In this video, I reviewed Cisco Networking Academy’s Ethical Hacker course and answered the big questions people ask before starting: is it worth your time, is it for beginners, and what should experienced IT folks expect. The course is free on NetAcad, rated intermediate, and Cisco estimates around 70 hours—but that number depends on your background. If you’re a total newbie, you can still take it, but expect extra reading on networking, servers, databases, and web apps, so it can easily stretch closer to 100 hours. I went in with a strong background in networking, servers, Linux terminals, and deployments, so for me it was more of a refresher with a lot of good definitions, stages of ethical hacking, cybersecurity concepts, and an intro to regulations and organizations. It also introduces common tools (the same tools can be used ethically or unethically) and has straightforward labs—mostly Kali Linux and terminal work—plus chapter quizzes (70% passing) and a final exam (80% on 50 questions). I also explained why I finished it: Cisco made it a prerequisite for their Ethical Hacking/Offensive Security certificate challenge. I paid $100 for the CTF-style challenge lab, finished it, and earned the Cisco badge/cert you can post on LinkedIn. Just remember: a course gives you structure and exposure—real experience is still different.