The Basics of Hacking and Penetration Testing: Ethical Hacking and Penetration Testing Made Easy

Loved reading this book! Has been an essential part of my first step of ethical hacking journey!Amazing job by the author to make it so beginner friendly.

I'd been looking for a book to a) learn more about Penetration Testing and b) have something as a reference guide for future use. I bought this whilst researching the subject for work, so I'm not a professional PenTester.I think Patrick has done a great job on gearing this book up for the general spectrum of people reading it. It starts pretty much from the real basics (setting up Kali, "starting the engine" of your attack machine etc) and takes you right through to post exploitation, maintaining access etc.The book covers the 4 main areas you'd expect - recon, scanning, exploit and post. I was reading away, making notes and practicing things, then all of a sudden I was taking over my target machine and executing real exploits, totally from this book. Every day I would start my computer up, get my book out etc, but I also found myself reading this book in my garden and it making perfect sense. You don't have to be in front of a machine doing things step by step - Patrick has done really well in teaching the concepts of "hacking" and the mindset required to get you thinking like a "hacker", not just a droid punching commands in to software.Patrick guides you through all the processes, explaining everything as you go. It would be unreasonable to expect Patrick to explain every switch in every tool in Kali, but he gives clear references to where you can find out more about the tools you're using, their uses etc. Rather than glossing over things (like some other books); Patrick explains things thoroughly enough, but also says things like "take time to learn about XX", so you end up with some great pointers on where to go next to help yourself achieve in the most productive way.I read The Basics of Hacking & Penetration Testing first, then "Metasploit: The Penetration Testers Guide", then "Violent Python". All 3 books give you a great understanding of some of the most powerful pieces of kit out there.Perfect book for anyone interested in PenTesting, at any level - great read.

Good read. Entry level to the subject. You still need technical knowledge. Its not a starter for someone will no knowledve of computers (for those teenagers looking to be uberninjaskilledhaxors)

I've been in the IT security game for many years and this is a well written introduction to a topic vital to every organisation, and indeed individual, in today's cyber world.The author does a great job of summarising, and indeed clarifying, terms and topics I've heard many, many people use/talk to incorrectly. I especially like the fact that to be a successful security testing professional, Patrick reiterates the need for sound ethics and a high moral standing, and that to be a great penetration tester you simply cannot afford to omit any of the stages (the report writing being the most common!).Whether you're looking for a place to start in becoming an IT security (penetration tester) professional or simply wanting to understand a little more about the art of cyber attack and defence, I'd recommend this book as a great stating point and/or refresher.

I have a 20+ year career in IT behind me and wanted to get into information security and penetration testing so I bought this book about 3-4 months ago. It's a brilliant introduction to a very wide subject and steps you through the tools needed and the basics of how to use them. All of the tools it describes are free to download from various sites so you can get a long way with little expense. Since buying the book I have also read widely on the subject and attended webinars etc. and everything has confirmed exactly what the author says in the book - the tools, the methods, the things to look out for etc.If you want to get into vulnerability assessment and penetration testing this book is a great place to start.

Quite a simple book, a bit outdated in parts, easily better on-line resources out there for free, but handy for an absolute beginner to computers in general, I suppose.

If you need to test the security of your internet connection then this book is a must have. It is very reasonably priced, very well written and easy to follow. It leads you through the essential processes using free software available online ( for non-commercial use ). It is sufficiently comprehensive for all but professional Pen Testers, but does not get bogged down in unnecessary detail.

Definitely the best book that I have ever read to get started on the fundamentals for penetration testing. Not overly loaded with information and tools names. Outlines a neat, easy to understand structure and steps to go about penetration testing. Not for seasoned programmers and security testers. As the name suggests, it is for beginners who are coming into the field cold. It makes the first steps of learning penetration testing easy and gives a great foundation.