Ethical Hacking Meaning and Types in 2022

When we talk about Ethical Hacking, we're talking about hacking that is motivated by ethical or moral ideals and has no malicious intent. Ethical hacking is defined as a type of hacking that has been permitted by the target system's owner. It can also refer to the process of implementing proactive security measures to protect systems from malevolent hackers.

Ethical hacking, from a technical aspect, is the process of circumventing or cracking a system's security protections to discover vulnerabilities, data breaches, and potential dangers. Only if regional or organizational cyber laws/rules are obeyed is it considered ethical. Penetration testing is the professional name for this employment. As the name implies, this method entails attempting to penetrate the system and recording the process.

To summarize, an Ethical Hacker compromises the target system before a malicious hacker can. It enables the organization's security staff to apply a security patch to the system, effectively closing a hole for an attacker to enter the system or carry out a hack.

Types of Ethical Hacking

Web application hacking- Web hacking is the process of attacking software over HTTP by making use of the software's visual chrome browser, tampering with the URL, or cooperating with HTTP elements not stored in the URL.

System hacking- Hacktivists use system hacking to obtain access to personal computers over a network. IT security specialists can use password busting, privilege escalation, malicious software building, and packet sniffing as defensive techniques to resist these threats.

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Web server hacking- Real-time web information is generated by an application software database server. To steal credentials, passcodes, and company information from the web application, attackers use gluing, ping flood, port scan, sniffing attacks, and social engineering tactics.

Hacking wireless network- Because wireless networks transmit via radio waves, a hacker can easily squirt the system from any nearby location. These assailants frequently utilize network sniffing to discover the Identifier and bodge a wireless network.

Social engineering- is the art of manipulating people to get them to reveal sensitive information. Criminals use eugenics because it is easier to attack your natural inability to trust than to figure out how to spoof your device.

Phases of Ethical Hacking

In every complicated hacking technique, there are numerous phases. Let's take a look at each one individually.

Reconnaissance- You should obtain some prior knowledge about the target system before attempting any attack. This information could include details on the target's people or organizations, as well as details about the host system or target network. The main goal of this step is to create a hack using the precise technology and security mechanisms used by the target system.

Scanning- Hacking is usually accomplished by gaining access to a network. Most of our devices are connected to a network, whether they are in an office or at home. Wi-Fi or WLAN is the most widespread kind of this network. Ethernet connections are frequently installed in offices to ensure optimal efficiency. As a hacker, you can take advantage of this feature and concentrate your efforts on gaining illegal access to the target host's network. The network topology and susceptible ports are discovered throughout this process.

Gaining Access- The information collection phase is completed with the two stages listed above. You must now begin your hack based on this knowledge. This stage entails cracking the target system's password or circumventing the security mechanisms.

Maintaining Access- After gaining access, you must ensure that you can retain access to the target system once your first session is completed. It is accomplished via a backdoor. Backdoors are exploits or hacks that are left in the target system to allow future access. If you don't leave a backdoor, the target system may apply a newer security patch or reset its security measures, forcing you to repeat the hacking process.

Clearing tracks- After you've completed your attack or hack, you'll want to clean away any evidence of your intrusion. This stage entails eliminating any backdoors, executables, or logs that could be used to trace the attack back to you or discover it in the first place.

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Types of Hackers

A hacker is a person who uses a computer, networking, or other skills to solve a technological problem. A hacker is someone who utilizes their talents to obtain access to a system or network to break the law.

White hat hackers- These are the appropriate folks who come to our rescue on the dark web. White hat hackers, also known as ethical hackers, are cybersecurity experts who undertake penetration testing and identify security weaknesses for the government and organizations. To protect themselves against black hat hackers and other cybercriminals, ethical hackers employ a range of strategies. They break into our system with the good goal of detecting flaws and supporting you in the removal of viruses and malware.

Black hat hackers- are the leading culprits of cybercrime these days. The bulk of the time, a black hat hacker's aim is monetary. Individual computers in businesses and banking systems are scanned for weaknesses by these hackers. By exploiting any flaws they identify, they can hack into your network and acquire access to your personal, business, and financial information.

Grey hat hackers- are in the middle of the spectrum between white and black hat hackers. Grey hat hackers may not be motivated by personal gain, yet they may have both good and evil motives. For example, a hacker who breaks into a company and discovers a vulnerability may publish it on the internet or alert the company. However, when hackers exploit their hacking skills for personal benefit, they are referred to as black hat hackers.

Conclusion

Let's look at why ethical hacking, also known as penetration testing, is such a vital field. To do so, we must first comprehend some of the numerous use cases and varieties of ethical hacking. Here are some examples:

• Password strength is being tested.
• Testing exploits to ensure security settings and privilege levels in the domain account and database administration.
• Every software update/upgrade, as well as the addition of a new security patch, should be subjected to penetration testing.
• Assuring that data transmission pathways are uninterruptible.
• Authentication protocols are put to the test.
• Assuring that the applications have security features that protect organizational and user databases.
• Protection from denial-of-service attacks.
• Network security and anti-intrusion feature testing.