Top 10 Best Cybersecurity & Ethical Hacking Books You Must Read in 2025

1. Hacking: A Beginner’s Guide to Computer Hacking, Basic Security, And Penetration Testing

Author: John Slavio

Perfect for beginners, this book covers the essentials of ethical hacking. It introduces you to the history of hacking, types of hackers, and common hacking attacks. You’ll also learn about essential hacking tools, IP address masking, mobile hacking, email hacking, and penetration testing.

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Key Highlights:
✔ Basics of hacking and penetration testing
✔ Tools and software every hacker should know
✔ Techniques for spoofing and hiding your identity || Downlaod

2. Hacking: The Art Of Exploitation

Author: Jon Erickson

A classic in the hacking community, this book comes with two editions (2003 and 2008). It dives deep into network and computer security, while also teaching C programming from a hacker’s perspective. || Downlaod

Key Highlights:
✔ Learn C and shell scripting for hacking
✔ Hijack TCP connections
✔ Crack encrypted wireless traffic
✔ Accelerate brute-force attacks

3. Metasploit: The Penetration Tester’s Guide

Authors: David Kennedy, Jim O'Gorman, Devon Kearns, Mati Aharoni

Metasploit is one of the most powerful frameworks for penetration testing. This book is a complete guide to mastering Metasploit for discovering and exploiting vulnerabilities. ||Downlaod

Key Highlights:
✔ Learn Metasploit interfaces and modules
✔ Perform advanced penetration tests
✔ Automate discovery using Nmap, NeXpose, and Nessus

4. Penetration Testing: A Hands-On Introduction to Hacking

Author: Georgia Weidman

This book provides a practical introduction to penetration testing, covering everything from information gathering to gaining network access.

Key Highlights:
✔ Password cracking techniques
✔ Bypassing antivirus software
✔ Writing custom Metasploit modules
✔ Automating attacks || Downlaod

5. The Hacker Playbook 3: Practical Guide To Penetration Testing

Author: Peter Kim

The third edition of The Hacker Playbook series focuses on advanced offensive strategies used by Red Teams to simulate real-world attacks.

Key Highlights:
✔ Real-world exploitation techniques || Downlaod
✔ Red Team attack paths
✔ Persistence, malware, and custom exploits

Did You Know?
In Q2 2024, organizations faced an average of 1,636 cyberattacks per week, marking a 30% year-over-year increase.

6. Practical Malware Analysis: The Hands-On Guide to Dissecting Malicious Software

Authors: Michael Sikorski, Andrew Honig

Malware analysis is a core skill for cybersecurity professionals. This book teaches you how to safely analyze, debug, and disassemble malicious software.

Key Highlights:
✔ Build a secure virtual environment || Downlaod
✔ Reverse-engineer malware
✔ Clean networks and ensure malware doesn’t return

7. Social Engineering: The Science of Human Hacking

Author: Christopher Hadnagy

Cybersecurity isn’t just about technology—it’s about people. This book explains social engineering techniques used by hackers and how to defend against them. || Download

Key Highlights:
✔ Common social engineering tricks
✔ Psychological manipulation methods
✔ Countermeasures to prevent human hacking

8. Applied Cryptography: Protocols, Algorithms, and Source Code in C

Author: Bruce Schneier

Cryptography is the backbone of cybersecurity. This book provides a comprehensive guide to encryption algorithms and how they’re used in real-world security applications. || Download

Key Highlights:
✔ Symmetric and asymmetric encryption
✔ Secure protocols and algorithms
✔ Real-world cryptography solutions

9. Black Hat Python: Python Programming for Hackers and Pentesters

Author: Justin Seitz

Python is a favorite language for hackers and security experts. This book shows how to leverage Python for offensive security tasks.

Key Highlights:
✔ Build custom exploits and malware || Download
✔ Write network sniffers and stealthy Trojans
✔ Automate common hacking tasks

10. The Web Application Hacker's Handbook: Finding and Exploiting Security Flaws

Authors: Dafydd Stuttard, Marcus Pinto

Web apps are prime targets for hackers. This book teaches you modern techniques for finding and exploiting web vulnerabilities.

Key Highlights:
✔ Attacking authentication systems || Download
✔ Exploiting application servers
✔ Discovering flaws in source code

Final Thoughts

Whether you are aiming to become a penetration tester, ethical hacker, or security analyst, these books will help you develop a solid foundation and advanced skills in cybersecurity.

Pro Tip: Combine book learning with hands-on practice using labs, Capture the Flag (CTF) challenges, and penetration testing platforms like Hack The Box or TryHackMe.