Phases of ethical hacking

This year has seen a noticeable surge of software vulnerabilities, with over 21% increase from the previous year. Making matters worse is hackers’ consensus that organizations are failing to keep up as attack surfaces expand due to inadequate internal knowledge and expertise. To counterattack, most ethical hackers are brushing up on the fundamentals of the five phases of ethical hacking, which are: • Reconnaissance • Scanning • Exploitation • Maintaining Access • Covering Your Tracks Without further ado, let’s delve into each phase of ethical hacking in detail. Ethical hacking begins with This is where you gather as much information about the target organization as possible. This might include things like the IP address range, location, types of operating systems, technologies, and software versions used, system configurations, security measures already in place, user accounts, and passwords. In addition to the technical aspect, it is important to know who the target is and what they do. The main goal of this stage is to really understand the target organization’s systems and to have an extensive list of IP addresses that belong to them. Common tools that are normally used to perform reconnaissance effectively include: • Using search engine directives • • Why is reconnaissance important in ethical hacking? To start with, thorough reconnaissance allows the ethical hacker to gain understanding of their target’s technical structure, and this helps in later stages to identify ...

(Last Updated On: December 13, 2020) This is not to motivate you to hack and shut down websites but to provide a general idea of how the daily hacks are performed and to protect yourself from such incidents at least take some precautions. This article explains 5 steps of Ethical Hacking taking an example of a Hacker trying to hack any server and gaining unauthorized access to all the data. Contents • • • • • 1. Reconnaissace This is the first phase where the Hacker tries to collect as much information as possible about the target system. It includes Identifying the Target System, finding out the target's IP Address Range, Network, DNS records, etc. It is also called as Footprinting and information gathering Technique. This is the phase where we collect as much information as possible about the target. We usually collect information about three groups, • Network • Host • People involved There are two types of Footprinting: Active: Directly interacting with the target to gather information about the target system. Eg Using Nmap tool to scan the target Passive: Trying to collect information about the target without directly accessing the target system. This involves collecting information from social media, public websites, blogs, etc. 2. Scanning This phase includes the usage of tools like dialers, port scanners, network mappers, sweepers, and Hackers are now probably seeking any information that can help them perpetrate attacks such as computer names, IP addresses, and user...

• What Is Ethical Hacking? • Types Of Ethical Hacking • What Are the Different Phases in Ethical Hacking? • What Is the Future of Ethical Hacking? • How Can You Become a Certified Hacker? • What Will You Learn in an Ethical Hacking Course? • Key Highlights of the Knowledghehut CEH Training • Bottom Line • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) The term hacking has been extensively used with a negative connotation. However, as against the general perception of the concept, hacking can be used for ethical purposes such as identifying and eliminating security threats to your organization's systems. Such hacking is conducted systematically through different ethical hacking phases. In the 1960s, the word hacker was used to describe the experts who used their skills to re-develop mainframe systems- by which they could increase their work efficiency and perform multitasking. However, nowadays, this word is used for those who use their skills to exploit the computer system weaknesses to gain unauthorized access. There are two types of hackers- Black Hat Hackers- Those who breach the security of the networks of another organization and conduct hacking for illegal and malicious reasons. White Hat Hackers- The ethical hackers who conduct hacking to help the organizations identify the loopholes in their security and rectify them. In this article, we will read about ethical hacking and its phases. What Is Ethical Hacking? In this sense, where the black hat hackers try to loosen the security...

Organizations that want to maximize the chances of not being another statistic of malicious hacking can hire a certified ethical hacker. These “white hat” hackers test an organization’s systems, networks, and overall information security. The Certified Ethical Hacker , or CEH, certification is a well-renowned cert that verifies the knowledge and skills of these “white hat” heroes. The CEH certification is currently on Exam Blueprint v4.0, which has changed how the domains of knowledge are presented. This article will detail Domain #3 of CEH Exam Blueprint v4.0, System Hacking Phases and Attack Techniques. It will explore what the CEH certification is, changes since the last exam version, the target audience, and the content that domain #3 of the CEH exam certification will cover. What is the CEH certification? The CEH certification verifies that the holder has a practical understanding of the phases of ethical hacking, the various attack vectors, and the preventative countermeasures used by ethical hackers. It certifies that the holder knows how to think and act like a malicious hacker to better position your organization’s information security measures and defend against real-world attacks. It is premised on the idea that if you understand vulnerabilities and system weaknesses your organization faces, you can better strengthen system security controls in the face of malicious activity and attacks. Who is the target audience for CEH? From a high-level view, any information...

Ethical hacking refers to the practice of using hacking techniques to identify and expose vulnerabilities in computer systems, networks, and applications. Unlike malicious hackers, ethical hackers use their skills and knowledge to help organizations and businesses identify security weaknesses before they can be exploited by malicious actors. Ethical hacking can include a range of activities, from scanning and penetration testing to social engineering and physical security testing. As technology advances and businesses increasingly rely on digital systems and networks, the risk of cyber attacks continues to grow. Cybersecurity breaches can result in a wide range of consequences, from financial losses to reputational damage and legal liabilities. Ethical hacking plays a crucial role in protecting businesses and organizations from these threats by identifying and exposing vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by malicious actors. Ethical hacking helps businesses to assess their security posture and take proactive steps to prevent cyber attacks. This article will provide an in-depth look at a day in the life of an ethical hacker. It will explore the various tasks and activities that ethical hackers undertake, from planning and preparation to reconnaissance, scanning, and exploitation. We’ll also examine the importance of analysis and reporting, communication and collaboration, and ongoing education and professional development. By providing a detailed overview of the da...

As technology continues to become more relevant for businesses worldwide, the importance of securing business-critical applications and their underlying tech stack continues to gain prominence. With the changing threat landscape, it is often impractical to identify vulnerabilities in real-time by simply leveraging automated tools. To help with this, ethical hacking has been steadily gaining popularity on account of its effectiveness in simulating real-world attacks and identifying gaps. This article explores what ethical hacking is, the five stages of the ethical hacking process and addresses commonly asked questions. What Is Ethical Hacking? Ethical hacking involves a collection of processes where organizations authorize individuals to exploit a system’s vulnerabilities for a deeper understanding of their existing security posture. When performing an ethical hack, a security professional or researcher replicates the actions and strategies of a Ethical hacking, also known as White Hat Hacking, is a fundamental step for assessing the effectiveness of an organization’s security strategy. To separate themselves from malicious hackers, white hat hackers rely on four principle values: • Keeping the exploits legal by obtaining client approval before conducting the vulnerability assessment • Predefining the scope of the attack so that the security assessments stay within the approved legal boundaries • Reporting all discovered vulnerabilities and providing remediation recommendat...

Penetration testing is the process of exploiting an organization’s network in order to figure out how defend it better. In this article, we'll discuss the five steps involved in a successful penetration test. Before we get into the article, a quick disclaimer: I would like to emphasize that I am not responsible for any damage you do trying to attack systems. It' s illegal to pen test without permission, so make sure you have it in writing before you even try to scan a system or a network. With that out of the way, let's get started. What is Cybersecurity? Cybersecurity is one of the hottest fields to be in, thanks to so many companies going remote. Cyber threats are increasing and cybercriminals are finding new ways to exploit systems. Penetration testing is how ethical hackers work. They think like bad hackers and attack their own systems. This helps them understand their strengths and weaknesses and protect their organizational assets. A pen-test is comprised of multiple stages. You cannot simply get into a system by using a tool unless the target is hopelessly vulnerable. In most cases, systems are secured via firewalls, antivirus software, default operating system configurations, and so on. It takes the right tools, a strong skill set, and most importantly, patience, in order to successfully exploit a network. So let's look at the five main stages a penetration tester will go through along with the tools they use to break into a network. You can also find the Reconnais...

IT security conditions are so dire that, more often than not, it takes up to What Are the Different Phases of Ethical Hacking? Organizations employ ethical hackers to simulate a real cyberattack on their systems and networks. This attack comes in different phases. It takes a lot of skill and effort for ethical hackers to identify all the vulnerabilities and exploit them to their full benefit. This simulated attack is used to pinpoint all areas of weaknesses that the organization faces to work towards strengthening them. The phases of ethical hacking are: • The Reconnaissance Phase • The Scanning Phase • The Gaining Access Phase • The Maintaining Access Phase • The Covering of Tracks Phase The Reconnaissance Phase This is the first stage in the ethical hacking process. The white-hat hacker collects all the information available about the networks and systems in place, as well as the security measures that have been implemented. The ethical hacker has two types of reconnaissance that he can do in this phase. These are: • Active reconnaissance • Passive reconnaissance Active reconnaissance is looking for information about the target network system, server, or application to increase the chances of the hacker being detected in the system. It is a lot riskier than the second type of reconnaissance, which is passive reconnaissance. Passive reconnaissance is the stealthier way of gaining information about the target. This is focused on information gathering about the company’s ke...

• What Is Ethical Hacking? • Types Of Ethical Hacking • What Are the Different Phases in Ethical Hacking? • What Is the Future of Ethical Hacking? • How Can You Become a Certified Hacker? • What Will You Learn in an Ethical Hacking Course? • Key Highlights of the Knowledghehut CEH Training • Bottom Line • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) The term hacking has been extensively used with a negative connotation. However, as against the general perception of the concept, hacking can be used for ethical purposes such as identifying and eliminating security threats to your organization's systems. Such hacking is conducted systematically through different ethical hacking phases. In the 1960s, the word hacker was used to describe the experts who used their skills to re-develop mainframe systems- by which they could increase their work efficiency and perform multitasking. However, nowadays, this word is used for those who use their skills to exploit the computer system weaknesses to gain unauthorized access. There are two types of hackers- Black Hat Hackers- Those who breach the security of the networks of another organization and conduct hacking for illegal and malicious reasons. White Hat Hackers- The ethical hackers who conduct hacking to help the organizations identify the loopholes in their security and rectify them. In this article, we will read about ethical hacking and its phases. What Is Ethical Hacking? In this sense, where the black hat hackers try to loosen the security...

(Last Updated On: December 13, 2020) This is not to motivate you to hack and shut down websites but to provide a general idea of how the daily hacks are performed and to protect yourself from such incidents at least take some precautions. This article explains 5 steps of Ethical Hacking taking an example of a Hacker trying to hack any server and gaining unauthorized access to all the data. Contents • • • • • 1. Reconnaissace This is the first phase where the Hacker tries to collect as much information as possible about the target system. It includes Identifying the Target System, finding out the target's IP Address Range, Network, DNS records, etc. It is also called as Footprinting and information gathering Technique. This is the phase where we collect as much information as possible about the target. We usually collect information about three groups, • Network • Host • People involved There are two types of Footprinting: Active: Directly interacting with the target to gather information about the target system. Eg Using Nmap tool to scan the target Passive: Trying to collect information about the target without directly accessing the target system. This involves collecting information from social media, public websites, blogs, etc. 2. Scanning This phase includes the usage of tools like dialers, port scanners, network mappers, sweepers, and Hackers are now probably seeking any information that can help them perpetrate attacks such as computer names, IP addresses, and user...