When I first installed and booted up Kali Linux, the first thing I saw was the menu. It just kept going with a list of tools, some I’d heard of and some not so much—tools with names that sounded like they could fix my career in a weekend.
So I did what everyone does: opened ten tabs, compared “best Kali course” lists, and bounced between a barrage of videos on Wi-Fi attacks and a painfully slow setup tutorial. A week later, I had learned a few commands, broken a VM once, and still didn’t feel any closer to “I can use this confidently.”
While Kali Linux isn’t your typical operating system for watching movies or checking emails, it’s one of the most popular OSs (operating systems) among hackers and security professionals. It comes preconfigured with over 600 powerful tools for tasks such as reconnaissance, vulnerability scanning, wireless hacking, exploitation, and password cracking.
This guide is for getting unstuck. The goal isn’t to memorize tools; it’s to build a usable workflow: install safely, understand the Linux basics Kali assumes, practice in repeatable labs, and know what to learn next (and what to ignore for now). We selected courses based on hands-on practice, instructor clarity, how current the material is, and whether the course produces real outcomes like being able to troubleshoot networking, manage packages, and document what you did without copy-pasting blindly.
Shortcuts
- Why Kali Linux Stands Out
- How People Use Kali Linux
- Why Should You Trust Us and This Guide?
- Best Kali Linux Courses
Why Kali Linux Stands Out
Unlike Windows or macOS, Kali isn’t built for casual users. It has hundreds of security and forensic tools, ready to use out of the box.
Some of my personal favorites include:
- Nmap: for scanning networks and spotting open ports.
- Wireshark: for watching network traffic in real time.
- Metasploit: to simulate attacks safely and test system resilience.
- Aircrack-ng: to check Wi-Fi security strength.
- John the Ripper: to test password policies.
How People Use Kali Linux
- Penetration Testing: Security professionals simulate attacks to find weaknesses in systems before hackers do.
- Digital Forensics: Investigators use it to analyze evidence from hacked or infected systems.
- Network Auditing: IT teams check Wi-Fi and internal networks for misconfigurations and vulnerabilities.
- Learning Cybersecurity: Many students and professionals use Kali for hands-on practice or CTF (Capture the Flag) competitions.
Why Should You Trust Us and This Guide?
Class Central is a TripAdvisor for online education. We make it easier to discover the right courses without having to jump across multiple platforms. With over 250,000 courses in our catalog, we’ve already helped more than 100 million learners find their next course.
Now, why should you trust this guide?
As a senior security analyst, I have to constantly think from the attacker’s perspective, and I use the same mindset here that I use on the job. I have chosen courses that build real capability, have a safe lab setup that assumes Linux fundamentals in Kali, feature repeatable hands-on labs, and offer clear teaching that explains the “why,” not just the commands.
Best Kali Linux Courses
Related Guides
Learning Kali Linux (LinkedIn Learning)
- Level: Beginner–Intermediate
- Rating: 4.6
- Duration: 2 hours 49 minutes
- Cost: Paid
What you’ll learn
- Set up a safe Kali lab in VirtualBox:
- (Kali + intentionally vulnerable targets like Metasploitable and OWASP Juice Shop) so you can practice, break things, and roll back without risking your daily machine.
- Get Kali “usable” fast:
- Basic setup, keeping the system updated, getting comfortable in the terminal, and organizing your workflow so you’re not hunting through menus every time.
- Run the first steps of a real assessment flow:
- Start with recon (including DNS-style intel gathering and Shodan-style discovery), then move into active probing.
- Do beginner-friendly scanning and web testing:
- Using commonly seen tools (Nikto, OWASP ZAP, Burp Suite) in a way that connects the tools to the job they’re meant to do.
- Try the “starter kit” of attack workflows:
- Basic password attack concepts (hashcat/Hydra) and a first look at exploitation with Metasploit enough to understand the moving parts, not enough to claim mastery.
This LinkedIn Learning course is best for getting familiar with Kali, not for deep specialization. It’s short (about 3 hours), beginner-level, and built around the most common early friction points like setting up a lab safely, learning your way around Kali, then walking through a broad but practical tour of recon, scanning, web testing, and a bit of password/exploitation work.
The best thing I like about this course is its structure. It gives you a map of what belongs where, which is exactly what new Kali users lack when they’re staring at that endless tools menu. The tradeoff is depth: you’ll come out oriented and more confident, but you won’t come out “job-ready” unless you repeat the exercises, build notes/playbooks, and follow it with more lab-heavy practice. If your goal is to stop feeling lost and start building a repeatable workflow, it’s a good pick. If you want rigorous, method-heavy training, you’ll outgrow it quickly.
Penetration Testing with KALI and More (Udemy)
- Level: Beginner–Intermediate
- Rating: 4.5
- Duration: 6 hours 43 minutes
- Cost: Paid
What You’ll learn
- Setting up the Lab: The course starts by showing how to set up your own lab. Mohamad gives a walkthrough of installing Kali Linux, setting up a virtual machine, and then downloading the required tools.
- Real attack and demos: Once the tools are downloaded, we start to put them in action. Scanning networks, exploiting weak passwords, running payloads, etc.
- Putting it all together: The best thing is this course demonstrates how one small mistake in a system can lead to a full compromise.
- Reporting: PT is not only about attacking but most importantly about documenting your findings and presenting them professionally. As mostly those in leadership are not experts on PT but should be able to make sense of the report.
In my experience, the best thing I liked about this course is that you’ll start working on Kali right from the start (Kali is a Linux-based VM that is preconfigured for the purpose of penetration testing). Interestingly, the instructor has 14 years of experience, so you get tips that come only from the industry.
I’ve noticed some reviews that the course does not go deep into attack details, but it gives a broad overview of the tools available in Kali. Additionally, the course is a bit fast-paced, as the instructor jumps from one tool to another pretty fast. (So you’ll need to do some research about some tools on your own).
This course will give you insight into the workings of Kali Linux and the knowledge to build your toolkit to run a full-blown attack from scratch. It’s a great course for beginners who want to get a quick start.
Ethical Hacking with Kali Linux (IBM)
- Level: Intermediate
- Rating: 4.8
- Duration: 16 hours 2 minutes
- Cost: Free to Preview
What You’ll learn
- Practical right from the start. The course starts with setting up Kali in VM and setting up the home lab at the start.
- The course teaches a wide variety of tools. Once the lab setup is done, you waste no time and jump to tools like Nmap and analyze the network traffic using Wireshark.
- The course also gives brief info on scripting using Bash and Python; personally, it feels very hands-on.
In my opinion, this course is totally worth it, as you are exposed to tools like Nmap and Wireshark and additionally Bash and Python scripting that give a great boost to your portfolio. But blending scripting and tools does require an initial understanding of cybersecurity fundamentals. It’s a free-to-preview course, but I suggest investing in the course, as IBM-backed certification will give visibility and improve chances of career growth.
Another great thing about this course is that it offers videos, readings, quizzes, and assignments in 2-3 hour modules that improve retention.
The only concern is that this course is a bit fast-paced, so it lacks the technical depth. So learn some basics of Linux and networking before enrolling in this course.
IBM Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certificate (Coursera)
- Level: Intermediate
- Rating: 4.7
- Duration: 174 hours
- Cost: Free to Preview
What You’ll learn
- IBM Tools: IBM Qradar (SIEM), Forensic tools and scripting
- Threat Intelligence: IBM offers its own unique Threat Intel Platform (IBM X-Force). It’s a database of the Indicators of Compromise (IOC). It helps analysts in checking the reputation of IP (malicious or not).
- Capstone Project: The capstone project in the final assessment helps you build a strong portfolio.
In my opinion, this course is best suited for those who want to learn the defensive side of security along with the offensive. This course gives exposure to SIEM tools like IBM QRadar, which is a leading SIEM solution. The purpose of SIEM is to check all the logs it receives from servers, firewalls, EDR, XDR, etc., and correlate them against the conditions to detect any sign of malicious activity or compromise.
Additionally, you’ll work on IBM’s own threat intel, i.e., IBM X-Force. It’s a depository of indicators of compromise containing information about malicious IPs, URLs, and domains, which is critical to both the defensive and offensive security teams.
The course is self-paced, and the duration ranges from 4 to 6 months, making it ideal for college students and working professionals alike.
Coming to the limitations of the course, despite the “no experience” tag, it’s a little fast-paced and requires networking fundamentals. Also, it’s focused on IBM tech, so you need to adjust if you work on the other vendor’s SIEM solution, although the skills are transferable as all SIEMs work on the same principles. This course is a huge hit, as 98% of learners found it useful.
Penetration Testing for Beginners – Learn Ethical Hacking (Udemy)
- Level: Beginner-friendly
- Rating: 4.3
- Duration: 1.5 Hours
- Cost: Paid Course
What you’ll Learn
- You’ll learn penetration testing, Security Testing and ethical hacking.
- Importance of penetration testing and its procedure.
- Common Types of Attack: SQL Injection & Cross-Site Scripting (XSS).
- Introduction to OWASP top 10 vulnerabilities.
- Bug Bounty Program.
This course is a quick guide to ethical hacking; it’s just enough to get you started without getting into too many details. It’s a little over one hour, where you’ll learn about common vulnerabilities like SQL injection and XSS, get introduced to OWASP Top 10 attacks, and try out automated scanners to identify security flaws. It also introduces learners to the concept of bug bounty.
Note: The only shortcoming is that it gets you started but doesn’t give you much depth; also, a few demos use older versions, which might not match your VM setup.
Penetration Testing, Threat Hunting, and Cryptography (IBM)
- Level: Intermediate
- Rating: 4.5 hours
- Duration: 17 hours 32 minutes
- Cost: 4.6 hours
What You’ll learn
- Penetration testing:
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- Phases: planning, reconnaissance, attack,verification/reporting.
- Tools: Nmap, protocol analyzers, vulnerability scanners, GitHub/Synk rep scanning
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- Threat Hunting & CTI:
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- MITRE ATT&CK Framework
- Threat Intelligence Fundamentals (IOC)
- Threat Hunting based on Mitre framework
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- Cryptography Essentials:
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- Encryption, decryption and hashing
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- Reporting and Standards:
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- PTES framework, creating actionable pentest report
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- Final Project:
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- To consolidate learning, you conduct mini pentest, threat hunt and crypto analysis.
IBM’s self-paced program is honestly a good pick; it focuses on penetration testing, threat hunting, and cryptographic fundamentals.
This course is designed by Dr. Manish Kumar and the IBM team, covering videos, readings, quizzes, and labs, which makes the course more engaging.
What I like about this program is its practical approach; it gives use cases of the MITRE framework and the diamond model of intrusion analysis. It gives clear understanding along with practical labs that cover essential tools like Nmap, Wireshark, OWASP ZAP and SNYK.
The latter part of the course dives into threat hunting and cyber threat intelligence (CTI). It’s a proactive approach to “assume the breach” before it occurs by leveraging SIEM tools and AI-enabled systems to hunt for anomalies—much like stopping crime before it occurs. Cryptography is the final component, where the course explains symmetric and asymmetric encryption, hashing, and digital certificates through real-life applications.
In my opinion, this course is ideal for aspiring penetration testers or those preparing for online certifications, but beginners might find it somewhat challenging. Also, it misses out on some tools like Metasploit and Burp Suite, which are widely used in the industry.
NOTE: A few models are slightly outdated, so you might find yourself googling new commands when the videos don’t match your VM setup.
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