A legal attempt to gain unauthorized access to a computer system, application, or data is referred to as ethical hacking. An ethical hack involves imitating the tactics and techniques used by malicious attackers. This practice aids in the detection of security flaws, which can then be addressed before a malicious attacker can exploit them.
If you’re looking for how to learn ethical hacking, you should first read some books on it, which will give you an idea of what exactly goes into the hacking process and why people do it.
Best Books on Ethical Hacking
Here are some of the best books on Ethical Hacking that will guide you on the journey of being an ethical hacker.
The Basics of Hacking and Penetration Testing: Ethical Hacking and Penetration Testing Made Easy
This book is for anyone interested in learning how to hack and also for those who want to protect their systems. The book covers the basics of hacking and penetration testing, and it’s a great starter book for anyone who wants to learn about ethical hacking and penetration testing.
The book introduces penetration testing, and ethical hacking, then moves on to the basics of the Linux operating system. You’ll learn how to install Kali Linux on your computer and use it as a hacker’s toolkit. The book also covers topics such as network security, web application hacking, social engineering, mobile device security, password cracking, and more.
Hands-On Ethical Hacking and Network Defense
If you’re a beginner, this is one of the best books for learning ethical hacking. The book covers all core concepts of ethical hacking and penetration testing. If you are looking for a comprehensive guide, Hands-On Ethical Hacking and Network Defense is a perfect choice.
The book is written by Michael Gregg, who has more than ten years of experience in IT security, including working as an information security officer for several government agencies. This book is published by Syngress Media, so you can be sure that it’s high quality with lots of detail.
This book will teach you everything from basic concepts like what a vulnerability is to advanced topics like how to perform web application assessments using Burp Suite Pro (a popular web application scanner). There are also some loose ends when it comes to actually implementing what the author teaches, but overall this is still an excellent resource if you want to learn about ethical hacking or penetration testing without having prior experience in these areas.
The Web Application Hacker’s Handbook: Finding and Exploiting Security Flaws
The Web Application Hacker’s Handbook: Finding and Exploiting Security Flaws is written by Dafydd Stuttard, Marcus Pinto, Andrea Micalizzi, and Andrew Honig.
This book explains how to find and exploit security flaws in web applications. It includes a list of tools and techniques to attack web applications, which explains how to use the tools and techniques to exploit security flaws in web applications. It explains what Python is (and how to use it) and includes instructions on how to install Kali Linux (and how to use it). It includes an example of a Python script code block and includes resources for learning more about using Python scripts for ethical hacking purposes.
The Basics of Web Hacking: Tools and Techniques to Attack the Web
Before you can start testing web app security and analyzing hacker tools, it’s helpful to understand how web applications work. This book will explain how websites work and how they can be vulnerable to cyber-attacks. The Basics of Web Hacking also covers various types of web attacks as well as defensive measures that can be taken against them.
The book is written with beginner hackers in mind and assumes little knowledge about the topic. It provides an overview of penetration testing— a method by which security administrators test their own systems or evaluate those belonging to clients—and lists different methods for conducting this type of assessment.
Black Hat Python
Black Hat Python is a book that teaches you how to write Python scripts for hacking and penetration testing. It’s written by Justin Seitz, who has been working as a security researcher at Twitter since 2011. He specializes in web application security and has had his work featured on the Google Chrome Security Blog.
The book is written in a way that makes it easy to understand, even if you have no prior knowledge of programming or hacking tactics.
The book is broken down into six parts: Part 1, Introduction to Python, and Hacking Part 2, Web Applications Part 3, Networking Part 4, Exploitation Part 5, Post-Exploitation Part 6, and Persistent Access.
Gray Hat Python
Gray Hat Python is a book written by Justin Seitz and published by No Starch Press. It’s intended for Python developers who want to learn about ethical hacking, but it also covers other topics relevant to security, such as web hacking, forensics, and security testing.
The book is split into five parts, each of which is further divided into chapters. It begins with a brief introduction to hacking and the ethical hacker mindset. Part 2 covers Python basics such as lists, dictionaries, tuples, loops, functions, and variables.
Part 3 focuses on using Python to write basic scripts that can be used to automate common tasks in the security world. Part 4 covers web hacking, and part 5 covers forensics and security testing.
This book is a great resource for Python developers who want to learn about ethical hacking. If you have some experience with Python and are looking for a resource that can help you learn about security, this may be the book for you.
Kali Linux Revealed – Mastering the Penetration Testing Distribution byRaphaël Hertzog (Author), Jim O’Gorman (Author)
Kali Linux Revealed: Mastering the Penetration Testing Distribution is a complete guide to hacking with Kali Linux. The book is written by Raphaël Hertzog and Jim O’Gorman, who are both known as two of the world’s leading experts on Kali Linux.
This book contains a lot of useful tips, tricks, and techniques for hackers which you can easily implement in your daily activities. You will learn about various tools like Metasploit, SET (Social Engineering Toolkit), Nmap, etc., as well as how to use them in different scenarios, such as web application security testing or network penetration testing, etc. This book also provides step-by-step instructions for beginners so that they can start off easily without any difficulties.
The best thing about this book is its bonus DVD which contains Kali Linux 1.0.5a distribution along with many other tools like Aircrack-ng suite (for Wi-Fi hacking), Kismet (for wireless monitoring), Reaver Pro & Linset (for brute forcing Wi-Fi networks). It also comes with practical examples of penetration testing & ethical hacking, which will help you understand how these techniques work in real-life situations too.
Penetration Testing – A Hands-On Introduction to Hacking by Georgia Weidman
Penetration Testing: A Hands-On Introduction to Hacking is an introductory book that teaches you how to perform penetration tests, as well as what a penetration test actually is. The book also helps you understand the difference between a black box and a white box test, which are two types of testing. It also discusses the importance of scope in your testing process.
You’ll learn how to carry out a penetration test from start to finish so that you can put these skills into practice for yourself.
Cybersecurity for Beginners by Tyler Powers
This book is great for beginners in cybersecurity. It covers the basics and will help you understand how cybersecurity applies to your everyday life, including a look at encryption, authentication, and hashing. The book is written by cybersecurity professionals, and the content is updated regularly. If you’re interested in learning more about cybersecurity and are looking for a CISSP book that is both informative and enjoyable to read, then this book is for you.
Cyber Security For Dummies by Joseph Steinberg, Stephanie Carruthers
Cyber Security For Dummies is a great book for beginners. It covers all the topics you need to know in order to understand and start your journey as an ethical hacker. The book is an easy and quick read, with plenty of examples so you can better understand the concepts.
If you want to buy just one book on cyber security, then Cyber Security For Dummies should be it!
Importance of Best Ethical Hacking Books
The best ethical hacking books will teach you the fundamentals of hacking and penetration testing. It’s not only about using a certain tool or getting a certification but understanding how things work. This comes with practice, so don’t be afraid to try things on your own, as well as read through these books.
If you’re still new to this field, it’s important to understand that there is no such thing as a 100% secure network or computer system. The goal of ethical hackers is not just to find vulnerabilities in an organization’s security systems but also to determine how these can be remediated or mitigated by applying countermeasures against them.
Conclusion
In this article, I have listed some of the best ethical hacking books which will help you to learn the basics and advanced techniques of ethical hacking. These books will provide you with a solid foundation to start your career as an ethical hacker. Before starting to read these books, make sure that you have basic knowledge about the operating system and networking concepts like TCP/IP protocol suite and OSI layer model, etc.
You can enroll in the certified ethical hacking course to learn and understand the latest commercial-grade hacking tools, techniques, and methodologies. With this course, you can develop cutting-edge skills and explore proven techniques and best practices. This ethical hacking course will teach you how to protect your organization from malicious hackers. You can also learn by practicing the techniques by following free online resources such as CTF challenges from VulnHub websites or HackTheBox challenges hosted on the kali Linux machine environment.
FAQs
Q1. Who is the No 1 ethical hacker in the world?
Ans. Known for his expertise in hacking, social engineering, and security awareness, Kevin Mitnick is the world’s leading expert on these topics. He is the man behind one of the most widely used sets of computer-based security awareness training in the world.
Q2. Can a beginner learn ethical hacking?
Ans. There is nothing inherently special about a career in CS, but it is popular among students of all backgrounds (you can also become a CS student without having a background in CS and be just as good, if not better, than a CS student). Ethical hacking requires understanding how systems work since it involves compromising them.
Q3. Which is the first book about hacking?
Ans. Clifford Stoll’s 1989 book The Cuckoo’s Egg: Tracking a Spy Through the Maze of Computer Espionage described how to track a spy through a maze of computer espionage. LBNL is in the process of identifying a computer hacker who has broken into its systems. It tells the story of his hunt for them, based on his first-person experience.