Month: December 2020

Did you know that a significant percentage of people have not mastered the advanced concepts of Excel?

Microsoft Excel is probably the most common term you have come across in your student or professional career. If you are an aspirant looking for a career in analytics or data science, a student or a professional, you must be aware that familiarity with the concepts of Microsoft Excel is among the core competencies to thrive in the profession.

With the technical advancement, students are expected to be equipped with the knowledge of Microsoft Excel. There are several useful features in Excel, however, Pivot Tables are amongst the most powerful features provided in Excel.The knowledge of Pivot tables will change your approach towards using Excel.

Pivot Tables are tools that enable you to summarize large datasets and acquire relevant information from them quickly. It is easy to use and you can analyze multiple rows in a short time that could otherwise take many hours with the use of complex formulas.

To find a course on Excel that covers all the essential topics is not easy to find, as multiple platforms have shifted focus on providing courses that are trending in the job market.If you are looking to level-up your skills with important concepts of Excel, then Udemy offers a course on Excel Pivot Table Basics which has been popular among learners.

This course is beneficial for learners to get familiar with the basic concepts of Pivot Tables before moving on to an advanced course for the same. There are certain basic requirements for this course such as how to navigate the Excel ribbon, the knowledge of creating basic formulas using Excel, and how to copy and paste the information in Excel. 

What is a Pivot Table?

Pivot tables are one of the most powerful features in Excel. A Pivot table allows extracting information from a large data set with very little effort. It can rightly be considered as an interactive approach to viewing a report. There is no requirement for complex formulas to view data from different perspectives.

The data can be grouped into categories or broken down into monthly and yearly reports as well. There is a provision of filters that allows to include or exclude categories in the dataset that are relevant to a particular report. You can build charts to visualize the data reports for analysis.

What to Expect from the Course?

Section 1: Preparing Your Data

Introduction to Preparing Your Data

The first section of the course navigates you with important concepts. The process of structuring the information is presented in this section. Restructuring of data has been covered which is among the most important components in Excel. If data is incorrectly structured, then it diminishes the possibility of leveraging pivot tables.

The tutor highlights an important fact that the data is not often handed over in the appropriate format to be used directly for pivot tables, hence structuring plays a crucial role. The section further demonstrates how to set up the workbook for structuring the information. It is followed by the use of certain formulas to answer questions which are then summarized to gain insights into the data. The same information is reorganized to be able to leverage pivot tables to get you started.

Formulas vs Pivot Tables

The second module of the first section describes how Pivot tables are more powerful in comparison to using formulas for data analysis. The instructor defines how formulas for analyzing data is slow and inefficient. Pivot tables are simpler to use but a lot of people are not aware of how to use them. There is a follow-along demonstration of an example in which the data is analyzed by using formulas as well as Pivot tables to highlight the differences.

The example is about sales data that needs to be summarized to extract meaningful information out of the dataset. The use of filters is demonstrated as well for better understanding. The time taken to complete the task using Pivot tables took 15 seconds which was much more efficient than using formulas for the same task. There are also additional resources that are shared in this section.

How to Fix Your Data?

The section deals with trickier aspects of the data. The previous example had the right format for the data, however, the tutor looks into the factor when the information is not available in the right format for analysis. The cleaning of data is explained which is explained with the help of an example. It is also highlighted that sometimes there is a need to manually analyze the data before cleaning.

The data that is in the right format is copied and pasted into the workbook. The whole process of manual processing takes about three minutes in total. There are additional tips that it is better served to use manual processing for structuring the data rather than the formulas for compiling the data.

Related: Udemy Review

Section 2: Creating Pivot Tables

Introduction to Creating Pivot Tables

The tutor provides a walkthrough of the section and explains what will be the outcome at the end of this section. You will be able to create pivot tables on your data along with the basic skills that are needed for creating pivot tables. You will be able to have a clear understanding of working with your data and how to explore them.

Creating a Pivot Table with our Sample Data

In this section, the tutor covers the topic of creating a pivot table. The section begins with data that is needed to be downloaded for the example. The sample data is provided in the appropriate format so there is no need for changes in terms of cleaning and structuring the data.

The example consists of a sales database of a car company with region wise data that is available. There is a follow-along demonstration to create the pivot table out of the sample data. There is an explanation on how you can select your range manually which is followed by the concept of placing the pivot table report. The filters are used for the columns, rows, and values. It is explained that there is no benefit of a pivot table without placing something in the value space. The value area is where the information is placed for aggregation.

The creation of a new column for each unique value in the dataset has been shown in the example as well. Another place where the information can be placed in the filters area which is a bit outside of the pivot table. This area is used to filter information upon selecting the required part. The option to select multiple items is also described in detail. Finally, the proper way to create a pivot table with relevant features is shown at the end of the example. The section also has additional resources for your understanding.

Using Multiple Fields to Analyze Your Data

The instructor focuses upon the analysis of individual fields of the data. It is emphasized that the data needs to be broken down for an in-depth analysis. The outlook of the pivot table is determined by the number of fields in any area within a pivot table. The order of the fields within the area defines the overall structure of the pivot table. The example is demonstrated with the help of region-based sales data for a clearer understanding. The section further highlights the process of grouping the region within a pivot table.

Formatting Values

The section discusses some key points concerning values in the data. The tutor explains how certain data has pricing numbers but it is difficult to understand the actual value. For example, a certain price that could be 24 million or 2 million or 2.4 million is hard to tell without proper formatting. Hence, to make the numbers more readable, it is of utmost importance to format the values.

It is described that the Excel formatting options are very familiar, but to format the cells in the pivot table differs from the actual approach. If a pivot table is not told explicitly about what the changes are then the results will differ in the subtotal values as it might not reflect the necessary changes. It is common when working with decimal-based values. The instructor provides an example that demonstrates the options that are needed to be kept in mind while formatting values in a pivot table.

Losing your Field List

This section deep dives into an important concept of losing the field list. The tutor explains that it can be confusing if it happens when you have just started using Pivot tables. It is explained how the pivot tools and ribbon area works.

When you close out the pivot table, the tools and the ribbons sections along with the fields disappear, however, there are situations when you click back on the pivot table, the tools, ribbons area comes back while the fields area doesn’t come back. It is explained about the additional option of tackling such a problem and what is the procedure that needs to be followed to have the fields back as well.

Summarizing Your Data

The field settings present a screen with the option of summarizing values with the type of calculation that you require. However, it doesn’t always work in the case of the sum of the purchase price. The example is demonstrated clearly on how to efficiently aggregate the information. Additionally, there are options of standard deviation and variance calculations as well which is beneficial for statisticians.

Section 3: Lock in Your Knowledge

Section Introduction

This part of the course is an introduction to the course contents in section three of the module. The tutor provides a few challenges in the form of exercises and quizzes to be completed before moving on to the next module. Certain questions are related to the sample data. Also, there is a provision of a sample workbook with challenges built in them. The tutor encourages you to go through the challenges to get more familiar with tricky questions related to the pivot table and data.

Pivot Table Basics Challenge

The first pivot table challenge deals with identifying the total value of Toyota Land Cruiser sales from the data provided. The second set of the challenge involves the identification of the number of Subaru foresters that were sold whereas the final challenge involves the identification of the average Subaru sales price for Dusty and Dusty.

Challenge Answers

This section particularly discusses the answers to the challenge in detail. The tutor also completes the challenges and compares the solutions with the learners. The solutions provided by the tutor for this section are as follows.

For vehicle sales data, you just need to create a Pivot Table off of the information provided.

So go to insert a pivot table.

Select OK.

A new pivot table in a new worksheet code is available.

For the first question and the challenge was to identify the total value of Toyota Land Cruiser sales though when we talk about sales we know our vehicle sales data were referring to purchase price so drag purchase price into my values area and just while we’re here we’ll update my value field settings and update the number format and up to 2 accounting with zero decimal places just because the focus is on the total vehicle sales in dollars.

To identify the value of Toyota Land Cruiser sales, Toyota is the make and Land Cruiser is the model so you can see that in the Toyota section of the data.

Under Toyota, there is the total value of the Toyota Land Cruiser sales which is 12 million two hundred fifty-eight thousand five hundred and eighty-one dollars.

The next question is how many Subaru Forester were sold?

The tutor provides the solution by explaining that the information is already organized with the make and the model which is Subaru Forester. All you have to do is identify the count of Subaru Foresters.

So instead of updating the value, the instructor provides an additional tip to use for this challenge.

There was an explanation for being able to drag multiple field values into any area within the pivot table. That is what you are expected to use.

Although, it is not the most intuitive thing with Pivot Tables because the field is already in the value section but there is a possibility to drag it in more than once which is fine to do so.

Once the solution is implemented, you can see that it has defaulted to some of the purchase prices in the data. As there is already a purchase price in the pivot table, you are expected to change the name of those fields with the help of the field settings.

You can overwrite and change it to total sales. Now, there is a field with total sales and this field is required to represent the vehicles sold so you can do it in the field settings and change it to count and create a custom name and call it vehicle sold. This provides the answer to the second challenge which is 329 Subaru Forester were sold.

For the final challenge question about What is the average Subaru sales

price for Dusty? To answer this question, the tutor begins from the scratch and empties the pivot table. It is explained how to empty the pivot table using the clear button. To solve the final question, the purchase price is taken into consideration and the average option is selected from the field setting.

The average purchase price of all of the vehicle sales that exist in the database is displayed. You can update to account for zero decimal places. The make of the vehicle is important for this challenge. The make is added into the columns which show Dusty’s average Subaru sale. The tutor provides another method to solve this task with the use of filters. It is explained that pivot tables are flexible and you can answer different questions with a different approach and yet you can achieve the same answer.

Practice Workbook

In the practice workbook, the instructor provides a hands-on experience with more questions. New worksheets are provided with a new set of data and new problems to master your skills. The exercise contains important questions to enhance your practical knowledge and it is suggested to go through this section as well. There are additional resources shared for more information.

Section 4. Bonus Lecture: Thank You and Coupon

For those looking to move to advanced concepts, the tutor explains the provision for an advanced course offered by him. It is a comprehensive and in-depth course on Pivot tables. With an experience of over a decade, the tutor highlights very important concepts in the advanced course as well. There is a coupon provided by the tutor that allows you to take up the course with that amount. It is a 10 USD coupon but it may vary according to the country you are accessing from.

Benefits of this course

Learning Path

The advantage of this course on Excel Pivot table is the content that has been provided for a beginner course. The course doesn’t overwhelm the newcomers as certain introductory courses focus on many concepts at once which confuses them. It follows a very simple approach and begins from very scratch with the installation process.

Some additional resources and challenges and quizzes have been provided to enhance your hands-on experience. The core concepts are explained well. A major benefit is that all the concepts are also demonstrated with an example that learners can practice and improve on. The theoretical explanations are clear and simple to relate to. The examples are easy to follow for a beginner.

Certification

The course provides a certificate of completion and access to online content, certification, and direct access to the instructor for Q&A, and direct reply from the instructor for the paid option. It is important to note that access to online content is available for the free version and the remaining options from the paid version are not being offered.

Learning Community

The learning community on Udemy comprises students and professionals and instructors who are constantly sharing additional resources and important discussions on relevant topics. There are important tips that are shared as well that can benefit learners to implement along the course and helpful for their careers. The instructors are actively communicating with the students and answering their doubts that they post on the forum.

Hands-on Approach

The course provides a hands-on learning experience. The course provides sufficient exposure to theoretical concepts while making the learners practice them in the additional challenges that have been provided for having more practical knowledge for the same.

A hands-on approach lets you grasp the concept much faster. Additionally, there are tips and alternative methods that are discussed during the practical exercises. Additionally, every installation has been demonstrated.

The examples that are being covered are also shown practically, thus enhancing the overall learning process. The tutor has used a single example throughout the course. This helps to understand the practical part more clearly as too many examples can lead to confusion over its implementation. The course is a perfect balance of theory and practical knowledge and provides crucial information along with additional resources.

About the Instructor

Matt Jackson is a digital analytics and SEO professional. He has been using Excel for over 15 years. He has been involved with some of Australia’s largest companies for developing business intelligence solutions. For business analytics to derive meaningful business solutions, he has constantly used Excel as one of the primary tools.

From the experience of working in large organizations, he has been motivated by the reactions he has witnessed when he could show something new for the first time. Currently, Matt Jackson is the director at Stay Digital, a company dedicated to helping local businesses thrive online.

Overall Rating of the Course

• Instructor Expertise: 5
• Additional Resources: 5
• Course Content Quality: 5
• Career Value: 5
• Delivery of the Content: 5
• Visuals and Readability: 5
• Examples: 5
• Speed of Delivering the Content: 5
• Basic Concepts: 5
• Overall Rating: 5

Are you curious about how Linux OS operates? Have you been wondering why Linux is considered an efficient operating system?

If you are among those who are willing to delve into the basic concepts of Linux and add it to your existing skillset, then it is assured that you are likely to get more opportunities. On the other hand, the individuals who are absolute beginners may also benefit from a course that focuses on the very basics of the Linux operating system.

However, when you search for a beginner’s course, it is not simple due to the availability of multiple options claiming to provide comprehensive beginner’s content to guide you from the ground up until the most advanced topics.

In recent years, the most commonly found reviews of learners for courses highlight that the content is not at par or it is overwhelming and difficult to understand the concepts as it includes less amount of concepts suitable for beginners to understand easily.

The course Linux Operating System Fundamentals from Udemy is suitable for beginners who have limited knowledge about Linux and are willing to be introduced to the world of Linux and its historical information as well the offerings on the Linux Ecosystem.

Related: Udemy Review

What to Expect From the Course?

The course is designed for absolute beginners. It covers topics such as how Linux works, why is it important, the purpose of an operating system, and how Linux gained popularity in the IT industry.

If you have been looking for a comprehensive explanation for these topics, then this course is for you. The goal of the course is to provide a simplistic and conceptual introduction to the core topics of Linux as an operating system.

The course follows a visual and conceptual approach for presenting the concepts of the course. You can expect to be thoroughly equipped with Linux fundamentals after the course that will help you to move forward to more advanced concepts on Linux.

The necessity of having a strong foundation of Linux concepts allows tackling more complex technical terminologies and problems associated with the domain of the operating system. The takeaways from this course are listed below.

• The basics of the Linux operating system.
• The importance of Linux and how it is used.
• The key foundations of how to use Linux.

There are no prerequisites for taking the course.

About the Instructor

The course is offered by Linux Academy on Udemy. Linux Academy focuses on providing high-quality training at an affordable price. They offer courses on Linux, cloud technology, AWS, OpenStack, DevOps, Azure, and Big Data. The Linux Academy has an overall rating of 4.5 with over 101,065 reviews. They have trained over 677,376 students over 20 courses that are being offered by them.

Course Contents

Section 1: Introduction

About this course

The course is introduced by the instructor and explains that the course is an overview of Linux. The course is not technical in terms of the operating system itself. It is primarily focused on providing a broad perspective of what a Linux operating system is and how to use it. The course is intended for learners who are absolute beginners and have never heard of Linux.

The purpose of mentioning the course as non-technical is because there will be no actual interactions with the Linux system in this course. The importance of this course is to drive new learners to the idea of a Linux operating system and develop a keen interest to know more in-depth in the future.

The learners will be able to proceed with more advanced courses once the terminologies are clear with the help of this course. This course does not require you to complete an exam for certification. However, you are eligible to receive a certificate of completion from Udemy.

A brief overview of the course is presented by the instructor that states the process being followed. The course has an interactive approach with the help of an interactive diagram. Each topic is broken into subtopics that have their separate video. 

The interactive diagram is an interface that includes a list of all the topics and the sub-topics that are available for the course. The history of various operating systems is explained in this course and the differentiation of Linux and the other operating systems that are available today.

About the Tutor

The course is presented by Kenny Armstrong who has been working with Linux for nearly two decades. He has been part of various deployments related to Linux in the public sector, private sector, and higher education. The tutor explains his background and gets you started with the course.

Free Linux Academy Community Account (Required for Bonus labs and flashcards)

The section is presented by the vice president of Linux Academy. He is responsible for the curriculum development at Linux Academy. There is free access provided to hands-on lab sessions and flashcards and community features provided separately on the Linux Academy platform.

Although there is a provision for free access, it has been explained that this process is completely optional. The advantage of the access of the community on their platform is the provision of bonus materials and the possibility of practicing your hands-on skills. There is an instruction video offered which will guide regarding the sign-up procedure on their community account.

There is a provision for free access to cloud-based environments as well as Microsoft Azure and similar environments. There is a demonstration of all the possible options that come along with a sign up on their community platform.

Section 2: What is an Operating System?

Quick History of Operating Systems

The first part of this section introduces the history of operating systems. It has been explained that to understand Linux better, one must have an overview of what constitutes an operating system. The tutor explains the concepts by beginning with what is an operating system.

Every computer has hardware that includes hard drives, monitors and RAM, and so on. In order, for hardware to perform any action, it needs software, and here is where the role of a kernel comes into focus. The kernel is a component in an operating system. It is rightly termed as the core of the operating system from a broader perspective.

The kernel is responsible for communicating with your hardware through devices and software.  It is further explained that the kernel acts like a piece of software within the system that can send information back and forth to the computer’s hardware. The libraries and driver-assist the kernel to perform these actions efficiently. Various types of device drivers communicate with different hardware to carry out certain functions.

For example, a driver that communicates with hard disk drivers is associated with various types of video cards. The drivers dealing with devices such as DVD drivers, Blu-ray drivers interact through various programs. Another example is if you are viewing the presentation in a web-browser, then the web browser acts as the application that needs to interact with the display for you to view the result.

The applications translate the communications into a form that is understandable by the kernel so that the messages are sent down to the hardware to perform the specified function. The tutor further delves into the areas of an operating system.

It is further explained that the protected region that is created during the functioning of a system is the kernel space, which is responsible for communicating directly with different hardware. The instructor explores the history of the operating system and the very first one which was released in 1956 by IBM.

There is an explanation on the Unix operating system that was released in 1973, which is considered as the base of many modern-day operating systems including Linux and Mac OS. The Unix operating system was used for many research works and it was originally developed by Bell Labs.

The Apple 2 operating system is discussed in detail, followed by the DOS by Microsoft and the operating system released by IBM in 1981 which allowed it to perform business applications to handle spreadsheets and e-mail and text processing.

There is a mention about the affordability of the Apple and IBM systems and the birth of the Windows system that overtook the DOS systems. Finally, a note on the approach by companies in the 1980s for looking into shrinking the computing devices into smaller units that became the revolution for personal computers and laptops in the years to follow.

Popular Operating Systems

The tutor explores this topic on popular operating systems that are prevailing in the market today. The first one is the most familiar one which is the Windows Operating system. The instructor emphasizes the fact of the availability and the capability of the Windows operating system that has become the standard in schools, the IT industry, and several PC vendors that prefer to offer the Windows operating system by default.

The Windows OS is popular due to a well-designed ecosystem in its offering along with a plethora of options and functionalities that are available with Windows OS. Another popular operating system is the MAC OS by Apple.

The MAC OS is based on Unix operating system architecture. The similarity in both operating systems has been explained as well. A look at proprietary software and bug fixes has been explored including the pricing factors that exist for these operating systems.

How Linux Came to Be

This part focuses on the emergence of Linux. The origins of Linux dates back to the early 1990s by an individual named Linus at the University of Helsinki in Finland. He wrote a book on how operating systems work and created a separate operating system that was presumed to be a clone of Unix. The students were able to study the construction and operation of the Unix operating system.

Most research organizations were using Unix systems and were considered a reliable operating system that was robust. The issue with Unix systems was the cost factor that inspired the creation of Linux. With the use of its codebase and kernel, the possibility of creating its operating system became possible for Linus.

This was the beginning of the creation of the Linux operating system, which started as creating a clone of the Unix operating system for personal usage. Furthermore, the instructor added additional details of how the availability of Linux came into the open-source market.

Section 3: The Open Source Movement

GNU and the Free Software Foundation

The section describes the Canoe project. This project was started by a programmer named Richard M. Stallman who was an operating system developer at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was of the view that anyone with a computer should have access to the source codes so that they can fix any problem by themselves by accessing the source code. 

The Canoe project began in 1983, which aimed at developing a free open-source operating system. The instructor deep dives further into how clone applications were developed with codes written from the scratch for the project. In 1985, the Free Software Foundation (FSF) was founded by Stallman, which aimed to provide access to every user to the source codes.

There is a mention of the GPL license as well. Red Hat buying Cygnus and the open-source movement has been explained in detail. The issues where not every company was willing to give away their source code for free is touched upon in-depth.

The Open Source Initiative

What is the Open Source Initiative? The tutor deep-dives into the topic and explains its origins that date back to the early to mid-1990s. The internet browser competition was heating up in the market. It was at the time that you needed to have a web browser that involved payment for the same.

This was the time that Microsoft Windows gained prominence with its offering of Internet Explorer. As the demand for Microsoft Windows skyrocketed, competitors like Netscape started giving away their browser for free. However, Netscape did not come pre-installed in comparison with Microsoft Windows.

Therefore, to tackle this problem, Netscape started giving away their source code for free along with the browser in the offering. The purpose was to see if people like the browser then they could modify the browser with further improvements and add useful features.

Although Netscape didn’t survive the competition and closed its door, the source code remained which was eventually used as a base for the Mozilla Firefox web browser that we have today.

The instructor explores the history behind the open-source initiative that was formed in the year 1998. There is an explanation on topics related to licensing available today and well as Apache Tomcat, Apache License, Mozilla Public License, and M.I.T license. There is also a description of how a particular software and source code is made available to the open-source market.

Section 4: Basics of a Linux Distribution

Components of a Linux Distribution

This section discusses the Linux distribution. The kernel is the core of an operating system but to be able to perform something useful with your computer, there is a need for certain pieces of software for it. Therefore, there are library file device drivers along with the kernel and user applications that complete a Linux distribution.  There is an explanation of how one can construct a Linux distribution.

The need for compiling the source code into the actual binary components which are essential software items for a computer to work with by adding them to the operating system as per the need. There is a mention about the possibility of downloading the software and configuring your hard drive to keep the Linux installation and to be able to select the applications that you want to use on your computer.

The shortcomings and updates to tackle the specific problems have been explained in detail. Finally, the various types of Linux distributions that are used in organizations today are being discussed as well.

RPM-Based Distributions

The lesson focuses on the Linux distribution using RPF.  The various types of distribution and specifically focused on a detailed discussion on the topic related to RPF based distribution and Debian based distribution. The RPF based distributions are most commonly found within an enterprise environment. The use of this distribution is to be able to track the type of software that is being installed. 

Other features include installation of software updates, uninstalling software, and checking the contents of the software packages. The formation of Red Hat in 1994 and how this company decided to work on a workstation Linux operating system came into existence has been explained. The foundation of Red Hat Linux and RedHat Enterprise Linux has been discussed in detail as well.

Debian Based Distributions

This section looks into Debian package management. Amongst the Linux distributions, the Debian package management has been the longest surviving one due to its ease of installation and use. It is considered to be a very stable software.

The instructor explains an important concept on how Debian has become such a stable offering and the use of older software in it as compared to other Linux distributions. The advantage of having a year-old software is that the bugs have all been fixed; therefore, it avoids any new bugs that are prevalent in the newer software.

Debian is considered to be the base of many Linux distributions. Many communities have taken various tools to new heights by using Linux distributions with their tweaks and additions, however, there are still some core features of Debian that exists in them.

Furthermore, the tutor explains ethical hackers who work with different Linux distributions. Finally, an explanation of other newer Linux distributions such as Linux Mint along with several others and their uses.

Section 5: Uses of Linux

Server Systems

Linux has grown in prominence due to its usage as a server operating system. The very first uses of a web server were found in the Apache project that can run Microsoft Windows, Macintosh OS, BSD Unix OS. Another feature that has made Linux popular is its usability for system administration. Various web servers are available for Linux.

Among them, the ones that are used in enterprises are Apache and engine X. The ease of use in terms of sending mail from one server to another has also worked in favor of Linux. The tutor explains the available open-source database systems that run on Linux such as Oracle. The topics on Red Hat Enterprise Linux are looked upon in detail as well in this lesson.

Mobile Devices

The lesson primarily looks into Linux as a mobile platform and its history as a mobile platform. It began in the year 2000 when a group of Linux developers created familiar Linux. The initial release was for the AI pack. This pack had pre-installed applications that were handy for a personal device.

The development of memo operating systems, Ubuntu mobile, GPS devices that used Linux and Linux for Android has been discussed in detail in this section. The instructor further explains how Linux for the mobile platform is growing in recent years but it is yet to be seen how much of the integration we might be able to see in terms of Linux as an operating system for the mobile devices.

Cloud Infrastructure

This is the final lesson for Linux fundamentals. The largest usage of Linux that is witnessed in the IT industry is for the cloud infrastructure. With the growing popularity of cloud computing technology, every business is aiming for a shift towards the cloud platform due to its potential and advantages.  So how does Linux fit into the cloud platform?

The tutor explains that all the services that are offered on the cloud platform are built entirely on Linux. Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud are some of the well-known cloud platforms that have used Linux. Perhaps the largest among them are Amazon web services and Netflix that also have their platforms built entirely on Linux.  Finally, the course is concluded with some additional information and resources that are shared by the instructor.

Section 6: Conclusion

Next Steps for Further Study

A final note from the instructor to conclude the course. The instructor highlights the most important concepts from the course that one must remember.  The course introduced various concepts that are listed in the following section.

• General operating system history.
• First usage of the operating system and its implementation on large mainframe computers.
• Linux development history.
• Linux kernel and Linux distributions.
• General open-source software history.
• Free software movement.
• Open source initiative.
• Applications on a Linux system.

The course is wrapped up with final thoughts on important certifications that learners can look for and other courses that are available on Linux academy.

Benefits of the Course

• Clarity of basic concepts of Linux for absolute beginners, thus forming your learning path to master advanced concepts in the future.
• Access to the learning community that comprises tutors and experienced individuals who share important resources and doubts can be cleared as well.
• Certificate of completion.
• Direct access to the instructor for Q&A for the paid version on Udemy.

Related: Top 10 Linux Online Courses

Overall Ratings of the Course

• Instructor Expertise: 5
• Additional Resources: 3
• Course Content Quality: 5
• Career Value: 5
• Delivery of the Content: 5
• Visuals and Readability: 5
• Examples: 5
• Speed of Delivering the Content: 4
• Basic Concepts: 5
• Overall Rating: 4.5

How do you prefer to steer your career graph?

If you are among those individuals looking to master the skills of web development, then the understanding of JavaScript libraries is a must. React is a JavaScript library that is one of the most popular libraries among the developer community.

React enables you to develop user interfaces with the use of separate components which simplifies the developmental process. The familiarity with the concepts of React and deepening the coding skills of web development is of utmost importance in this field, hence you must acquire your skill set in the React environment.

An online platform for learning various technical courses has been the trend in recent times. However, there are numerous offerings on online platforms and it is often confusing as to which course to choose from. Therefore, it is crucial to select the right course that is not overwhelming to begin learning a new concept.

Many introductory courses focus on providing too much content at once which makes the course lengthy and confusing to understand the basic concepts precisely. It is a known fact that without the basics, you can’t master the advanced concepts especially in the field of technology.

A short introductory course called React Fundamentals is offered on Udemy. The course is beneficial for individuals looking to learn React from the scratch. There is a prerequisite for the course that requires a fair understanding of JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. You will learn how to set up the React environment and be familiar with concepts on React elements, JSX, components, props, state, lifecycle methods, containers, form and input managing, conditional rendering, and React-router V4.

What is React?

React is a JavaScript library that was released by Facebook in 2013. The main objective was to simplify the development of user interfaces. React is widely used for building single-page web applications.

The user interface is simplified by dividing it into a group of components. The official website defines React as a declarative, efficient, and flexible JavaScript library for building user interfaces. It lets you compose complex UIs from small and isolated pieces of code called components.

React JavaScript Popularity

React has been widely used and gained popularity due to various reasons that are listed below.

• React is not complex and it can be easily integrated into existing products.
• Google’s Angular 2.x version was considered difficult as opposed to its previous version. On the other hand, React was released at the same time which proved to be more promising with improved execution speed that caught the attention of the developers in the technical industry.
• React is developed by a reputed company in the field of technology thus gaining an upper hand among the developers.

What to expect from the course?

The course is designed for beginners and introduces all the important concepts from the ground up. The course follows a practical approach in which each of the concepts is demonstrated with the help of an example.

After the course, you are expected to understand the fundamentals of React, the usage of some of ES6/ES7 JavaScript features, the use of de-facto standard routing solutions for React applications that falls under React Router concepts, and learn to maintain and organize the React codebase.

Section 1: React Elements

Setting React Environment

The first section introduces important information while setting up the React environment.  The tutor demonstrates every step that needs to be followed while setting up the environment. All the information on installation and get help page has been explored along with additional information on settings have been provided.

The creation of the app, first arguments, project directory, and the developmental server has been demonstrated well for easy understanding of the installation part.

React Elements

The React elements section contains the explanation on the Folles index and the options available under it. The first one is the library itself without which the creation of React elements is not possible. There is an explanation about importing the CSSA file.

The instructor also focuses upon the app components and briefly introduces a service worker that allows for an app to load faster. There is also an explanation about the object element and DOM container. A description and an example are provided on how to create your own React element and render it to DOM.

JSX

This part explains the reactive element and the coding for it. The syntax extension to JavaScript for the reactive element is called the JSX. The usage of Babel is explained as well. JSX fully supports JavaScript and the concepts are demonstrated with the help of a follow-along example to understand the concepts more clearly.

Components

The tutor focuses on the React components with the help of an example. To create your custom component, the syntax that is required is described in detail. The use of lowercase and capitalized names in different scenarios have been explored in this section. The components are considered to be independent and reusable bits of code.

The purpose is similar to that of the JavaScript function but differentiates by working in isolation that returns HTML with the use of a render function. Ideally, there are two types of components, namely class components, and function components. The functional components have been demonstrated with the help of an example.

Props

The section explores the topic of props. The import and export from the React library while creating React elements have been discussed in detail. Props are arguments that are passed into React components.

The usage of props and their significance has been explained as well. React props are similar to a function argument in JavaScript and attributes in HTML. The tutor also explains shorthand for syntax that is important for using React props.

State

React components comprises a built-in state object which lets you store property values belonging to the component. In a situation, when the state object changes then the component re-renders as well.

To extend the react component, the usage of state functionalities is being explained in detail with an example. The change of directories that may be required are specified and a note on the same page rendering.

Lifecycle

The components in React have a lifecycle and it can be monitored and manipulated during the phases of mounting, updating, and unmounting.

The concepts are described with the help of an example that focused on creating a TV app for explanation purposes. The explanation of data loading and manipulation and the use of containers are provided.

Asynchronous Calls

In this section, the instructor explains the use of a server for requesting to install a library. The use of Flash with no package manager has been mentioned briefly. The fetching of data from an API has been covered with an example for better understanding.

Containers

The need for creating separate components is covered in this section. The necessity of presentational components and container components are differentiated well. The availability of the functionalities inside a container and explored in detail.

It is also mentioned that most of the time a container is likely to be stateful.  All of the concepts in terms of containers are demonstrated with a follow-along example.

Section 2: React Forms and Lists

Lists and Keys

The section delves into the list folder. The use of map function and the primary use of lists and keys are covered thoroughly with practical examples for clarity.

The process of adding a key to the list system and the use of index as a key as a last resort. The instructor explains the need to use Id that is always unique for your list item.

Refactoring List Component

The tutor emphasizes how additional components can be created. The need for making them more readable and more semantic and why it is a good practice to do so. Furthermore, the new variable within the time series was demonstrated with the example.

Forms (Input)

This section focuses on getting an event object from the on-change handler as well as obtaining the value of the input and getting the event along with it.

Conditional Rendering

The concept of conditional rendering has been explained while describing how a friendly message can be sent from the API from a given input. The possibility of adding a fetching property has been explained as well. This concept is covered in detail as it is considered very important.

Images (Loader Component)

This section explains how to add images with the help of React. The process of creating a folder and the use of a loader component has been covered. The possibility of doing so on an element level has also been described well. It is important to note that the pixel has to be set appropriately while adding the images to React.

Section 3: React Router

Setting Up React Router

This section mainly focuses on NPM install and the overall installation procedures of React Router. The creation of additional components that includes all the routes is demonstrated with the example.

The main components, props, and switches are important during this procedure. It is essential to provide the exact route path. The use of a rock crawler to run the series container is also mentioned in this process.

Setting Routes

The section explains the use of a single series for example dealing with TV series while creating the container. The importance of having an additional route while creating a single series container has been shown in the example. The process of importing single series has been demonstrated as well. 

Using Route Params

This section delves into the functions that are needed to make the results linkable. The instructor demonstrates the options of how to add the link. The need for making the link dynamic is important that will display the correct ID. 

About the Instructor

The course is designed and taught by an expert tutor, Edvinas Daugridas. He is a software engineer by profession and working with a leading company in customer support for mobile carriers in the US. The tutor prefers to be involved with writing and promoting clean and well-organized code that is easily maintainable.

He believes that learning new concepts and models is the nature of individuals working in the technical industry, therefore one must keep updating themselves. The course on React fundamentals is a beginner level course. However, there is a prerequisite that requires the student to have some basic understanding of HTML and CSS, and JavaScript.

Key Features of React

JSX: JSX stands for JavaScript XML. It is an HTML or XML kind of syntax that is used by React that is processed into the framework. The ES6 is extended to have HTML like text within the React code. It is highly recommendable to use JSX when working with React.

Components of React: ReactJS applications consist of multiple components. Each component has its controls which can be reused. The reusability of the codes is beneficial for large scale projects.

Data binding: ReactJs has a unidirectional data flow structure which gives better control in the application leading to increased efficiency.

Simplicity and Performance: React codes are easy to understand and implement, thus making the application simpler. The use of a virtual DOM helps to perform better as compared to other frameworks.

Due to the DOM residing in the memory, the components that are created are not written directly to the DOM. Therefore, you are dealing with virtual components that will act as the DOM leading to faster performance.

Virtual DOM: Virtual DOM represents the DOM object. In case of modifications that may take place in the web application, the complete user interface is displayed in virtual DOM representation. This is followed by performing a check between the previous DOM representation and the current one.

On completion, the actual DOM updates the things which had actual changes. This helps in a lesser wastage of memory.

Advantages of React

• ReactJS has numerous tutorials and documentation along with training resources which makes it easier to learn.
• Due to the use of lesser coding, the applications are faster and have more functionalities.
• There are various components of React with logic and controls. These components allow for the reusability of HTML codes. The reusability feature helps to develop applications easily with lesser time.
• The virtual DOM is responsible for faster performance by the applications.
• React developer tools are added to browsers in the form of extensions and it allows the developers to inspect as per the needs.
• A search engine faces a problem to read a heavily coded JavaScript application. ReactJS overcomes such problems as applications based on React can run on the server and the virtual DOM will forward a web page at regular intervals thus making it SEO friendly.
• The native tools are responsible for testing and debugging the codes.
• There is the provision of a large JavaScript library.

The role of React.js Developers

• To discuss with the development team with interface related ideas and applications
• Validating the application requirements and interface design.
• The identification of web-based interaction possibilities.
• The development of a responsive user-interface.
• Development of faster applications.
• The use of JavaScript with React.js workflows related to writing codes needed for application interface development.
• Monitoring and handling troubleshooting interface software.
• Debugging of applications.
• Overall improvement of front-end performance.
• Documenting the newer changes and updates for developing applications.
• Implementation of front-end architecture.

React Developer Requirements

• A technical background is a must, preferably a bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science and information technology.
• Knowledge of JavaScript, CSS, and HTML, and other front-end languages.
• In-depth knowledge of React tools such as React.js, Webpack, Redux, Flux, and Enzyme.
• Experience with user interface development.
• Testing of frameworks is essential.
• Browser-related debugging and performance testing of software is necessary.
• Troubleshooting skills are a must.
• Project management skills for leadership roles.

Benefits of this course

• Learning Path

The advantage of this course on React fundamentals is the content that has been provided for a beginner course. The course doesn’t overwhelm the newcomers as certain introductory courses focus on many concepts at once which confuses them. It follows a very simple approach and begins from very scratch with the installation process.

There are provisions for additional resources as well. The course is well-suited for beginners and many important concepts are covered for React that are crucial for the success of a developer with the knowledge of React among his skill set. The core concepts are explained well. A major benefit is that all the concepts are also demonstrated with an example that learners can practice and improve on the coding skills as well.

The hands-on experience is essential for a career as a developer, hence this course builds upon these skills. There are simplified examples and a follow-along approach.  Another factor that this course could be preferred is the duration of the content. There are no lengthy explanations and complicated examples. All the content is presented in a simplified manner.

• Certification

The course will provide certification of completion. It is a free tutorial available on Udemy. However, there is access to online content, certification, and direct access to the instructor for Q&A, and direct reply from the instructor. It is important to note that access to online content is available for the free version and the remaining options from the paid version are not being offered.

• Learning Community

You will get access to the learning community on Udemy consisting of students and tutors. The benefits of such access to a learning community are the availability of important resources and tips that are shared in the forum. You can also post your questions on the forum and get explanations from experienced professionals and tutors who are actively communicating on this platform.

• Hands-on Approach

The course provides a hands-on learning experience. This course is designed to provide sufficient exposure to writing the codes and understanding the concepts that are being taught theoretically. A hands-on approach lets you grasp the concept much faster. Additionally, every installation has been demonstrated.

The examples that are being covered are also shown practically, thus enhancing the overall learning process. The tutor has used a single example of creating a TV series app which has been used for each concept being explained. This helps to understand the practical part more clearly as too many examples can lead to confusion over its implementation.

The course is a perfect balance of theory and practical knowledge and provides crucial information along with additional resources.

Who is the course most suited for?

The course is well-suited for absolute beginners. It is designed with a strong focus on building a hands-on experience. If you are looking to begin your career in the web development sector, then set the right foundations is crucial.

There is a tremendous amount of competition in the job market for developers and only the best ones get hired. However, as a developer the employers are on the lookout for individuals with strong hands-on experience and coding experience, therefore it is a must to build them from the very core concepts in the initial phases.

The knowledge of React is highly in demand in the current market due to numerous advantages and faster performance of the achievable applications. The job role of developers is constant and the professionals with exposure to newer technologies are given importance for leadership roles.

It is a valuable investment of your time if you take up the course and get your first exposure to the world of web and application development.

Overall Rating of the Course

• Instructor Expertise: 4
• Additional Resources: 2
• Course Content Quality: 4
• Career Value: 5
• Delivery of the Content: 3.5
• Visuals and Readability: 2.5
• Examples: 5
• Speed of Delivering the Content: 3
• Basic Concepts: 5
• Overall Rating: 3.5

Are you interested in ethical hacking? Does a career in web security intrigue you? If you are a professional in the field of ethical hacking, web security, or a pentester and looking to gain deep insight into SQL injection attack then you must begin your knowledge enhancement with an appropriate course.

Although there are numerous courses in the online platform, it is essential to pick a course that covers essential concepts that you are looking to master for achieving a refined skill set to perform better in your career. The need for clarity on an important concept of SQL injection attack is of utmost importance. In the era of digitization, every business and communication has shifted towards the online platform.

The need for experts to oversee any malicious activities in business or social media has become a necessity. The companies are looking for experts that can provide such expertise to protect against suspicious activities from hackers and act as a shield for your privacy and security concerns.

It is extremely important to understand that the level of expertise of the hackers is very high, thus tackling such attackers in the online platform will require professionals to master the art of ethical hacking and web security. Therefore, to enhance the skill set one must acquire the knowledge from the right courses that introduce the theoretical and practical aspects equally.

If you are looking to build your skillset on ethical hacking, then this course called Ethical Hacking – SQL Injection Attack on Udemy is a suitable one to explore important concepts and provide practical knowledge on this topic.

The course is designed to target ethical hackers, pentesters, and web security specialists who have started in this career and are looking to level up their skills. The course is created for educational purposes only and aims to deliver an understanding of key concepts on ethical hacking and cover SQL injection attacks in-depth.

Related reading: Top 8 Ethical Hacking Online Courses

What is SQL Injection Attack?

SQL injection, also known as SQLi, is an injection attack that involves an attacker executing malicious SQL statements to be able to control a web application’s database server. The impact of an SQL injection can be severe as the attacker will gain access to critical information.

On completion of a successful SQL injection attack, the hackers can have unauthorized viewing access to user lists, the possibility of altering and deleting tables from the database, and gain administrative access to the database.

Such information is highly confidential and important for a business and user’s privacy. Some of the sensitive information that may be retrieved could be passwords, credit card details of the users, and personal information. In recent years, many companies have faced data-breaches that have been the result of an SQL injection attack.

In certain scenarios, the attackers have obtained backdoor access into an organization’s system which can result in long-term damage with such breaches if they go unnoticed. Some of the most common forms of SQL injection attacks are listed out below.

• Hidden data retrieval: The modification of an SQL query to return additional results.
• Application logic attack: A query that is altered to interfere with the application logic of a system.
• UNION based attack: The change in the query to have access to data from various database tables.
• Database attack: The modifications that result in being able to gather information on the version and structure of a database of an organization.
• Blind SQL injection: A blind SQL injection relates to a query that interacts with the database in the form of true or false questions upon which the answers are determined during the application’s response.

The most popular SQL injection tools are as follows.

SQLmap

SQL map is an open-source SQL injection tool. It is perhaps the most popular among all the tools that are available today. This tool makes it easier to find the SQL injection vulnerabilities of a web application. It allows it to take over the database server and it is considered to have powerful detection capabilities of most of the SQL injection related alterations. It also supports various database servers such as MySQL, Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, PostgreSQL, etc.

SQLninja

SQLninja is yet another SQL injection tool that is used for web applications on a SQL server. This tool may not be as effective as SQLmap in terms of detection, however, it can automate the process once it is discovered and extract critical information from the database server. 

The main purpose of the tool is to give the attacker remote access to the SQL database server. It has the capability of integrating with Metasploit for gaining GUI access to a remote database. It is important to note that this tool is not available for a Windows version. The supported platforms are Linux, FreeBSD, Mac OS X, and iOS.

Safe3 SQL Injector Tool

The Safe3 SQL injector is known to be a powerful and efficient tool that is easy to use for SQL injection purposes. It supports automation of the process much like the other tools. With the help of this tool, an attacker can gain access to a remote SQL server. It is incorporated with an AI system that can recognize the database server, the type of SQL injection in the database, and the best approach to exploit the vulnerabilities.

This tool supports HTTP and HTTPS websites respectively. The tools support numerous database servers such as MySQL, Oracle, SAP Max DB, SQLite to name a few. Furthermore, it also supports various authentications for performing an SQL injection attack.

SQLSus

SQLSus is open source. It is used for MySQL injection and takeover purposes. The tool is written in Perl which gives the option of extending the functions available by more codes that can be added by a user. A command interface allows you to inject your SQL queries to perform the SQL injection attack. It is considered faster and efficient in nature and enables blind injection attack algorithms to maximize the amount of data retrieved.

The process is faster due to the availability of multi-threading. This tool also supports HTTPS websites much like other tools. It also supports cookies, proxy, HTTP authentication. The cloning of database tables and columns is also possible with the use of SQLSUS injection tools. The tool is specialized for MySQL attacks.

What to Expect from the Course?

The students will be introduced to the basic concepts of SQL injection attacks. The expertise to perform SQL injection attacks will be done through practical implementations. You will also be able to use Kali Linux database penetration testing tools as well to have a thorough knowledge. The following section covers the contents that are being offered in this course.

Related: Udemy Review 

Section 1. Database Injection Basic

The first section of the course covers the introductory part with concepts of database injection being covered. The techniques to attack a database and gather information from the database such as email ids, usernames, passwords, and other sensitive data that is available in the backend are explained thoroughly. Database attacking tools in Kali Linux OS are being explored with practical examples. The attacks and related concepts will be practiced on a sample website.

An important concept is explained on how SQL is used to communicate with the front-end and back-end of a website. It is also explored that a malicious SQL query is capable of extracting information from the database if it is not able to understand the malicious nature of the query.

The instructor emphasizes the fact that it is important to understand the basic structure of a database, without which it is not possible to attack a database successfully. The general structure of a database consists of tables and columns on the outer shells and the most inner shell is the data itself.  When attackers try to attack a database they need data and to be able to access it they need to follow a step-by-step process. The database name has to be found, followed by table names and column names which eventually give access to the data.

Section 2. Website Database Hacking using SQLmap Tool

The second part of the course covers the topic of website database hacking using the SQLmap tool. The SQL map allows to attack and gather information from the backend. SQLmap is a command-line tool. The tool is available in the Kali Linux OS.

The tutor explains that trying the examples on a live website is illegal and you must practice on the sample website provided by Acunetix. It is explained that to be able to attack, finding the link is essential. He demonstrates with a practical example of how to use SQLmap tools. The database name and the number of databases have to be extracted before proceeding ahead.

There are fix commands under the SQL map tool that allows finding the name of the database. The testing of the web application takes place after using the commands which gives the results of the databases in the backend of the web link provided. A parameter is found after the testing of the command which allows attacking the database.

The tutor further explains how to find the number of tables and columns of the databases that have been found. Furthermore, it is demonstrated how to modify the query to extract information from the data in the columns.  There was also an example that showed how to find the information of email and password as well.

Section 3. Website Database Hacking Without Using Any Tool

This section covers website database hacking without using any tool. It is explained that there are several options of tools that can be used for SQL injection, however, the tutor provides an insight into database hacking with manual SQL injection.

The example is demonstrated in a follow-along procedure to get the practical skills of how to write the queries to make the alterations. The instructor shows that if the backend sends a warning message on using an apostrophe at the end of the website link, it signifies that the website is vulnerable to SQL injection. The hit and trial method is shown in the example and explained in-depth.

Finally, the order by and union select options are demonstrated in the example and the use of the commands in a manual SQL injection process. It is also described how to manually extract log information in, emails, passwords, credit card numbers, etc. without the need for any tool. It is also possible to wipe out and modify a database with the use of SQL injection.

Section 4. Create a Dictionary using Crunch Commands

The creation of your personal dictionary using crunch commands is covered in this section. The commands are shown with an example and explaining the usage of such commands. The dictionary helps to try password or protocol attacks with the crunch commands. The instructor also explains how to save the file containing the dictionary. The usage of special characters while writing the crunch commands and their results are also demonstrated with the example.

Section 5. Website Database Hacking using JSQL Tool

The fifth section covers the use of GUI based option for SQL injection. The GUI option is known as JSQL. The GUI is demonstrated along with the process to perform SQL injection with the help of this tool. The information of users and products as well as any other data that are available in the database are being extracted with the use of GUI, but the instructor explains the need for writing additional commands to speed up the procedure.

All the information is displayed in separate tabs in the GUI with access to separate information of all the data under each tab. The features and the number of rows are also displayed in the GUI.

Section 6. Bonus Lecture

The final section of the course provides a link to one of the instructor’s courses on ethical hacking. The course is more advanced and covers all the aspects of ethical hacking from the beginner level concepts to the most advanced.

About the Instructor

The course is designed by Sunil K. Gupta. A computer programmer and a cyber-security expert by profession. He provides consultation in the information technology area with a specific focus on cybersecurity. He has also been invited by key organizations as a speaker and is a member of many of them.

Being a technology visionary in the field of cybersecurity, he thrives to solve complex problems. The instructor has been associated with leading organizations for a security consultation and works in the research and development as a security expert to provide state-of-the-art information systems security.

His expertise includes perimeter defense, secure network design, vulnerability discovery, penetration testing, and compliance and intrusion detection systems. Sunil has been instrumental in helping many organizations and military services including the likes of Barclays bank, aviation college in Qatar, Ethiopian Airlines, Telecom authority Tanzania, NCB bank in Saudi Arabia, Accenture, Afgan Wireless, and United States Military to name a few.

He has been involved with startups and is considered among the top cybersecurity experts. Sunil has also created content for various organizations such as Udemy, Pluralsight, INE, Packt Publication, and Apress.

Benefits of the Course

Learning Path

The major advantage of taking this course on Ethical hacking is the key information shared in the entire duration of the course along with important practical exposure to the concepts covered. It is becoming increasingly difficult with the number of online course providers to pick the right one.

Although it is mentioned that it is for ethical hackers and web security specialists, it is suitable for people who have fundamental knowledge about cybersecurity and willing to switch careers as well.

The course is well-designed and covers each topic in a detailed manner with sufficient practical examples to understand the concepts entirely. The course includes the basic information on SQL injection followed by core concepts on this topic.

The benefit of having hands-on experience is essential to have a complete skill set and able to tackle real-world scenarios as a web security expert. There are simplified examples and a follow-along approach.

Another added advantage is the duration of each of the sections being short and easy to understand. The instructor also provides key information and tips on certain queries and methods to implement for SQL injection manually.

Certification

The course will also provide certification of completion. This is a free course available on Udemy. However, you can have access to online content, certification, and direct access to the instructor for Q&A, and direct reply from the instructor.

It is important to note that access to online content is available for the free version and remaining options from the paid version are not offered. There is access to an advanced course on ethical hacking that will build your skills from the ground up.

The links are made available at the end of the course. It is an informative course and any individual aiming to achieve key roles in the field of ethical hacking and security may benefit from the course. The beginners with fundamental knowledge about the concept with a technical background may also opt for the course.

Learning Community

There is access to the learning community on Udemy that comprises students and tutors. The benefit of the community is that important resources and tips are being shared on the forum. Additionally, you can post your questions and get support from experienced personnel which will enrich your learning experience.

Hands-on Approach

The course specifically follows a hands-on approach. The practical examples provide the necessary expertise to improve on the key components of writing queries that are required to be successful in the field of ethical hacking. The follow-along provides clarity of the concepts that are taught theoretically much faster.

If you are looking to have a successful career in the field of ethical hacking, then having hands-on experience is the most desired skill set that an employer looks for in an individual. Thus, you are guaranteed to build them in this course. The course is a perfect balance of theory and practical knowledge and provides crucial information that you will benefit from while practicing the examples.

Important Takeaways from the Course

• Clear and detailed theoretical explanation of the concepts of ethical hacking.
• Appropriate guidance on where to practice the examples and informing to avoid illegal practice of trying on live websites.
• An in-depth explanation of each method and approach along with practical follow-along examples.
• Hands-on experience of database penetration testing tools available in Kali Linux OS.
• Detailed explanation and examples on SQL map tool and its usage.
• The purpose of crunch commands in SQL injection attacks.
• The need for a dictionary created by using crunch commands with different parameters.
• Differentiating the approaches of using tool based SQL injection and manual SQL injection.
• Key methods under manual SQL injections are covered along with additional information on alternative methods if a certain command doesn’t work.
• A key takeaway at the end of the course is to be able to perform SQL injection attacks thoroughly.
• GUI based approaches that have not been covered in most introductory courses have been explained with examples and practical implementation of examples for clearer understanding.
• SQL injection attacks for several types of data have been covered in the form of email, password, column data information, credit card information, etc.
• Using JSQL as the preferred GUI based approach for SQL injection.

Who is the course most suited for?

The course is well-suited for absolute ethical hackers, pentesters, and web security professionals. It is a must to have basic knowledge of computers to be able to take up the course. The basic concepts on SQL injection are covered, thus aspirants looking to take up ethical hacking as a career may benefit from the course.

It is well-crafted and focuses precisely on building the practical skills of the learners. The course content is short and simplified for better understanding. With the major concepts being covered with the use of tools available in Kali Linux OS and manual SQL injection concepts and GUI usage, you can be assured of being equipped with comprehensive knowledge on theoretical concepts and hands-on expertise to contribute largely in an organization.