Ethical Hacking involves the authorized detection of vulnerabilities in applications, systems, or organizational infrastructure. It bypasses system security to identify potential data breaches and network threats. Their goal is to investigate systems or networks for weaknesses that could be exploited by malicious hackers. This process helps to enhance security measures, making them more resilient against attacks or able to divert them. This blog explores What are the Techniques in Ethical Hacking. The Ethical Hacking Course in Jaipur at FITA Academy helps you learn how to protect your data from threats and unknown sources.
Role of Ethical Hacker
Ethical hackers must follow specific guidelines to conduct hacking legally. Responsible hackers adhere to these ethical standards. Here are the key rules of Ethical Hacking:
- Obtain Authorization: Ethical hackers must obtain permission from the system’s owner and receive complete approval before performing any security assessment.
- Define the Scope: Clearly determine the scope of the assessment and communicate the plan to the organization.
- Report Vulnerabilities: Disclose any security breaches and vulnerabilities found during the assessment.
- Maintain Confidentiality: Ethical hackers must keep their findings confidential and respect their non-disclosure agreement, as their goal is to secure the system or network.
- Clean Up: After identifying vulnerabilities, erase all traces of the hack to prevent malicious hackers from exploiting the same loopholes.
Types of Ethical Hackers
A hacker uses computer, networking, or other technical skills to solve problems. However, anyone who uses these abilities to gain unauthorized access to a system or network and break laws is also considered a hacker. You can join the Ethical Hacking Course in Kolkata to gain expertise in ethical hacking techniques.
White Hat
White hat hackers, or ethical hackers, are cybersecurity experts who assist governments and businesses by performing penetration tests and identifying security flaws. They use various techniques to defend against black hat hackers and other cybercriminals. Their goal is to find vulnerabilities in systems and assist in removing viruses and malware.
Grey Hat
Grey hat hackers occupy a middle ground between white and black hat hackers. They may not use their skills for personal gain, but their intentions can be both good and bad.
Black Hat
Black hat hackers’ main motivation for cybercrime is financial gain. They target vulnerabilities in individual computers, banking systems, and businesses to gain unauthorized access. Through these exploits, they can access personal, business, and financial information.
Types of Ethical Hacking Techniques
Ethical hacking can effectively test, scan, and secure systems and data. Techniques for Ethical Hacking can be learned through resources such as an Ethical Hacking PDF. Some of these techniques include:
Phishing
Phishing is a cybersecurity attack in which a hacker sends messages posing as a trusted individual. These messages deceive the user into actions such as installing malicious files or clicking harmful links.
A phisher gathers information about the victim’s personal and work experience from public sources. They then use this information to craft a convincing fake message.
Sniffing
Sniffing is the process of monitoring and capturing all packets passing through a given network, utilizing specific sniffing tools. Similar to wiretapping in telecommunication, it enables the interception of conversations and data.
A sniffer sets the system’s NIC to promiscuous mode.
Social Engineering
Social engineering involves persuading individuals to disclose confidential information by exploiting their trust and lack of knowledge. This technique is categorized into three types: human-based, mobile-based, and computer-based.
Detecting social engineering attacks is challenging due to weak security policies and the lack of hardware or software tools designed to prevent them.
Footprinting
In this footprinting technique, the ethical hacker collects extensive data about a targeted system and its infrastructure to identify potential entry points. The hacker may employ various tools and technologies to gather the necessary information to compromise the entire system.
SQL Injection
SQL injection is an attack where the attacker sends a SQL query or statement to a database server, modifying it as needed. This happens when user input is not properly sanitized before being included in an SQL query.
SQL injection allows the attacker to extract responses from the database, helping them understand the database’s structure, including table names.
Enumeration
Enumeration, or information gathering, involves the attacker connecting with the victim to identify potential attack vectors for future exploitation.
The hacker first establishes an active connection with the target host. Vulnerabilities are then identified and assessed to search for potential attacks and threats to the system.
Penetration Testing
A penetration test, or pen test, is an authorized attempt to uncover vulnerabilities in a computer system and evaluate its security. Testers employ tools and techniques to reveal weaknesses, testing the system’s resilience against potential unknown attacks. Explore the Ethical Hacking Course in Ahmedabad, which provides the knowledge to plan a network vulnerability assessment and penetration test.
Network Scanning
Network scanning identifies active hosts, open ports, and key network details to evaluate security, find vulnerabilities, and ensure network health. It’s essential for monitoring and managing networks, using tools ranging from open-source to commercial products.
Vulnerability Assessment
Vulnerability assessment tests identify and rank security flaws using automated and manual methods. They evaluate systems, prioritize vulnerabilities, and suggest fixes to prevent impacts like XSS and SQL injection attacks.
So far, the blog covers Ethical Hacking concepts, types, and necessary techniques. With a growing number of ethical hackers available, demand is increasing. Government organizations also seek ethical hackers due to rising hacking threats, emphasizing the need for robust data protection. Join the Ethical Hacking Course in Delhi to build your career successfully.
Also Check: Ethical Hacking Interview Questions and Answers