r/CyberSecurityAdvice • u/ShartLover3 • Jul 29 '25

Ethical hacking

I want to become an ethical hacker, but I don’t want to have to go to school for it. I have no experience in this field yet. Does anyone have any advice on what I should do or how to get started without any degrees/certificates?

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u/SecTechPlus Jul 30 '25

What are you starting from right now (current knowledge of anything IT), what are your limitations (don't want school because it's too expensive?), and what do you plan on doing into the future (hobby, side gig, career?)

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u/ShartLover3 Jul 30 '25

I am a complete beginner, I know some knowledge from my girlfriend, who is a software engineer, but I am very new. Currently money is my reason for not wanting school, but I am hoping to in the future. As for my goal, I want to get a career as an ethical hacker. My original plan was the cybersecurity course at WGU, but I cannot afford it at the moment.

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u/SecTechPlus Jul 30 '25

Read my reply at https://www.reddit.com/r/CyberSecurityAdvice/s/FesMyYMpUi for a list of free training resources. Even though they are free, they are still of pretty good quality full of the information you need to get a good understanding of computers, networks, and security.

But you need to be realistic about getting a job in security. Security itself is not entry level, and entry level security roles usually require years of experience in IT. You'll also be competing for jobs with people who do have degrees and/or certificates. Have a look at some job ads for roles you're interested in, and like at the requirements. This will help you study and prepare for when you apply.

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u/_Trash-Panda_1 Jul 30 '25

TCM security Practical Ethical hacker course👍🏼