Cybersecurity and Ethical Hacking
Build job-ready cybersecurity skills as you learn to defend networks, identify vulnerabilities, and respond to cyber incidents.
Duration
Approx 12 weeks3 hrs per week
Gain the skills to start your cybersecurity career
Cybersecurity requires more than understanding individual threats. To build a career in the field, you need to understand how attacks happen, how vulnerabilities are identified, how incidents are investigated, and how organisations strengthen their defences.
This four-course ExpertTrack takes you through the core stages of modern cybersecurity, from threat intelligence and network defence to ethical hacking, digital forensics, incident response, and advanced red team operations.
Build essential cybersecurity and network security skills
Start by developing a strong understanding of the cybersecurity landscape and the techniques used by attackers and defenders.
You’ll explore cyber threat actors, attack lifecycles, threat intelligence, OSINT, phishing, malware, ransomware, operating system hardening, and network security. You’ll also gain hands-on experience with industry tools and frameworks.
These foundations will help you understand how cyberattacks develop and how organisations can detect, prevent, and respond to them.
Learn ethical hacking and vulnerability assessment
Next, you’ll unpack offensive security as you learn how to identify and assess weaknesses before they can be exploited.
You’ll explore penetration testing methodologies, reconnaissance, network scanning, service enumeration, and web application security testing. You’ll learn how vulnerabilities are identified, prioritised, and managed, while developing an understanding of frameworks and practices used in professional ethical hacking.
As you progress, you’ll build towards more advanced techniques involving exploitation, privilege escalation, credential attacks, Active Directory security, lateral movement, and adversary simulation.
Develop cyber incident response and digital forensics skills
Finally, you’ll learn how security teams detect, investigate, contain, and recover from cyber incidents.
These skills will help you understand the full incident lifecycle and develop the structured approach needed to investigate security events while preserving evidence and improving organisational resilience.
Advance towards a career in cybersecurity
By completing this ExpertTrack, you’ll build practical knowledge across both defensive and offensive cybersecurity.
You’ll progress from cybersecurity fundamentals to advanced ethical hacking and red team operations, developing an understanding of the tools, techniques, and methodologies used across modern security teams.
Key skills you will learn
- cyber security
- network security
Experience required
Cybersecurity is one of the fastest-growing fields in technology, yet most entry-level learners struggle to find a starting point that is both rigorous and genuinely accessible. This ExpertTrack fills that gap by giving beginners the mental models, technical foundations, and hands-on tool experience they need before stepping into any security role or advancing to ethical hacking.
Getting started
The skills you develop can support career pathways including Cybersecurity Analyst, SOC Analyst, Threat Intelligence Analyst, Vulnerability Analyst, Incident Responder, Digital Forensics Analyst, Penetration Tester, Red Team Analyst, and Offensive Security Engineer.
Whether you’re starting your journey in cybersecurity, developing your technical security skills, or working towards a specialist role in ethical hacking or offensive security, this ExpertTrack will help you build the practical expertise to take your next step.
ExpertTrack course overview
Course 1
Cybersecurity Essentials: Threats, Intelligence, and Network Defence
Build essential cybersecurity skills and learn how to identify, analyse, and defend against modern cyber threats.
3 tests
3 weeks
3 hours per week
Week 1
Cyber Threats, Intelligence, and Linux Foundations
- Understanding Threat Actors and Attack Lifecycles
- Linux Foundations and Threat Mapping
- Threat Intelligence and OSINT
Week 2
Attack Vectors, Social Engineering, and Malware Analysis
- Social Engineering and Phishing Analysis
- Malware and Ransomware Analysis
Week 3
Network and Operating System Security Monitoring
- Operating System Hardening and Monitoring
- Network Security and Traffic Analysis
Course 2
Ethical Hacking and Vulnerability Assessment Techniques
Develop real-world ethical hacking and vulnerability assessment skills to strengthen organisational cyber defences.
3 tests
3 weeks
3 hours per week
Week 1
Ethical Hacking Foundations and Vulnerability Assessment
- Ethical Hacking Fundamentals
- Vulnerability Assessment and Network Discovery
- Vulnerability Scanning and Risk Analysis
Week 2
Advanced Ethical Hacking Techniques and Web Application Testing
- Network Enumeration and Exploitation
- Web Application Security Testing
Week 3
Vulnerability Management and Security Improvement
- Remediation and Patch Management
- Security Governance and Reporting
Course 3
Cyber Incident Management and Digital Forensics
Develop the incident response and digital forensics skills needed to detect, contain, and recover from cybersecurity incidents.
3 tests
3 weeks
3 hours per week
Week 1
Security Monitoring, SIEM, and DoS Detection
- Security Monitoring and SIEM Analysis
- DoS and DDoS Detection
Week 2
Incident Response Foundations and Digital Forensics
- Incident Response Planning and Investigation
- Incident Response Procedures and Readiness
- Digital Forensics and Evidence Analysis
Week 3
Incident Containment, Eradication, and Recovery
- Threat Containment and Eradication
- Recovery and Post-Incident Improvement
Course 4
Red Team Operations and Advanced Ethical Hacking
Develop in-demand ethical hacking and red team skills and learn to deliver professional penetration testing reports.
3 tests
3 weeks
3 hours per week
Week 1
Exploitation, Privilege Escalation, and Credential Attacks
- Exploitation and Linux Privilege Escalation
- Windows Privilege Escalation and Credential Attacks
Week 2
Active Directory Attacks and Advanced Web Exploitation
- Active Directory Attacks and Lateral Movement
- Advanced Web Application Exploitation
- Authentication and API Attacks
Week 3
Red Team Methodology, C2 Operations, and Professional Reporting
- Red Team Planning and C2 Operations
- Pentest Reporting and Career Development
Prove you're job ready
Highlight the new, job-relevant skills you’ve gained and supplement existing qualifications with a hard-earned, industry-specific digital certificate – plus one for every course within your ExpertTrack.
- Learn the latest in your chosen industry or subject.
- Complete each course and pass assessments.
- Receive certificates validated by the educating organisation.
- Impress employers with learning outcomes you can add to your CV.
- Make your career dreams a reality.
Download a PDF
How ExpertTracks work
Join an ExpertTrack to master new skills in your chosen specialist area. Work through a series of topic-focused courses at your own pace, and pass the final assessment to earn a digital certificate award which proves your expertise.
Decide if the ExpertTrack is right for you with free access to the full suite of courses and assessments for a week.
Pay a monthly subscription fee of $39 for as long as it takes you to complete the ExpertTrack. You can learn at your own pace and cancel at any time.
Receive a certificate for every completed course and pass the final assessment to earn a digital certificate.
Use your specialist training to progress further in your career or build expertise in areas you’re passionate about.
World-class learning with Edureka
Edureka is a global online learning platform offering industry-focused training in emerging technologies such as Cloud, AI, GenAI, Data Science, DevOps, and Cybersecurity, helping professionals upskill and advance their careers.
Learning on FutureLearn
Your learning, your rules
- Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
- Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
- Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores
Join a global classroom
- Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
- Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
- Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others
Map your progress
- As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
- Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
- Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate
Want to know more about learning on FutureLearn? Using FutureLearn
What are our learners saying?
Add a new skill or forge a new path
"I recommend Futurelearn to anyone looking to learn and upskill...If you are in the job market, you might want to add a new skill or forge a new path."
They bring the classroom right to you
"FutureLearn courses are always interesting and informative. They bring the classroom right to you and send you on a journey to explore new ideas and offer interesting topics."
Start learning today - free 2-day trial
After your free trial you can:
- Pay $39 per month to keep learning online
- Have complete control over your subscription; you can cancel any time
- Work at your own pace and set your own deadlines at every stage
- Only pay while you’re learning; the subscription will cancel automatically when you finish
- Complete online assessments to test your knowledge and prove your skills
- Earn digital course certificates and a final award that you can share online, with potential employers, and your professional network
- Keep access to the content of courses you complete even after your subscription ends
FAQ
ExpertTracks are a series of online courses designed to help you master new skills in specialist areas. You pay a monthly subscription fee which includes access to all courses within the ExpertTrack, as well as assessments and the final digital certificate.
Each ExpertTrack comes with a 2-day free trial period. You may cancel your subscription at any time and your subscription will automatically cancel when you finish the courses and assessments in your chosen ExpertTrack.
Yes. All of our ExpertTracks come with a 2-day free trial. You may claim one free trial period per ExpertTrack.
You have two days before you will be charged your first monthly subscription fee. When you join an ExpertTrack you automatically receive a 2-day free trial period. You can cancel at any time during the trial period and no payment will be taken from your account.
Please see our full refund policy here.
No, all of our ExpertTracks consist of fully online courses. This means you can take an ExpertTrack from anywhere in the world.
No. ExpertTracks are designed for you to master new skills in a specialist area. You will earn a digital certificate that proves your learning, but it does not carry accreditation.
If you’re looking for certified or accredited courses, many of our microcredentials offer university credit or professional certification.
Have more questions about ExpertTracks? Read the ExpertTracks FAQs, or contact us.