Start at zero.
Build job-ready security skills.
Short lessons, then hands-on labs in your browser: networking, Linux, ethical hacking, web app security and SOC work. Study evenings and weekends.
Lab 3.2
Find the services running on the target
10.10.0.5 is a practice machine on our isolated lab network. Scan it as much as you like.
- Connect to the lab network
- Scan the target for running services
- Note the open ports for your write-up
student@lab:~$ nmap -sV 10.10.0.5
Scanning lab target 10.10.0.5 ...
PORT STATE SERVICE VERSION
22/tcp open ssh OpenSSH 8.9p1
80/tcp open http Apache 2.4.52
3306/tcp open mysql MySQL 8.0.36
Done: 1 host up, 3 open ports in 4.2s
Module 3 Ethical hacking in the lab
Six skills you will use on the job.
Each one gets short lessons and a lab where you use it straight away, on machines built for practice.
How machines talk: TCP/IP, ports and the handshake behind every connection.
A practice lab you can't break.
Learning security means trying attacks for real. Our labs give you machines that are yours to scan, attack and crash, inside a network built for exactly that.
Your lab: Module 3, ethical hacking
IsolatedMachines
web-01
Running
files-02
Running
ws-07
Running
Reset whole lab
Every machine back to a clean start
Nothing to install
Every lab opens in a browser tab, with the tools already set up. No virtual machines to build.
Legal by design
You only attack machines we run for practice, on a network that is cut off from the internet.
Break it, then reset it
Crash a server or lock yourself out. One click puts the whole lab back the way it started.
Six modules, from your first lesson to your first interview.
Most people take one module every 2 to 3 weeks alongside a job. You finish with a portfolio of lab write-ups to show employers.
See the full curriculum
- 1
Security foundations
Understand how attacks work and how teams measure risk.
4 lessons, 55 minLab: Map the attack on a small office network - 2
Networking and Linux basics
Read network traffic and get around a Linux server with confidence.
4 lessons, 70 minLab: Trace a connection and find it in the server logs - 3
Ethical hacking in the lab
Run recon, scanning and exploitation against our legal lab targets.
4 lessons, 68 minLab: Scan and get into a lab target, then write it up - 4
Web application security
Find and fix the OWASP Top 10 issues in a practice web app.
4 lessons, 68 minLab: Break into a practice shop app, then patch it - 5
SOC and incident response
Triage alerts, read logs and write a clear incident report.
4 lessons, 64 minLab: Work a queue of alerts and report the real incident - 6
Career prep
Turn your lab work into a portfolio and practice for interviews.
4 lessons, 62 minLab: Publish your portfolio of lab write-ups
Always know your next step.
Your dashboard shows where you are in the course, the next lesson to watch, your saved lab write-ups and the week's live sessions on Pro.
Dashboard
Welcome back
You are in module 3
- 1Foundations
- 2Networking and Linux
- 3Ethical hacking
- 4Web app security
- 5SOC and response
- 6Career prep
Next lesson, module 3
Exploiting a known weakness
Recent lab write-ups
- Scanning web-01: three open servicesOct 22
- Tracing a login in auth.logOct 9
- Attack map of a small officeSep 24
Live sessions this week
Pro- Thu30Going
Live lab walkthrough: nmap
7:00 pm ET
- Tue4
Office hours: your questions
7:30 pm ET
Pick a plan. Cancel any time.
Every plan is billed monthly. Start with the lessons, or add advanced labs, live sessions and a mentor.
Starter
Learn the foundations at your own pace.
$29per month
- Every recorded lesson
- Beginner labs in your browser
- The student community
Pro
Most popularThe full hands-on path, with live help every week.
$69per month
- Everything in Starter
- Advanced labs: web app hacking and SOC alert triage
- Weekly live sessions
- Certificate of completion
Mentor
Everything in Pro, plus a mentor in your corner.
$199per month
- Everything in Pro
- A monthly 1:1 call with a mentor
- Resume and LinkedIn review
- Interview practice
Not ready to pay? The free starter kit is 5 lessons and 1 lab, and needs no card. Get the free starter kit
The Pro and Mentor certificate is a Patchline certificate of completion, not an industry certification.
Want someone in your corner?
On Mentor, you get a monthly 1:1 call with a mentor, a review of your resume and LinkedIn, and interview practice, for $199 a month.
Choose MentorQuestions, answered.
No. Module 1 starts with how attacks work, and module 2 teaches networking and the Linux command line from scratch. If you're comfortable using a laptop, you can start.
Try your first lab tonight.
The free starter kit is 5 short lessons and 1 hands-on lab. Just your email, no card.
