Complete Guide to Ethical Hacking

Ethical hacking, or analyzing a system without permission to try and discover vulnerabilities that hackers can use, is an essential part of maintaining robust Linux security. Ethical hacking helps prevent cyberattacks before they happen by identifying vulnerabilities before they are exploited by malicious actor.

Hacking has a poor reputation and is generally thought of as having malicious intent, but ethical hacking is essential and helps organizations and the open-source community maintain a robust cybersecurity posture. To help you better understand the importance of ethical hacking, let's examine its role in network security, how it differs from malicious hacking, how it is carried out, and more in this comprehensive guide.

What Is Hacking?

While a hacker was once defined as someone skilled in information technology who uses their technical knowledge to achieve a goal or overcome an obstacle, hacking has evolved over the years.

Today, hacking compromises digital devices and networks through unauthorized access to an account or computer system. Although hacking is not always malicious, people commonly associate it with illegal activity and data theft. 

Malicious and ethical hackers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their methods, tactics, and techniques to obtain sensitive information, often enabling them to go completely unnoticed. Modern hacking is a multibillion-dollar industry and is critical in finding and fixing vulnerabilities before malicious actors exploit them.

What Types of Hacking Exist?

There are many types of hacking, but all involve breaking into a computer to extract or damage information. Here are the most common types of hacking:

• Physical hacking involves physically accessing a computer, such as breaking the machine through its casing.
• System hacking involves penetrating a computer's security measures to steal data or gain control over the system.
• Wireless hacking refers to exploiting vulnerabilities in wireless networks, which can allow unauthorized access to networks and systems.
• Cyber espionage is stealing confidential information from another organization for economic gain or political purposes. 
• Cyberterrorism refers to any terrorist activity conducted through cyber means, such as hacking computer systems or releasing malicious software. 

What is Ethical Hacking?

Ethical hacking is the term for testing computer security to identify and exploit vulnerabilities. It aims not to damage or disrupt systems but to identify and fix potential vulnerabilities.

There are many different types of ethical hacking, including penetration testing, vulnerability assessment, and red teaming. Penetration testing is the most common type of ethical hacking. It involves trying to breach security measures on a system using various techniques such as social engineering and password cracking. Vulnerability assessment is often used to find existing vulnerabilities in a system, while red teaming tests how well a company's security measures defend against attacks from outsiders. You can learn all the skills of an ethical hacker by enrolling in the ethical hacking certification course.

Although ethical hacking can be fun and exciting, taking precautions is essential. Always use caution when entering any system you do not have access to, and remember that cybersecurity is everyone's responsibility.

What Is the Difference Between Ethical and Malicious Hackers?

Ethical hackers are individuals who use their technical skills to identify and examine issues in computer systems. Malicious hackers, on the other hand, engage in attacks against other people or organizations with the intent of causing harm. Businesses typically hire ethical hackers to help them identify network and system vulnerabilities. On the other hand, malicious hackers often work for criminal organizations or governments who use their hacking abilities for illegal purposes, such as stealing information or disrupting operations. 

What Is The Role of an Ethical Hacker?

Ethical hackers use their hacking skills to help companies and organizations improve the security of their systems. They work independently or as part of a team and usually have a background in computer science or information technology. 

Ethical hackers use various techniques to identify systems' weaknesses and protect data. In addition to penetration testing, they may attempt to trick employees into revealing sensitive data, test whether laptops and mobile devices are properly stored and protected, and explore all possible ways a malicious hacker may exploit an organization. An ethical hacker’s job is to approach and replicate a malicious hacker's methods, tactics, and techniques but stop short of following through on an attack. 

Ethical hackers may employ some or all of the following strategies to find vulnerabilities:

• Port scanning using tools like Nmap to scan an organization’s systems and locate open ports
• Examining security patch installations to check that they cannot be exploited
• Using social engineering techniques to manipulate psychology, such as dumpster diving (rummaging through trash cans for passwords or other sensitive information that can be used to launch an attack), shoulder surfing to gain access to critical information, or employing kindness to trick employees into sharing their passwords
• Attempting to evade IDS (Intrusion Detection systems), IPS (Intrusion Prevention systems), honeypots, and firewalls
• Sniffing networks, bypassing and cracking wireless encryption, and hijacking web servers and web applications
• Investigating issues related to laptop theft and employee fraud

Ethical hackers report any vulnerabilities or concerns and work with a company or organization to fix any security vulnerabilities or address any issues they have identified. They may also provide advice on how to improve system security overall. Ethical hackers are legally required to report any issues they find since this is privileged information that could be used for illegal purposes. It should be noted that even the most sophisticated ethical hacking skills are wasted if the organization fails to respond adequately to any problems or weaknesses found and reported.

Ethical Hacks and Ethics in Hacking

Ethical hacking is the practice of testing a system for vulnerabilities and exploits. The goal is to assess the security of an information system, network, or computer system. Ethical hacking can be used to find and exploit system vulnerabilities for purposes such as unauthorized access, data theft or destruction, or reconnaissance.

The ethical hacker must adhere to a set of principles called the Ethical Hacking Principles of Practice (EHP). These principles are designed to help the ethical hacker abide by the laws and regulations governing their activity, protect the privacy of individuals involved, respect intellectual property rights, and avoid causing harm.

There are several ways to do ethical hacking. One way is to use penetration testing tools. These tools allow you to scan for system vulnerabilities and test their protection.

Another way to do ethical hacking is to use manual methods such as scanning networks for open ports or checking whether users have proper permissions. You can also use social engineering attacks to get users to reveal sensitive information. Finally, you can use spoofing techniques to make it look like someone else is trying to attack a system.

While ethical hacking is often rewarding, there is also a risk of contracting malicious hackers who may want to harm your system. To protect yourself, it would be best always to take precautions, such as using a firewall and updating your software.

How Do Hackers Establish a Connection to the Network?

There are many ways a hacker can establish a connection to the network. Some of the most common ways that hackers sneak past security to infiltrate business networks include:

Weak IP Addresses

By rapidly scanning through billions of IP combinations, hackers search for a weakly secured IP address and then make a connection once one is found. This allows them to invade an organization’s network using the digital address of one of their machines. Exploiting weak IP addresses is perhaps the easiest way for hackers to identify weakly secured networks to hack quickly.

Phishing scams

Email phishing scams typically masquerade as legitimate mass emails from a trusted authority or organization. The email asks readers to click a malicious link and verify account data, such as login credentials. Once the data has been handed over, hackers can access the account information they need to infiltrate the network further.

Sub-par Software

While downloading an unreputable free software solution or using a cheap and unknown option might sound like a good idea, you’re putting your network at serious risk. These sub-par solutions could enable backers to access your network to obtain sensitive information or install viruses.

Vulnerable Software

Hackers frequently exploit vulnerable, unpatched software to infiltrate the target network. This is why delaying patching or failing to patch software is so dangerous. Admins and IT teams must track security advisories and apply patches as soon as they are released.

Password Hacking

People too often rely on default passwords that are easy to look up or easy to guess options like password123. These weakly designed passwords make it easier for hackers to access accounts.

What Tools Are Used for Ethical Hacking?

Various ethical hacking tools can be used for penetration tests and debugging systems. Some popular tools include:

• Nmap: Nmap, short for “Network Mapper,” is an open-sourced tool for network discovery and auditing. It is now one of the most widely used tools by system administrators for network mapping. Nmap searches for hosts and services on a network.
• Netcat: Netcat is a simple network utility for sending data between computers using the TCP/IP protocol.
• Wireshark: Wireshark is a free software application that captures and analyzes network packets.
• Angry IP Scanner: Angry IP Scanner is a lightweight program that can scan ports and IP addresses of any range. It uses a multi-threaded approach for fast scanning, creating a separate thread for each IP address.
• Metasploit: Metasploit is a powerful tool that can probe systematic vulnerabilities on networks and servers.

These are just a few ethical hacking tools that can be used for penetration testing and security research. Each tool has its strengths and weaknesses, so it is vital to choose one that will fit the specific needs of the investigation.

Ethical Hacking FAQs

How can I be an ethical hacker?

Hackers who perform ethical hacking are responsible for protecting and improving organizations' technology. Detecting vulnerabilities that could lead to a security breach is one of the most critical services they provide to these organizations. Identifying vulnerabilities and reporting them to an organization is the job of an ethical hacker.

Is ethical hacking easy?

Even if you already have a background in cyber security, it is hard to stay up to date even if you are an ethical hacker. There are many resources online, but many are wrong and outdated.

How long will it take to become a hacker?

It may take anywhere between 18 months and six years for a person to be fully proficient in ethical hacking. It will probably take you longer to learn hacking and coding if you have no prior experience in hacking or programming.

If you are looking to obtain your Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) qualification, you must have two years of relevant information security work experience and pass a four-hour exam consisting of 125 multiple-choice questions. This certificate remains valid for three years.

Is becoming a hacker hard?

This question can be answered briefly: almost anyone can learn how to hack a computer. As a result, there is a longer answer to this question. To summarize, it is a good choice for people who are energetic and enthusiastic about challenging activities and have particular backgrounds and personality types. These learning environments would be most suitable for people familiar with programming languages and have a baseline vocabulary upon which they can base their material.

Our Final Thoughts on the Importance of Ethical Hacking in the Realm of Linux Security

Ethical hacking is the process of testing a network or system for vulnerabilities. Although it can be gratifying, it can also be quite challenging. You must understand computer security and malicious behavior to do ethical hacking effectively. This article provides the basics to start practicing ethical hacking responsibly. The next step is to take an ethical hacking certification course to help you quickly learn the essential tools and hacking skills required.

Best of luck on your journey!