This list of the 15 best books on ethical hacking is a must-read for anyone looking to break into the field. These books cover all aspects of the topic, from networking, penetration testing and cryptography. They are a great starting point for anyone interested in learning about this exciting profession or improving their existing skillset.
1. Hacking: The Art of Exploitation, 2nd Edition
This book covers the basics of hacking and penetration testing. It is an excellent resource for learning about the ins and outs of hacking, including how to hack, how to protect yourself from hackers, and how to hack back. The first half of the book describes in detail many different types of attacks that can be used against a network or host computer system.
- Chapter 1: Introduction
- Chapter 2: Basics of System Hacking
- Chapter 3: Web Application Penetration Testing
- Chapter 4: Web Hacking Techniques I (HTTP)
2. The Basics of Hacking and Penetration Testing: Ethical Hacking and Penetration Testing Made Easy
Certified ethical hacker training and penetration testing are two terms that are often used interchangeably, but they represent very different activities. Ethical hacking is the process of finding vulnerabilities in a system or application that can be exploited by an attacker. This can mean anything from finding a way to break into a computer system or website, to discovering how easy it is for a hacker to gain access. In contrast, penetration testing aims to find weaknesses before someone else does. It’s generally performed on networks that are already vulnerable in some way so that they can be fixed before they’re exploited by an attacker.
Whether you want to learn ethical hacking or penetration testing (or both), there are several things every beginner should know:
3. Web Hacking:Are you ready to become a hacker?
Web hacking is the act of exploiting the security weaknesses found in the software and services used to build websites. Web hackers can gain access to data on your system, attack your server, or even plant viruses and malware on your site.
What is a web hacker? A web hacker is someone who uses their knowledge of computer systems, networks, and internet security vulnerabilities to break into other people’s web sites without permission. Web hackers typically have no malicious intent: they are just learning how computers work so that they can become better programmers or engineers later in life (or even just for fun).
4. Learn Python & Ethical Hacking From Scratch
If you’re interested in learning ethical hacking, Python is an important skill to have. Here are some resources that will help you get started:
- Learn Python the Hard Way by Zed Shaw – This book will walk you step-by-step through a variety of advanced topics while teaching coding skills and how to think like a programmer.
- Hackproofing Your Business by Christopher Hadnagy – This book uses practical examples and case studies to teach security professionals how they can protect their business from cyberattacks.
5. The Hacker Playbook 3: Practical Guide To Penetration Testing
This is one of the best Ethical hacking books for beginners and intermediate hackers. It covers all the popular penetration testing tools as well as different types of penetration testing, including wireless networks, web applications, database security, cryptography and more.
- Read more: The Hacker Playbook 3: Practical Guide To Penetration Testing by David Kennedy (Paperback)
6. Black Hat Python
Black Hat Python is a book written by Justin Seitz and published by No Starch Press. The book is an introduction to hacking with Python and provides readers with techniques for writing malicious programs. While this book does focus on hacking, it can also be used as a guide for security professionals who want to learn more about the language used in malware development.The book includes chapters on backdoors, bots, fuzzing, exploits, shellcode and trojans.
7. Gray Hat Python
Gray Hat Python
By: Justin Seitz
If you’re interested in learning the basics of ethical hacking, Gray Hat Python is a good book for getting started. It is written by Justin Seitz and published by No Starch Press. The book covers various topics related to penetration testing, including basic assembly code, binary exploitation and reverse engineering. The book also discusses how hackers use multiple programming languages such as C, Python and Perl when performing network security assessments on websites or networks.
8. Practical Reverse Engineering
Practical Reverse Engineering, by Andrew Case and David Ascher
In this book, you’ll learn how to take apart software and hardware alike. You’ll learn about reverse engineering as a way to learn how coding works, as a way to learn about cyber security courses, and more. The book also includes some interesting stories from the authors’ lives that are sure to keep you interested throughout.
9. Mastering Kali Linux for Advanced Penetration Testing – Third Edition
The third edition of Mastering Kali Linux for Advanced Penetration Testing is a complete guide to the most popular security distribution on the market. Written by two men who literally wrote the book on Kali Linux (the previous editions), this book offers a detailed step-by-step approach to using Kali and its various tools, including Metasploit, Wireshark, Nmap, Burp Suite and more.
If you are looking to learn ethical hacking or just want to sharpen your skills as an ethical hacker then this is the book for you.
10. Metasploit: The Penetration Tester’s Guide
Metasploit is a security framework that offers a comprehensive penetration testing tool. It’s also the most popular security testing framework used by hackers and ethical hackers today.
What you’ll learn in this book:
- How to install, configure, and customize Metasploit Framework on your computer
- How to use Meterpreter to escalate privileges in Windows systems and Linux/UNIX servers
- How to manage multiple sessions using Meterpreter
11. Real-World Pentesting
- What is a Penetration Test?
A penetration test (pentest) is an attempt by a third party to find weaknesses in your computer networks and/or applications, so that you can improve the security of your systems before real damage occurs. Pentests are generally conducted after other forms of vulnerability assessments have been taken care of, such as network scans or web application tests — but they can also be used on their own if there is a need for immediate results.
- Why You Need to Do a Pentest?
- To identify vulnerabilities in your system and determine how hard it would be for hackers to exploit them;
- To prevent data breaches and protect confidential information from getting leaked out;
- To ensure compliance with industry regulations like HIPAA/HITECH Act, PCI DSS etc.;
12. Wi-Foo: The Secrets of Wireless Hacking
This book discusses how to hack into wireless networks. It explores the vulnerabilities of wireless networks, and it explains how you can protect them.
13. Advanced Penetration Testing for Highly-Secured Environments – Second Edition
Penetration testing is a method of evaluating the security of computer systems, networks and applications by simulating malicious attacks. It is also known as ethical hacking, white hat hacking or vulnerability assessment/testing.
The goal of penetration testing is to identify weaknesses in your network’s defenses and devise solutions before cyber criminals can exploit them. Penetration tests can be used on all types of systems: web applications; mobile apps; databases; network devices (routers, switches, firewalls); wireless access points – basically anything with an IP address that’s connected to the Internet.
14. Practical Malware Analysis Ch1-3 (2012)
Basic Malware Analysis is a very useful skill for ethical hackers, security professionals, forensic analysts, and penetration testers. The book covers techniques used to reverse engineer malware and conduct detailed behavioral analysis of malicious programs. This book provides practical examples that demonstrate how to use tools such as IDA Pro and PyDbg (Python Debugger) effectively in real-world scenarios.
15. Violent Python : A Cookbook for Hackers, Forensic Analysts, Penetration Testers and Security Engineers (2012)
This is a relatively new book, but it provides a good introduction to Python for security professionals. It covers the basics of Python and then explores its applications in penetration testing, IT auditing, and forensic analysis.
The author uses his experience as an instructor at Black Hat training conferences to provide practical examples of how people can use Python in their work.
Conclusion
If you are looking for some good books on ethical hacking, these are the ones we recommend. Each one provides a unique perspective and approach that will help you learn more about the field of information security and how to protect yourself from threats like malware, ransomware or other malicious code.
