ETHICAL HACKING AND PENETRATION TESTING GUIDE

ETHICAL HACKING AND PENETRATION TESTING GUIDE

Introduction to Hacking 

There are many definitions for “hacker.” Ask this question from a phalanx and you’ll get a new answer every time because “more mouths will have more talks” and this is the reason behind the different definitions of hackers which in my opinion is quite justified for everyone has a right to think differently. In the early 1990s, the word “hacker” was used to describe a great programmer, someone who was able to build complex logics. 

Unfortunately, over time the word gained negative hype, and the media started referring to a hacker as someone who discovers new ways of hacking into a system, be it a computer system or a programmable logic controller, someone who is capable of hacking into banks, stealing credit card information, etc. This is the picture that is created by the media and this is untrue because everything has a positive and a negative aspect to it. What the media has been highlighting is only the negative aspect; the people that have been protecting organizations by responsibly disclosing vulnerabilities are not highlighted. 

However, if you look at the media’s definition of a hacker in the 1990s, you would find a few common characteristics, such as creativity, the ability to solve complex problems, and new ways of compromising targets. Therefore, the term has been broken down into three types: 

1. White hat hacker.This kind of hacker is often referred to as a security professional or security researcher. Such hackers are employed by an organization and are permitted to attack an organization to find vulnerabilities that an attacker might be able to exploit. 

2. Black hat hacker also known as a cracker, this kind of hacker is referred to as a bad guy, who uses his or her knowledge for negative purposes. They are often referred to by the media as hackers. 

3. Gray hat hacker.This kind of hacker is an intermediate between a white hat and a black hat hacker. For instance, a gray hat hacker would work as a security professional for an organization and responsibly disclose everything to them; however, he or she might leave a backdoor to access it later and might also sell the confidential information, obtained after the compromise of a company’s target server, to competitors.

Similarly, we have categories of hackers about whom you might hear oftentimes. Some of them are as follows:

• Script kiddie—Also known as skid, this kind of hacker is someone who lacks knowledge on how an exploit works and relies upon using exploits that someone else created. A script kiddie may be able to compromise a target but certainly cannot debug or modify an exploit in case it does not work.

• Elite hacker—An elite hacker, also referred to as l33t or 1337, is someone who has deep knowledge on how an exploit works; he or she is able to create exploits, but also modify codes that someone else wrote. He or she is someone with elite skills of hacking. 

• Hacktivist—Hacktivists are defined as group of hackers that hack into computer systems for a cause or purpose. The purpose may be political gain, freedom of speech, human rights, and so on. 

• Ethical hacker—An ethical hacker is as a person who is hired and permitted by an organization to attack its systems for the purpose of identifying vulnerabilities, which an attacker might take advantage of. The sole difference between the terms “hacking” and “ethical hacking” is the permission.

Zulfadli

14 May 2018

Cryptocurrency: What Makes It So Special?

Bitcoin was originated in Japan way back in 2008 by an anonymous person named Satoshi Nakamoto. It’s one of hundreds of cryptocurrencies that can be used to exchange goods without the aid of cash.

Edmund Loh foresees the rise of these online currencies, which I also see myself. When Bitcoins were first released, it only cost a few cents. But as of present, it’s now priced at $2,700+ with an all-time high reaching $3,018.54per coin.

Anyways, Edmund states 3 good reasons why people are buying cryptocurrency:

1. It’s HOT – No one knows how much a single bitcoin can be worth in the future (some forecasts guess around $100,000). If you just bought $100 back in May 2010, your investment will already have become $72.9 million by today!

2. It’s Liquid – You can easily convert bitcoin into cash if you need it.

3. It’s a Hedge against Market Uncertainty – Bitcoins and other types of cryptocurrencies are separated from the traditional markets. This makes it a great way to invest some of your hard-earned money instead of putting it in banks.