The opening course in Pluralsight's Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) learning path. In about two hours and forty minutes it establishes the foundational terminology, and the legal and ethical boundaries of ethical hacking. A solid conceptual starting point — but note that the official CEH credential is a separate, expensive EC-Council exam, not something this course grants.
Good for: A conceptual first step into ethical hacking and CEH-aligned study.
Less suitable if: You want hands-on exploitation labs or think this grants the CEH credential.
Skills you'll gain
Ethical hackingCybersecuritySecurity terminologyLegal and ethical boundariesPenetration testing basics
Is this course right for you?
A good fit if you…
You are exploring ethical hacking
You want the foundations and vocabulary
You are starting CEH-aligned study
Consider something else if you…
You want hands-on exploitation labs
You expect the official CEH credential
You already work in offensive security
Requirements: Basic IT and networking familiarity helps.
Realistic time: Around 2 hours 40 minutes.
About this course
Ethical Hacking: Understanding Ethical Hacking is the opening course in Pluralsight's Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) path. In about two hours and forty minutes it establishes the foundational terminology, legal and ethical boundaries, and core concepts behind penetration testing — how attackers think, and how a professional hacker operates within the rules.
What you'll learn
Define ethical hacking and its scope
Understand the legal and ethical boundaries
Describe the phases of an attack
Think like an attacker to defend systems
Map the CEH exam's core concepts
Prepare for hands-on penetration testing
This course includes
2.7h
On-demand video
Yes
Mobile access
English
Language
What it costs
Access comes with a Pluralsight subscription (Standard about $29/month or $299/year; Premium about $45/month or $499/year), with a 10-day free trial. The official EC-Council CEH certification is separate and costly (the exam alone is roughly $950–1,199, plus accredited training or eligibility requirements) — this course is aligned study, not the credential.
Comparison · LBS
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PLPluralsight
Ethical Hacking: Understanding Ethical Hacking
Price
Paid
Pluralsight subscription · from $21/mo billed annually (free trial)
Taught by Dale Meredith, an EC-Council Certified Ethical Hacker instructor and Microsoft Certified Trainer with two decades of security and IT-leadership experience.
About this provider
PL
Pluralsight
Tech skills platform for software developers, IT ops, and security professionals.
No. It is the opening course of a CEH-aligned path. The official CEH is a separate EC-Council exam (roughly $950–1,199, plus accredited training or experience requirements).
Yes — Pluralsight offers a 10-day free trial that includes the full library.
This first course is largely foundational — terminology and legal/ethical boundaries — rather than hands-on exploitation labs.
Basic IT and networking familiarity helps.
Pluralsight issues certificates of completion on its paid plans, but they are learning records rather than formal or accredited qualifications — the value is the skills.
Paid
Pluralsight subscription · from $21/mo billed annually (free trial)