Starting with hacking can be daunting, but there are several online labs and platforms that can help you learn the basics and practice your skills. Here are some of the best beginner hacking labs online, as recommended by Redditors:

Recommended Online Labs and Platforms

TryHackMe

• Comprehensive Learning Paths: TryHackMe offers a variety of guided labs and learning paths that cover different areas of cybersecurity. "TryHackMe! All you need"

• Free Rooms: They have over 500 free rooms that allow you to practice different hacking techniques. "For THM, it boast to have 500+ free rooms according to their pricing plan"

• Beginner-Friendly: Ideal for beginners due to its structured approach and detailed explanations. "I think it is the holy grail of beginner hackers."

Hack The Box

• Real-World Challenges: Hack The Box provides realistic penetration testing labs and challenges. "Hack The Box: Hands-on challenges and real-world penetration testing labs."

• Academy Modules: Offers free Tier-0 modules that cover fundamental hacking concepts. "All the 'Tier-0' modules in HTB Academy can be unlocked using 10 cubes, and then after you completed it, you get back the 10 cubes."

• Community Support: Has a strong community that can help you with challenges. "I started a few months ago and have learned a lot the hard way."

PortSwigger Web Security Academy

• Web Hacking Focus: Specializes in web application security with comprehensive labs. "PortSwigger Web Security Academy: Completely free and great beginners intro to web hacking with great explanations."

• Detailed Labs: Offers numerous labs that cover various web vulnerabilities. "Love all of them but I have to +1 Portswigger academy. It is really good content for free."

• Free Resources: Provides extensive free learning materials and labs. "The learning materials are completely free and very underrated."

VulnHub

• Downloadable VMs: Allows you to download vulnerable virtual machines to practice hacking locally. "Vulnhub is a good place to download VMs to practice various different techniques against all kinds of vulnerable machines you manage yourself using VMWare or VirtualBox."

• Diverse Challenges: Offers a wide range of challenges and vulnerabilities. "This website provides a variety of virtual machines designed for digital security training."

OverTheWire

• Linux Fundamentals: Focuses on improving your Linux command-line skills through various wargames. "Overthewire is a great place to get better at linux terminal and related programs."

• Free Wargames: Provides free wargames that help you learn different hacking techniques. "If you are just barely starting out, I would look at the wargames at https://overthewire.org."

Additional Resources

• John Hammond on YouTube: For visual learners, John Hammond's YouTube channel is highly recommended. "Bare basics (Just watch and learn): John Hammond."

• OWASP WebGoat and Mutillidae II: These are great for practicing web application vulnerabilities. "During my time, I only have resources like OWASP WebGoat and OWASP Mutillidae II."

• Pwn.college: Offers free courses and labs for different hacking topics. "Try pwn.college, has course and labs for free"

Community and Further Learning

• r/Hacking_Tutorials

• r/HowToHack

• r/Pentesting

These communities are great for asking questions, sharing resources, and connecting with other aspiring hackers.