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
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
Hack The Box (HTB Academy Free Tier)
Website: 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
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
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
Hack The Box (Free Machines)
Website: 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
VulnHub
Website: 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
PentesterLab offers in-depth exercises with step-by-step instruction. Some are totally free, including:
- Introduction to Web Hacking
- Bug Bounty Hunter Lite
OWASP
Website: 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
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.
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.
Pro tip: Use resources like https://archive.org or PDF Drive to obtain free copies within the law.
- 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
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
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.