Got an email from “Netflix” saying your payment failed? Clicked the link and now your bank account’s empty. This isn’t fear-mongering. Cybercrime pulls in $10 trillion yearly, dwarfing global drug trafficking. Most people still don’t know where to find help that actually works. Ethical hackers changed that game. They’re not basement dwellers in hoodies. They’ve locked down Apple’s servers, tracked predators for the FBI, and taught millions to defend themselves online. Some turn WiFi cracking into coffee-shop theater. Others spend full-time hunting traffickers. Here’s ten who know their stuff and won’t waste your time with theory nobody uses.
Top 10 Ethical Hackers Online
Ryan Montgomery (@0day)
Montgomery grabbed the #1 ranking on TryHackMe’s global leaderboard out of millions of hackers. That’s just his side hustle. As CTO of the Sentinel Foundation, he spends real hours infiltrating dark web predator networks, then hands coordinates to law enforcement to bust trafficking rings. His Instagram pulls 1.4 million followers learning how charging cables steal data and how to scrub personal info from Google. Born July 23, 1993 in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Started hacking AOL Instant Messenger at eleven years old. Nearly destroyed his life with drugs at seventeen before family intervention saved him, that experience led him to co-found Boca Recovery Center in 2016. Founded Pentester.com in Delray Beach to catch data breaches for small businesses before catastrophe hits. His Shawn Ryan Show appearance from November 2023? Seven and a half million views. Montgomery doesn’t lecture about hypothetical threats. He breaks into systems live, shows you the exact vulnerability, then explains your defense. That lightbulb in your living room monitoring network traffic and stealing passwords? He demonstrated it in May 2024. Pulled 580,000 views.
John Hammond
Hammond’s YouTube channel serves 2.1 million subscribers who appreciate his refusal to fake omniscience. Principal Security Researcher at Huntress Labs, analyzing actual malware samples during work hours, then showing his complete process, including screw-ups, to viewers at night. Former Department of Defense Cyber Training Academy instructor who taught Cyber Threat Emulation to military personnel. He hauls classified-level tactics into public reach. Discovered cybersecurity as an undergrad at the US Coast Guard Academy competing in “Cyberstakes” capture the flag competitions. Built Just Hacking Training out of frustration watching expensive boot camps drain students. Archived CTF challenges mean continuous practice instead of waiting for annual events. Hammond’s stack of certs includes OSCP, OSCE, OSWP, OSEP, OSED, and OSWE, he brings serious technical chops. Watch him struggle through a problem, backtrack when stuck, find the solution. Zero shortcuts. Zero claims about overnight genius. Honest work proving you can learn this. He constantly reminds viewers nobody’s an expert because the threat landscape shifts too fast. Wild West Hacking Fest gave him their RITA Award from Black Hills Information Security. He credits Huntress’s mission-driven environment for letting him do meaningful work.
HackerSploit
Nearly 1 million YouTube subscribers trust HackerSploit’s methodical penetration testing walkthroughs. The channel demolishes the myth that hacking needs genius-level intellect—structured learning beats IQ. Five years professional experience converts into Kali Linux tutorials beginners actually finish successfully. Metasploit frameworks, web vulnerabilities, network enumeration: comprehensively covered, never randomly scattered across videos. HackerSploit builds complete learning paths instead of disconnected topics. You’re constructing foundational skills in logical sequence, exactly how professionals train. Between security projects, the channel develops Android applications, showing that developer mindset helping ethical hackers anticipate where vulnerabilities hide. No knowledge gaps. No assumptions about what you already know. Systematic skill-building producing results.
David Bombal
Bombal’s 2.7 million subscribers learn networking from someone who understands Cisco infrastructure at molecular level. CCIE #11023 certified since 2003, he passed the notoriously brutal lab exam first attempt, something only a tiny percentage accomplish. Based in South Africa teaching globally. Dropped out of university at nineteen due to money problems. Worked retail while studying part-time for his MCSE, eventually CCIE. Spent twenty-plus years teaching Cisco courses across multiple countries. His content bridges theory and practice seamlessly. Watch him explain network concepts, immediately demonstrate them in live GNS3 lab environments. Python for hackers, WiFi penetration testing, Flipper Zero demonstrations, real equipment, never just slides. Recent work explores AI-driven self-healing networks. You understand why networks fail before learning how attackers break them. That sequence matters.
NetworkChuck (Chuck Keith)
Chuck Keith proved cybersecurity education doesn’t need sleep-inducing delivery. His 5 million YouTube subscribers laugh while learning WiFi exploitation over coffee, seems impossible till you watch. Joined YouTube in 2014 with one radical premise: technical material can be entertaining. His energy transforms CompTIA certification grinding into challenges people want completing. Entered IT without college degrees, relying entirely on self-study and certifications. That background drives his mission: destroying traditional barriers blocking people from tech careers. Linux for Hackers series remains gospel for beginners fumbling through first Kali installations. Keith’s real contribution? Confidence building. He doesn’t just explain concepts. He convinces viewers they’re capable of this work, encouraging home labs and hands-on practice instead of passive consumption. Skills need repetition. His delivery motivates actual practice.
The Cyber Mentor (Heath Adams)
Adams founded TCM Security after watching expensive certification programs gatekeep careers. Thousands entered cybersecurity without crippling debt thanks to his affordable training. Born June 29, 1989 in Dallas, Texas. OSCP certified military veteran who started help desk December 2015, became full-time penetration tester early 2018. Two years. Proof focused effort crushes expensive degrees. His free Practical Ethical Hacking course on YouTube provides complete roadmaps from absolute beginner to professional pentester. Adams emphasizes actual daily work, not theoretical nonsense. Also teaches career mechanics: realistic salaries, resume strategies, job hunting tactics. Over 170,000 students across platforms learned his methods. Co-founded VeteranSec helping military members transition into cybersecurity. Courses work because Adams remembers struggling to break in himself. He became the mentor he needed starting out.
Farah Hawa (@farah_hawaa)
Hawa works cybersecurity at Meta, shares practical tips with 93,200 Instagram followers from London. Her content targets regular people needing protection, not enterprises defending against nation-states. Securing social media accounts, protecting data while traveling, safeguarding kids online: actual threats people face daily. Hawa grasps realistic threat models. You probably don’t need defenses against government hackers. You need dodging phishing scams, securing your router, preventing credentials from appearing in data breaches. Her Meta position provides insider perspective on how major platforms approach security. She converts knowledge into user-friendly recommendations. Bite-sized Instagram posts take seconds consuming but deliver lasting protection. Zero jargon. Solutions working immediately.
zSecurity (Zaid Sabih)
Sabih launched zSecurity on YouTube in 2011, now teaching 579,000 subscribers ethical hacking fundamentals. The channel’s mission centers on understanding criminal methods to defend against them, prioritizing manual expert-driven testing over automated tool dependence. Sabih emphasizes becoming an ethical hacker is simple but not easy, requiring dedication and hands-on practice. Structured courses cover network penetration testing, web application security, mobile security threats. Content updates regularly as threat landscapes shift. Teaching acknowledges difficulty while providing clear paths forward. Courses prepare students for professional certifications while building skills employers want. No shortcuts, no magic, no overnight transformations. Systematic development producing competent security professionals understanding fundamentals.
NahamSec
Bug bounty hunting pays NahamSec’s bills. His 39,400 Instagram followers watch exactly how he does it. Specializing in offensive security and public speaking, he brings Iranian heritage and international perspective to ethical hacking. Content focuses on legally breaking into companies through programs like HackerOne and Bugcrowd, documenting complete processes from reconnaissance through responsible disclosure. NahamSec’s transparency about failures matters as much as successes. Viewers see realistic bug bounty hunting beyond social media highlights. He demonstrates monetizing ethical hacking skills while improving corporate security, genuine win-win. Newcomers get roadmaps for entering this competitive field, including which vulnerabilities companies reward and how writing reports that actually get paid. Real income from real hacking, documented honestly without inflated claims.
InfoSec Pat
Pat addresses the gap everyone ignores: landing that first cybersecurity job. His 38,700 Instagram and 132,000 YouTube subscribers learn technical skills plus career strategy. Expertise spans Microsoft Cloud Security and penetration testing, content specifically designed for career transitioners. He understands newcomer barriers because he faced them. Technical tutorials combine with strategic career advice throughout content. Which certifications matter to hiring managers versus which waste money? How building portfolios demonstrating real skills? What questions do interviewers ask, how should you answer? InfoSec Pat demystifies the entire employment process, explaining which credentials deliver jobs versus which drain bank accounts. Skills get interviews. Career navigation gets you hired and keeps you employed long-term.
Finding More Ethical Hacking Resources
These ten represent what happens when deep expertise meets genuine teaching ability. For comprehensive directories spanning ethical hacking influencers, cyber security podcasts, cyber security YouTubers, security hacking podcasts, cybersecurity TikTok influencers, cyber security influencers, cyber security RSS feeds, cybersecurity blogs, check FeedSpot’s curated cybersecurity rankings. Everyone absorbs information differently. Some prefer video tutorials. Others need written posts they reference later. Many want podcast conversations during commutes. Your ideal ethical hacking mentor exists somewhere in those directories. Find them today, follow their guidance, stop hoping your digital life stays secure, actually protect it.