From Beginner to Pro: The 5 Best Ethical Hacking Books to Read
In an era where cybersecurity threats are increasing daily, ethical hackers play a crucial role in safeguarding digital systems. If you’re an aspiring ethical hacker, reading the right books can provide the foundation you need to build strong hacking and penetration testing skills.
We’ve curated a list of the 5 best books for ethical hacking, offering everything from beginner-friendly concepts to advanced hacking techniques. Whether you’re new to cybersecurity or looking to sharpen your hacking skills, these books will set you on the right path.
1. Ethical Hacking: A Hands-on Introduction to Breaking In
Author: Daniel Graham
Level: Beginner to Intermediate
This book is a perfect starting point for ethical hacking enthusiasts. It provides practical hands-on lessons in penetration testing, guiding you through real-world hacking scenarios.
Key Highlights:
✅ Step-by-step guidance on penetration testing
✅ Learn to break into computers and networks ethically
✅ Covers fundamental hacking techniques and tools
If you’re looking to get started with ethical hacking and understand the mindset of a hacker, this book is a great investment.
2. Gray Hat Hacking: The Ethical Hacker’s Handbook
Authors: Allen Harper, Daniel Regalado, and others
Level: Intermediate to Advanced
“Gray Hat Hacking” is one of the most comprehensive books on ethical hacking. It goes beyond the basics, introducing advanced security tools, reverse engineering, and fuzzing techniques.
Key Highlights:
✅ In-depth coverage of zero-day vulnerabilities
✅ Learn binary scanning and advanced exploitation techniques
✅ Covers topics such as malware analysis and vulnerability discovery
If you want to go beyond beginner-level hacking and explore advanced cybersecurity concepts, this book is a must-read.
3. Learn Ethical Hacking from Scratch
Author: Zaid Sabih
Level: Beginner
This book is one of the best beginner-friendly ethical hacking books available. It takes you from zero to hero, covering ethical hacking concepts, penetration testing techniques, and using Kali Linux.
Key Highlights:
✅ Covers basic to intermediate ethical hacking techniques
✅ Hands-on practical exercises using real-world examples
✅ Teaches penetration testing using Kali Linux
If you want to learn ethical hacking from scratch and gain hands-on experience, this book is an excellent choice.
4. Hacking: The Art of Exploitation
Author: Jon Erickson
Level: Intermediate
Unlike other books that focus only on penetration testing, this book goes deep into the core principles of hacking and exploitation techniques. It includes a Linux programming crash course, making it a perfect read for aspiring hackers who want to understand the fundamentals of cybersecurity.
Key Highlights:
✅ Deep dive into exploitation techniques and vulnerabilities
✅ Learn how programs and network security actually work
✅ Covers buffer overflows, cryptography, and shellcode writing
If you’re interested in learning how exploits work under the hood, this book is a must-read.
5. The Web Application Hacker’s Handbook
Authors: Dafydd Stuttard & Marcus Pinto
Level: Intermediate to Advanced
With web applications being a prime target for hackers, this book focuses on web security and penetration testing techniques. It’s an essential read for ethical hackers who want to specialize in web security testing.
Key Highlights:
✅ Covers SQL injection, XSS, CSRF, and other web attacks
✅ Learn how to test web applications for security flaws
✅ A must-read for bug bounty hunters and penetration testers
If you’re aiming to become a web security expert, this book will help you master web application penetration testing.
Conclusion
Ethical hacking is a rapidly growing field, and reading the right books can give you a competitive edge. Whether you’re just starting or looking to specialize in advanced penetration testing techniques, these books will provide valuable insights.
💡 Pro Tip: Combine your reading with hands-on practice in virtual labs like Hack The Box, TryHackMe, and Kali Linux to build real-world experience!