1 INTRODUCTION
Hacking is defined as:
o the art of exploring various security breaches.
Hacker is a word that has two meanings:
o Traditionally, a hacker is someone who likes to play with Software or Electronic
Systems. Hackers enjoy Exploring and Learning how Computer systems operate.
They love discovering new ways to work electronically.
o Recently, hacker has taken on a new meaning - someone who maliciously breaks
into systems for personal gain. Technically, these criminals are Crackers or
Criminal Hackers.
Crackers break into systems with malicious intentions.
o They do it for Personal gain, Fame, Profit and even Revenge.
o They Modify, Delete and Steal critical information, often making other people's
life miserable.
Hacking has a lot of meanings depending upon the person’s knowledge and his work
intentions.
HACKING IS AN ART AS WELL AS A SKILL.
Hacking is the knowledge by which one gets to achieve his goals, anyhow, using his
skills and power.
Most people associate Hacking with breaking law, therefore calling all those guys who
engage in hacking activities to be criminals. We agree that there are people out there who
use hacking techniques to break the law, but hacking is not really about that.
In fact, hacking is more about following the law and performing the steps within the
limits.
Penetration testing can be defined as:
o a legal and authorized attempt to locate and successfully exploit computer
systems for the purpose of making those systems more secure.
The process of penetration testing includes probing for vulnerabilities as well as
providing proof of concept (POC ) attacks to demonstrate the vulnerabilities are real.
Proper penetration testing ALWAYS ends with specific recommendations for addressing
and fixing the issues that were discovered during the test.
On the whole, this process is used to help secure computers and networks against future
attacks.
Penetration testing is also known as
o Pen Testing.
o PT.
o Hacking.
o Ethical Hacking.
o White Hat Hacking.
Ethical hackers are in the business of hacking and as such need to conduct themselves in
a professional manner.
o Additionally, state, country, or international laws must be understood and
carefully considered prior to using hacking software and techniques.
o Staying within the law is a must for the ethical hacker.
o An ethical hacker is acting as a security professional when performing pen tests
and must always act in a professional manner.
As a penetration tester, you will be bypassing security measures and that’s simply part of
the job. When you do, keep the following in mind:
o Don’t be malicious.
o Don’t be stupid.
o Don’t attack targets without written permission.
o Consider the consequences of your actions.
o If you do things illegally, you can be caught and put in jail!
Gaining the trust of the client and taking all precautions to do no harm to their systems
during a pen test are critical to being a professional.
Another key component of ethical hacking is to always gain permission from the data
owner prior to accessing the computer system.
o This is one of the ways ethical hackers can overcome the stereotype of hackers
and gain the trust of clients.
Ethical hackers are usually security professionals or network penetration testers who use
their hacking skills and toolsets for defensive and protective purposes.
Ethical hackers who are security professionals test their network and systems security for
vulnerabilities using the same tools that a hacker might use to compromise the network.
Any computer professional can learn the skills of ethical hacking.
