Introduction to hacking and customization

This website is about hacking ethically — the science of testing your computers and network for security vulnerabilities and plugging the holes you find before the bad guys get a chance to exploit them. Although ethical is an often overused and misunderstood word, the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines ethical perfectly for the context of this website and the professional security testing techniques that I cover that is, conforming to accepted professional standards of conduct. IT practitioners are obligated to perform all the tests covered in this website aboveboard and only after permission has been obtained by the owner(s) of the systems.

How Hackers Beget Ethical Hackers

We've all heard of hackers. Many of us have even suffered the consequences of hacker actions. So who are these hackers? Why is it important to know about them? The next few sections give you the lowdown on hackers.

Defining hacker

Hacker is a word that has two meanings:

Traditionally, a hacker is someone who likes to tinker with software or electronic systems. Hackers enjoy exploring and learning how computer systems operate. They love discovering new ways to work electronically.

Recently, hacker has taken on a new meaning — someone who maliciously breaks into systems for personal gain. Technically, these criminals are crackers (criminal hackers). Crackers break into (crack) systems with malicious intent. They are out for personal gain: fame, profit, and even revenge. They modify, delete, and steal critical other information, often making people miserable.

The good-guy (white-hat) hackers don't like being in the same category as the bad-guy (black-hat) hackers. (These terms come from Western movies where the good guys wore white cowboy hats and the bad guys wore black cowboy hats.) Whatever the case, most people give hacker a negative connotation.Many malicious hackers claim that they don't cause damage but instead are altruistically helping others. Yeah, right. Many malicious hackers are electronic thieves.

In this book, I use the following terminology:

* Hackers (or bad guys) try to compromise computers.

* Ethical hackers (or good guys) protect computers against illicit entry.

Hackers go for almost any system they think they can compromise. Some prefer prestigious, well-protected systems, but hacking into anyone's system increases their status in hacker circles.

Ethical Hacking 101

You need protection from hacker shenanigans. An ethical hacker possesses the skills, mindset, and tools of a hacker but is also trustworthy. Ethical hackers perform the hacks as security tests for their systems.If you perform ethical hacking tests for customers or simply want to add another certification to your credentials, you may want to consider the ethical hacker certification Certified Ethical Hacker, which is sponsored by EC-Council. See www.eccouncil.org/CEH.htm for more information

Ethical hacking — also known as penetration testing or white-hat hacking involves the same tools, tricks, and techniques that hackers use, but with one major difference: Ethical hacking is legal. Ethical hacking is performed with the target's permission. The intent of ethical hacking is to discover vulnerabilities from a hacker's viewpoint so systems can be better secured. It's part of an overall information risk management program that allows for ongoing security improvements. Ethical hacking can also ensure that vendors' claims about the security of their products are legitimate.

To catch a thief, think like a thief. That's the basis for ethical hacking.