Ethical hacking is a crucial aspect of cybersecurity that involves finding potential security issues in computer systems and networks before malicious users can exploit them. Ethical hackers use various techniques, including penetration testing, social engineering, network scanning, vulnerability assessment, password cracking, SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), denial-of-service attacks, and others to identify vulnerabilities. The stages of ethical hacking include authorization, scoping, reconnaissance, vulnerability analysis, exploitation, reporting, remediation, and legal and ethical considerations. Emerging trends and technologies in ethical hacking include artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), Internet of Things (IoT) security testing, blockchain security testing, cloud security testing, social engineering testing, red teaming, bug bounty programs, and the increasing importance of cybersecurity in our digital world. Ethical hacking plays a vital role in ensuring the security and integrity of computer systems and networks, raising awareness of cybersecurity risks, improving security measures, and creating career opportunities for skilled security professionals.