Begin Your Ethical Hacking Journey Without Shedding a Single Rupee! Well, you're interested in PenTesting — that's Penetration Testing — and you don't know where to begin. Perhaps you're a student, a computer enthusiast, or just a career changear. The best news is that in 2025, there's never been more free information available to get you into the world of ethical hacking without breaking the bank. Here, in this blog, we're going to split up the most popular free platforms, courses, communities, and tools that provide you hands-on practice and create your ethical hacking abilities. What is PenTesting? We'll begin understanding what PenTesting is before jumping to resources. Penetration Testing is a cyberattack simulation carried out on a system, application, or network to determine vulnerabilities before hackers with ill intent. It's like a virtual "heist," but one carried out ethically to assist with better security. PenTesters (or ethical hackers) conduct different methods of testing how secure a system actually is. It's an important profession in the cybersecurity business — and acquiring the knowledge doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. TryHackMe (Free Rooms) Website: https://tryhackme.com https://tryhackme.com TryHackMe is an interactive cybersecurity training platform. It's easy to use and takes you step-by-step through hacking challenges. Most of their rooms are free, especially in beginner paths such as: Pre-Security
Complete Beginner
Jr Penetration Tester Pre-Security Complete Beginner Jr Penetration Tester Hack The Box (HTB Academy Free Tier) Website: https://academy.hackthebox.com https://academy.hackthebox.com HTB Academy offers a structured path to learn everything from basic networking to advanced exploitation techniques. The free tier includes modules like: • Linux Fundamentals • Network Enumeration • Web Requests PortSwigger Web Security Academy Website: https://portswigger.net/web-security https://portswigger.net/web-security If you’re interested in web application hacking, this platform is gold. It teaches OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities with interactive labs. INE - Free Cybersecurity Courses Website: https://ine.com https://ine.com INE has a few free cybersecurity courses and networking courses — very good for developing your basics. Free courses include: Introduction to Cybersecurity
Cyber Security Fundamentals
Ethical Hacking Basics Introduction to Cybersecurity Cyber Security Fundamentals Ethical Hacking Basics Hack The Box (Free Machines) Website: https://hackthebox.com https://hackthebox.com HTB has a free section where you can hack retired machines. These are actual systems with misconfigurations and vulnerabilities. You'll learn how to: Gain shell access
Take advantage of privilege escalation
Pivot across networks Gain shell access Take advantage of privilege escalation Pivot across networks VulnHub Website: https://vulnhub.com https://vulnhub.com VulnHub provides downloadable vulnerable machines that you can execute in VirtualBox or VMware. It's ideal for offline practice. You'll discover machines segmented by difficulty, OS, and type of vulnerability. PentesterLab (Free Badges) Website: https://pentesterlab.com https://pentesterlab.com PentesterLab offers in-depth exercises with step-by-step instruction. Some are totally free, including: Introduction to Web Hacking
Bug Bounty Hunter Lite Introduction to Web Hacking Bug Bounty Hunter Lite OWASP Website: https://owasp.org https://owasp.org OWASP (Open Web Application Security Project) is an open-source community dedicated to enhancing software security. It offers: Security best practices documentation
The legendary OWASP Top 10
Cheat sheets for exploiting and testing prevalent flaws Security best practices documentation The legendary OWASP Top 10 Cheat sheets for exploiting and testing prevalent flaws Hacking Blogs & Newsletters Below are some free newsletters and blogs worth subscribing to: HackerOne Blog – Learnings from actual bug bounty reports
Red Team Village Blog
OpenExploit.in – That's us! Subscribe for easy-to-understand ethical hacking articles. HackerOne Blog – Learnings from actual bug bounty reports Red Team Village Blog OpenExploit.in – That's us! Subscribe for easy-to-understand ethical hacking articles. Free Books to Start With "The Web Application Hacker's Handbook" – Not free on paper, but older copies can be downloaded from the web to learn from.
"Hacking: The Art of Exploitation" – A must-have if you wish to dive into low-level hacking. "The Web Application Hacker's Handbook" – Not free on paper, but older copies can be downloaded from the web to learn from. "Hacking: The Art of Exploitation" – A must-have if you wish to dive into low-level hacking. Pro tip: Use resources like https://archive.org or PDF Drive to obtain free copies within the law. https://archive.org Reddit r/NetSec
r/HowToHack
r/AskNetsec
r/PenetrationTesting r/NetSec r/HowToHack r/AskNetsec r/PenetrationTesting These subreddits are wonderful places to ask questions, read stories, and post tools. Discord Servers Most platforms such as TryHackMe, HTB, and Security Blue Team have official Discord communities. You can request assistance, create teams, and learn from others. Free Tools You Should Know Begin exploring tools you'll be using as a PenTester: Nmap – Network scanning
Burp Suite Community Edition – Web app testing
Wireshark – Network analysis
Metasploit Framework – Exploitation framework
John the Ripper / Hashcat – Password cracking
Gobuster / Dirb – Directory brute-forcing Nmap – Network scanning Burp Suite Community Edition – Web app testing Wireshark – Network analysis Metasploit Framework – Exploitation framework John the Ripper / Hashcat – Password cracking Gobuster / Dirb – Directory brute-forcing All these are open-source and free! Practice Routine Daily (Just 1-2 hours/day) Here's a sample plan to get the maximum out of these resources: Monday: TryHackMe room or HTB Academy module
Tuesday: PortSwigger Web Security lab
Wednesday: Watch an INE video or read OWASP docs
Thrusday: Practice on HTB/VulnHub
Friday: Check out tools like Nmap/BurpSuite
Saturday: Solve a retired HTB machine
Sunday: Visit community chat or read a blog Monday: TryHackMe room or HTB Academy module Tuesday: PortSwigger Web Security lab Wednesday: Watch an INE video or read OWASP docs Thrusday: Practice on HTB/VulnHub Friday: Check out tools like Nmap/BurpSuite Saturday: Solve a retired HTB machine Sunday: Visit community chat or read a blog Certifications? Worry Later Don't hurry into certs like OSCP or CEH. First, master your skills using these free materials. Once you feel comfortable, then choose a cert. Last Thoughts PenTesting isn't about memorizing tools — it's about getting creative, being a problem-solver, and knowing how systems work (and fail!). Using the resources I've listed here, you can create a rock-solid foundation in ethical hacking — for free!. Regardless if you're an absolute beginner or a skill-grazer, 2025 is the perfect year to begin PenTesting.

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