stuff with Python - Automate the Boring Stuff with Pythonautomatetheboringstuff.com

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

OverTheWire: Wargamesoverthewire.org

picoCTF

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

picoCTFplay.picoctf.org

CTFLearn

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

CTFlearn - Learn to Hackctflearn.com

Try Hack Me

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

TryHackMe | Cyber Security TrainingTryHackMe

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

Cyber Mastery: Community Inspired. Enterprise Trusted.Hack The Box

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

Web Security Academy: Free Online Training from PortSwiggerWebSecAcademy

OWASP JuiceShop

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

OWASP Juice Shopjuice-shop.herokuapp.com

Cryptography

CryptoHack

A free platform providing challenges to learn modern cryptography

CryptoHack – HomeCryptoHack

CryptoPals

Similar platform to CryptoHack providing challenges

The Cryptopals Crypto Challengescryptopals.com

Reverse Engineering

BeginRE

A interactive course teaching you reversing

begin.rewww.begin.re

EDIT : As of 06-Dec-2024, begin.re domain has expired

Reverse Engineering Course

A self paced course on reversing

GitHub - 0xZ0F/Z0FCourse_ReverseEngineering: Reverse engineering focusing on x64 Windows.GitHub

Malware Unicorn's Reversing Workshops

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

malwareunicorn.orgmalwareunicorn

CrackeMe

Website hosting lot of binaries for you to crack

Crackmes.onecrackmes.one

MicroCorruption

Gamify the way you learn reversing

Microcorruptionmicrocorruption.com

PWN / Binary Exploitation

Nightmare

Introductory course to Binary Exploitation

Nightmare - Nightmareguyinatuxedo.github.io

Modern Binary Exploitation

A course hosted on GitHub

GitHub - RPISEC/MBE: Course materials for Modern Binary Exploitation by RPISECGitHub

PWN College

A platform oriented for students

pwn.collegepwn.college

OST

OpenSecurityTraining provides tons of security courses

Trainingwww.opensecuritytraining.info

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

Exploit Education :: Andrew Griffiths' Exploit Educationexploit.education

PWNable(s)

Websites hosting challenges for you to pwn

Pwnable.twpwnable.tw

https://pwnable.krpwnable.kr

http://pwn.eonew.cnpwn.eonew.cn

pwnable.xyzpwnable.xyz

Forensics

DFIR Training

Provides various resources and practice materials

Upcoming Eventswww.dfir.training

DFIR-Diva

Provides resources for DFIR

Digital Forensics & Incident Response Blog Geared Toward BeginnersDFIR Diva