I’ve enjoyed Kevin Beaver’s Hacking for Dummies series for over a decade. The first edition came out in 2004 and I reviewed the fourth edition here. Now in its fifth edition, the books 22 chapters progress from the basics of security to the hardening of an operating system, to the hacking of Web applications and more.
The new edition covers Windows 10 and Linux, and includes a number of more recently developed hacking tools.
For those looking for a high-level theoretical approach to network defense, look elsewhere. This is an in the trenches guide you can use to ensure that your organization's systems and network are secure.
The previous edition came out a little over 3 years ago and much has changed in the world of information security. Like the previous editions, if you are looking for a practical guide that can teach you real-world hacking and penetration testing skills, this updated edition of Hacking for Dummies is an excellent resource.