This course from Coventry University's Institute of Coding provides a basic overview of ethical hacking principles and methodologies, focusing on technical skills, legal and regulatory frameworks, and professional standards.

We usually associate the term 'hacker' with cybercriminals using their computer skills for nefarious ends.

But some hackers actually work on the side of law enforcement rather than against it.

Daniel Goldsmith and Christo Panchev are senior lecturers in cybersecurity at the Institute of Coding at Coventry University, while Antal Goldschmidt is an associate lecturer at Coventry University Online.

In this course, the instructors introduce the concept of ethical hacking, often referred to as penetration testing.

Ethical hackers use penetration testing to find vulnerabilities in digital systems and fix them before they can be exploited by malicious actors.

The course instructors use an 'ethics-o-meter' or poll to gauge participants' opinions on a number of hacking topics, including the ethics and intent of hacking — and debunk common misconceptions.