The 20 Best Penetration Testing Training Courses Not to Miss

Best Penetration Testing Courses

Are you looking for the best penetration testing courses online that are worth your time and money in preparing for a certification and a career?

This article will give you the penetration testing training courses you need to succeed as a certified penetration testing professional. 

We’ll highlight the 20 best penetration testing courses. We’ve divided them into seven sections: reconnaissance, beginner, social engineering, web application hacking, python, advanced, and red teaming. All of these courses are available for purchase with lifetime access as part of different course bundles.

Without further ado, let’s begin.

Best OSINT and Recon for Penetration Testing Courses

β€œIf you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.”—Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Before any infiltration operation, you must understand what you’re facing. The following courses will teach you reconnaissance and open-source intelligence (OSINT) for penetration testing.

1. Learn OSINT Techniques From Scratch & OSINT Certification

Requiring no prior experience, this course equips you with essential OSINT skills for ethical hackers, intelligence analysts, security professionals, and anyone interested in gathering information legally, respecting applicable regulations on data collection.

You’ll learn the following (and more) from your instructor, Zaid Al-Quraishi, a seasoned ethical hacker and computer scientist:

  • Actionable Intelligence Extraction
  • Open-source Data Discovery
  • Geolocation Tools
  • Reverse Image Search
  • Data Leak Analysis
  • Advanced Search Operators

This course is ideal for ethical hackers, security professionals, journalists, and anyone keen to learn legal data gathering using OSINT techniques.

It’s part of the Google Hacking Course Bundle, but it involves more than just advanced Google search techniques for reconnaissance. Click the link above to get lifetime access.

2. What Is Open Source Intelligence: OSINT Tools

Gain hands-on experience with OSINT methodologies to gather information about individuals and companies. Analyze public data and uncover hidden connections using advanced search operators, digital forensics, and intelligence-gathering tools.

You’ll learn the following (and more) from your instructor Serhii Nesterenko, a cyber security consultant and trainer with 20+ years of experience in investigations, OSINT, and cyber security:

  • Information Sources
  • Individual Tracking
  • Social Media Insights
  • Relationship Mapping
  • Dark Web Discoveries
  • Online Privacy Protection

This course is ideal for investigators, security professionals, and journalists, encompassing more than just Google-related techniques.

Purchase it now and gain lifetime access to our Google Hacking Course Bundle.

3. The Complete Nmap Ethical Hacking Course

Designed to take you from Nmap novice to seasoned pro, this comprehensive course in using Nmap for ethical hacking, system administration, and network security covers all major platforms, including Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Here’s what you’ll learn from your instructor, Nathan House, who brings over 25 years of experience in cyber security as an advisor to top-tier companies and holds certifications including CISSP, CISA, and CISM:

  • Installation, hacking labs, scan techniques, and port selection
  • Discovering active, vulnerable hosts
  • Service detection, version detection, OS detection, timing, and performance
  • Nmap Scripting Engine (NSE)
  • Sidestepping firewalls and evasion tactics
  • Nmap GUI version, Zenmap

This course is ideal for anyone aspiring to deepen their understanding of network security and penetration testing using Nmap.

Get lifetime access in the Nmap Training Course Bundle.

4. Recon for Bug Bounty Hunting Course

This bug bounty hunting course equips you with vital skills in reconnaissance and advanced ethical hacking techniques. Designed for beginners and experienced professionals alike, you’ll learn how to expand targets, discover vulnerabilities, and perform live attacks using real-world examples.

You’ll learn how to do the following (and more) from your instructor Rohit Gautam, an esteemed specialist in network exploitation and red teaming:

  • Master Shodan Vulnerabilities
  • Wfuzz and FFUF Expertise
  • Automated Reconnaissance Tasks
  • DNS Dumpster Utilization
  • Identify Underlying Technologies
  • Visualize Attack Strategies

By the end, you’ll be well-prepared to conduct thorough recon and effectively exploit vulnerabilities in live environments.

Grab it, and five other great courses, as part of the Bug Bounty Hunter Course Bundle.

Best Penetration Testing Courses for Beginners

β€œThe journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”—Lao Tzu

Once you’ve got a background in networking and cyber security, here are our top picks for you:

5. Penetration Testing Training for Beginners

This hands-on course introduces the fundamentals of penetration testing, specifically designed for beginners.

You’ll learn the following from your instructor Prof. K, who has over 25 years of experience in technology, network infrastructure, and cyber security:

  • Pentesting tools and techniques
  • Scoping engagements and reports
  • Data gathering with Nmap, WinPEAS, and Recon-ng
  • Weakness identification with OpenVAS and ZAP

By building your virtual lab with Kali Linux and other tools, you’ll gain the practical experience needed to start a career in penetration testing. Perfect for aspiring ethical hackers and certification candidates.

This course is available for purchase as part of the Nmap Training Course Bundle.

6. Learn Hacking From Scratch: Ethical Hacking Course

This hands-on course provides 135+ videos to take you from beginner to intermediate skill levels. You’ll learn the fundamentals and how to set up a hacking lab environment on Windows, Linux, and macOS.

You’ll learn the following and more from your instructor, Zaid Al-Quraishi, an experienced ethical hacker and computer scientist who brings years of practical experience to the course:

This course is ideal for aspiring ethical hackers, penetration testers, and anyone interested in exploring hacker techniques and defenses.

This is the first course in our top-rated Ethical Hacking Courses Bundle: Learn Hacking for Beginners.

7. Learn Windows and Linux Privilege Escalation Attacks

This course covers essential techniques for identifying and exploiting system vulnerabilities in Windows and Linux to elevate access to root or administrative levels during ethical hacking. 

You’ll learn from your instructor, Atil Samancioglu, a seasoned educator with extensive experience, how to:

  • Exploit escalation vectors and misconfigured systems
  • Prepare for OSCP and other certifications
  • Utilize tools like Metasploit and Python payloads
  • Perform brute-force attacks and shadow file cracking
  • Gain insights into post-exploitation strategies

This course is ideal for aspiring penetration testers, ethical hackers, and anyone preparing for certifications or real-world scenarios where privilege escalation is critical.

Part of our six-course Bug Bounty Hunter Course Bundle, available for a one-time purchase.

8. Top 5 Bug Bounty Tools and Tricks Course

This practical course introduces you to the five most widely used tools in bug bounty hunting, giving you the knowledge and confidence to start testing web applications for real vulnerabilities. With step-by-step demonstrations, you’ll learn how to apply these tools in live environments.

You’ll learn the following and more from your instructor, Rohit Gautam, CEO and Founder of Hacktify Cyber Security, whose students rank among India’s top cybersecurity researchers:

  • Using Nmap for network scanning and service discovery
  • Mastering Burp Suite for web application testing
  • Automating directory and file discovery with Dirsearch
  • Applying Google Dorks for targeted information gathering
  • Leveraging Shodan to uncover exposed systems and devices
  • Combining tools for effective bug bounty workflows

Gain hands-on experience identifying and exploiting web application vulnerabilities, making it perfect for beginners.

Get lifetime access to this course in the Bug Bounty Hunter Course Bundle.

Best Social Engineering Training Courses

The following two courses take you from beginner to advanced penetration testing. 

β€œBetter an open enemy than a false friend.”—English proverb

Social engineering differs from traditional penetration testing by exploiting human psychology rather than technical vulnerabilities. It involves convincing someone to willingly grant access to a target environment. Here are courses that teach you how to become a β€œfalse friend.”

9. Learn Social Engineering Testing From Scratch

Covering information gathering, undetectable malware creation, delivery methods, and post-exploitation techniques, this course prepares you to leverage human vulnerabilities while safeguarding against attacks.

Your instructor, Zaid Al-Quraishi, an accomplished ethical hacker, pentester, and educator, will show you how to:

  • Ethically exploit human vulnerabilities for security insights
  • Create backdoors and keyloggers across platforms
  • Utilize phishing and fake sites for ethical testing
  • Practice privilege escalation and maintain access

Learn how to secure systems against social engineering attacks and enhance organizational defenses.Β 

This is part of our Ethical Hacking Courses Bundle.

10. Breaching The Perimeter With Enterprise Phishing Training

Ideal for aspiring ethical hackers, penetration testers, and cyber security professionals seeking to learn advanced enterprise phishing techniques.

Here’s what you’ll learn from your instructor, Brandon Dennis, who brings over a decade of Ethical Hacking and Red Teaming experience, guiding you through the complete attack chain beyond basic phishing:

  • Advanced Phishing Infrastructure
  • Bypassing 2FA
  • Python Automation
  • Full Attack Simulation
  • EvilGinx2 & GoPhish
  • Human Psychology in Phishing
  • Domain & Email Setup

This hands-on course dives into advanced enterprise phishing techniques, informed by seasoned penetration testers.

Get lifetime access to this in our complete Red Team Hacker Bundle.

Best Web Application and Bug Bounty Training Courses

β€œEvery fence has a weak spot. You just got to know where to look, right?”—Zana Fraillon

Learn how to identify vulnerabilities in websites and web applications and secure them with our top courses below.

11. Pentesting and Website Hacking Course: Learn From Scratch

This comprehensive course walks you through the process of identifying and exploiting common web vulnerabilities, helping you master the fundamentals of website hacking while building practical skills from the ground up.

You’ll learn the following and more from your instructor, Zaid Al-Quraishi, an experienced penetration tester and ethical hacker with years of hands-on teaching experience:

  • DNS hacking and subdomain discovery
  • Exploiting SQL injection vulnerabilities
  • Manipulating session cookies for unauthorized access
  • Breaking passwords and authentication flaws
  • Exploiting common website misconfigurations
  • Launching cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks
  • Performing real-world website exploitation

This hands-on course is ideal for web developers, administrators, penetration testers, and ethical hackers who want to understand how attackers compromise websitesβ€”and how to defend against these threats.

Part of our complete Ethical Hacking Courses Bundle, available as a one-time purchase.

12. The Complete Web Penetration Testing & Bug Bounty Course

This in-depth course takes you from beginner-friendly concepts to advanced exploitation techniques, equipping you with the skills needed to test modern web applications and succeed in bug bounty hunting. You’ll not only learn how to discover vulnerabilities, but also how to exploit and report them effectively.

You’ll learn the following and more from your instructor, Atil Samancioglu, a seasoned cybersecurity trainer with extensive experience guiding students into penetration testing careers:

  • HTML and PHP injection techniques
  • Directory traversal attacks
  • Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) exploitation
  • Access control bypasses and IDOR attacks
  • Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) exploitation
  • SQL injection exploitation and prevention
  • Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) attacks
  • API penetration testing methods

This course is ideal for aspiring penetration testers, ethical hackers, and anyone looking to break into bug bounty programs by mastering the most common and impactful web application attack vectors.

Purchase it now with our Bug Bounty Hunter Course Bundle.

Best Python for Penetration Testing Courses

β€œA small key opens big doors.” β€” Turkish proverb

Python is a vital programming language for penetration testers. Here are our recommended courses for getting started:

13. The Ultimate Python Hacking Course: Beginner To Expert

This hands-on course bridges Python programming and ethical hacking, giving you the practical skills to script exploits, automate tasks, and analyze networks. You’ll start with beginner-friendly coding concepts before advancing to penetration testing projects that mirror real-world scenarios.

You’ll learn the following and more from your instructor, Zaid Al-Quraishi, a seasoned ethical hacker and computer scientist with extensive experience teaching cybersecurity and penetration testing:

  • Building Python coding projects for ethical hacking
  • Analyzing and crafting network packets
  • Applying object-oriented programming (OOP) to hacking solutions
  • Developing custom penetration testing tools
  • Implementing evasion and bypass techniques
  • Setting up and working in a dedicated hacking lab
  • Automating repetitive pentesting tasks

This course is ideal for aspiring penetration testers, security enthusiasts, and anyone who wants to harness Python as a powerful tool for ethical hacking.

Check it out in the six-course Complete Python Course Bundle for Hacking and Cyber Security.

14. Ethical Hacking Python Course: From Zero To Mastery

This hands-on course introduces Python as a powerful tool for penetration testing, guiding you through both Python 2 and 3 while teaching essential ethical hacking techniques. Starting with the basics of programming and Kali Linux, you’ll progress to advanced topics like backdoors, information gathering, and network sniffing.

You’ll learn the following and more from your instructor, Aleksa Tamburkovski, a cybersecurity professional and educator with practical expertise in Python and ethical hacking:

  • Setting up and working with virtual environments
  • Mastering Kali Linux basics for penetration testing
  • Applying Python for hacking tasks and scripting exploits
  • Conducting information gathering and reconnaissance
  • Developing advanced backdoors for controlled environments
  • Performing network sniffing and packet analysis
  • Building hands-on projects to reinforce hacking concepts

Like the previous course, it’s also in our The Complete Python Course Bundle for Hacking and Cyber Security, available for purchase.

15. Windows API Hacking Course With Python

This advanced course teaches you how to leverage Python to interact with the Windows API, manipulate system processes, and build custom security tools. You’ll gain a deep understanding of Windows internals while developing projects that can strengthen your professional portfolio.

Here’s what you’ll learn from your instructor, Brandon Dennis, an ethical hacker and red teamer with over a decade of industry experience:

  • Custom Security Tool-Building
  • Windows API Interaction
  • Professional Portfolio Building
  • Deep Windows Internals
  • Python to EXE Compilation
  • User Impersonation Skills
  • Windows Process Manipulation Techniques
  • Advanced Token Manipulation Techniques

This course is ideal for penetration testers, ethical hackers, and cybersecurity professionals seeking to advance their skills in Windows exploitation and custom tool development.

It’s a limited-time bonus course in the Red Team Hacker Bundle, so grab lifetime access now.

Advanced Penetration Testing Training Topics

β€œA chain is only as strong as its weakest link.” β€” English proverb

Here’s our list of advanced penetration testing courses for ethical hackers.

16. How to Hack WiFi and Wired Networks: Beginner’s Course

Join this beginner-friendly course to learn practical techniques for hacking both WiFi and wired networks. Transition from novice to intermediate as you use advanced penetration testing tools, performing various attacks in a controlled environment.

What you’ll learn from your instructor, Zaid Al-Quraishi, an accomplished ethical hacker on the iSecur1ty penetration testing team:

  • Pre-Connection Attacks
  • Post-Connection Attacks
  • Network Traffic Analysis Using Wireshark
  • WiFi Hacking: WEP/WPA/WPA2
  • ARP Spoofing and Man-in-the-Middle Attacks
  • Fake Access Points

Lifetime access to this course is included in the Ethical Hacking Courses Bundle.

17. Cloud Hacking: How to Do Penetration Testing Using the Cloud

This practical ethical hacking course requires no prior experience, but after finishing it, you’ll be able to leverage the distributed nature of parallel computing to do penetration testing. It shows you how to use cloud platforms like AWS and set up your hacking environment with Kali Linux in the cloud.

What you’ll learn from your instructor, Zaid Al-Quraishi, an accomplished ethical hacker on the iSecur1ty penetration testing team:

  • Cloud-Based Phishing
  • Cross-Platform Malware Delivery
  • Remote System Access
  • Command & Control (C2) Servers
  • Cloud Infrastructure for Hacking
  • Browser-Based Exploits
  • Trojan Creation & Payloads

Anyone interested in ethical hacking, network security, cloud infrastructure, red teaming, or defending against data breaches will find this course both engaging and informative.Β 

You can explore this and other advanced penetration testing courses in the Ethical Hacking Courses Bundle.

Best Red Teaming Courses

β€œIf you know the rules well, you can break them effectively.” β€” Dalai Lama

Red teams test systems' defenses, exploiting vulnerabilities to mimic real attacks and Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs).

These courses offer comprehensive training from beginner to advanced, covering real-world hacking skills, exploitation techniques, Windows and Linux internals, Active Directory, and more.

18. Red Teamer Hacking Course: Learn Ethical Hacking Volume 1

Start with the fundamentals of red teaming and build a solid base across Windows, Linux, and Active Directory. You’ll learn how real assessments are structured and how operating systems actually work under the hood.

You’ll learn the following and more from your instructor, Brandon Dennisβ€”an ethical hacker and red teamer with 10+ years’ experience:

  • Red vs Blue vs Purple: roles and objectives
  • The penetration testing process and workflow
  • Windows and Linux essentials for red teaming
  • OS internals and how they impact attacks/defense
  • Intro to Active Directory: objects, domains, trust
  • Kerberos basics for later attack chaining
  • Data handling and manipulation fundamentals

This course is ideal for beginners and career-changers who want a rigorous, practical foundation for red teaming and penetration testing.

Purchase it now and gain lifetime access in our Red Team Hacker Bundle.

19. Red Teamer Hacking Course: Learn Ethical Hacking Volume 2

Build on the basics with the network and tooling layer that red teamers rely on. You’ll configure defensive controls to learn how to bypass them, script with Python, and touch low-level concepts you’ll use in later exploitation.

You’ll learn the following and more from your instructor, Brandon Dennis, seasoned red team operator and educator:

  • Networking fundamentals that matter for attackers
  • VPNs, segmentation, and attack surface discovery
  • Firewalls in practice: rules, logging, evasion thinking
  • Hands-on pfSense configuration (attacker/defender view)
  • Python for automation and custom tooling
  • Assembly basics to demystify how exploits work
  • Defining scope, targets, and rules of engagement
  • Reconnaissance methods that set up successful attacks

This course is ideal for students with fundamentals who want to level up into practical networking, recon, and tooling for real red team ops.

This course is included in our Red Team Hacker Bundle, available as a one-time purchase with lifetime access.

20. Red Teamer Hacking Course: Learn Ethical Hacking Volume 3

Move into advanced offensive operations: exploitation, post-exploitation, stealth, and reporting. You’ll chain techniques against enterprise environments and Active Directory while learning how to communicate results professionally.

You’ll learn the following and more from your instructor, Brandon Dennis, OSCP/OSCE/OSWE-certified red teamer:

  • Exploitation planning and execution in real scenarios
  • Post-exploitation: persistence, pivoting, and data access
  • Password cracking and credential abuse in practice
  • Covering tracks and operating with stealth
  • Reporting that lands: evidence, impact, and fixes
  • Active Directory attack paths and lateral movement
  • Privilege escalation strategies across Windows/Linux

This course is ideal for aspiring red teamers and penetration testers who want to operate end-to-endβ€”compromise, persist, pivot, and report like a pro.

Get this course today as part of the Red Team Hacker Bundle and enjoy lifetime access.

Conclusion

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  • Richard Dezso is a Security+, ICCA, and eJPT-certified cybersecurity writer and penetration tester with hands-on experience in vulnerability assessment, offensive security labs, and Python tooling. He translates complex topics into practical, accessible guides, develops open-source tools, and advocates for cybersecurity education through actionable, real-world content. Find him on LinkedIn or explore his projects via Linktree.

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