Computer hackers take pride in their craft and try very hard to protect people from the real dangers of computer networks and software. Ethical hackers learn ways to infiltrate networks freely without being detected so that they can help companies work on improving their custom security for better protection against malicious acts. The idea is that ethical hackers must have coding knowledge, or they cannot hack well enough to uncover vulnerabilities accurately.
Ethical hacking does not require coding, but it is difficult to be an effective hacker without it. Many techniques hackers use, such as XML injections and buffer overflows, require at least some proficiency in computer languages. A prospective ethical hacker should expect to learn how to code.
Every cybercriminal needs to have some level of knowledge about programming to execute his plan for illegally obtaining money or valuable information from others. Since ethical hacking requires breaking into someone else’s system without being noticed, it would seem logical that a hacker must know how to code at least well enough to make it happen. If he does not have the skills necessary to write specific codes, such as PHP scripts, then there is no way to achieve his goal otherwise. This also means that people who don’t know how to develop such programs cannot be called hackers because they do not have the necessary skills to carry out their mission.
Can you learn hacking without coding?
Some believe that learning how to hack requires you to learn how to code. While there are specific skills and knowledge that one needs to launch an attack or defend against them, it’s certainly not beyond someone with no coding experience to get involved in this field of study and practice. So if you want a career in security but don’t know how to program — don’t despair! This article should shed some light on different ways you can learn to hack and how it’s not as hard as it may seem.
You can still win many hacks by using simple Google searches and following tutorials on the Internet. In reality, coders don’t always get top scores on hacking challenges; they’re beaten out by people who know very little about programming but are good at finding vulnerabilities.
To start hacking, at the very least, you’ll need to have a basic understanding of how computers work. This means that you should be familiar with at least the following topics:
* How do the hard drives in your computer work?
* What is RAM?
* Why would I want more RAM than my computer has already got?
* Would it damage my system if I repeatedly transferred files from one drive to another without formatting them first?
You don’t have to know all of this stuff off by heart, but you should at least have a general idea about it and not feel lost when someone mentions these things. It’s also good if you know whether or not certain activities are likely to cause permanent damage to your computer (e.g., whether or not repeatedly transferring files from one drive to another without formatting them first is likely to damage your computer).
What is required for ethical hacking?
Ethical hacking is performed by highly skilled individuals usually affiliated with IT security companies or within private firms on contract. The purpose of an ethical hack is to discover system vulnerabilities so that they can be closed as quickly as possible before black hat hackers find them and exploit them for their gain. The following are required for ethical hacking:
Training: Someone with excellent or expert knowledge of IT security practices must perform ethical hacks that can identify problem areas within business processes – an IT professional familiar with computers will not suffice. Training courses for ethical hacking consist mainly of penetration testing methods and tools employed to find network vulnerabilities.
Ethical hacking tools: Ethical hackers must be familiar with penetration testing and vulnerability assessment tools and exploitation methods for each.
Security testing methodology: This involves investigating the security features of a target by using specific methods designed for that purpose. A standard method consists of several steps, including planning, Discovery, analysis, and reporting back to business leaders. Ethical hackers are supplied with a detailed scope statement beforehand, designed to minimize any potential confusion during an investigation.
Network investigation: Ethical hackers are required to analyze primary network data for both attack detection/prevention and damage assessment purposes. As such, they should understand protocol analysis, packet analysis, steganography, reverse engineering, and malware research to carry out investigative tasks effectively.
Source code review: In-depth scanning of the target’s software programs is performed when ethical hacking occurs on websites where security loopholes are present or suspected. This method also includes the use of automated tools.
Reconnaissance: Hackers should conduct Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking of mobile devices, use network scanners for discovery purposes and carry out vulnerability checks on wireless networks with minimum effort. The Discovery of hardware addresses and their corresponding MAC information is also important to proficient ethical hackers who want to ensure that they get all relevant data during an investigation.
What coding language do hackers use?
C/C++
Traditionally most of the hacks would involve the traditional UNIX systems, and the most common tool used at that time was called “the C Programming Language.” As it is a low-level programming language, it can be used for developing efficient programs. Its wide range of possible uses (everything from system programming to game development) and its efficiency have made this a preferred language among hackers.
Python, Perl, Ruby, etc., or some self-defined language?
Over time, however, as more and more security systems were developed and connected to the traditional UNIX systems (such as firewalls), newer programming languages such as Python have been used due to their flexibility. This enables quick implementation of features without sacrificing the efficiency that is required for fast execution speed.
Since most of these new security systems are built on top of existing operating system components, this has created a situation where programs written in either C or low-level languages similar to those are no longer being exposed directly to the user. Over time, this has led many hackers to converge towards using more high-level scripting languages like Python to do their work.
Since they are more “user friendly,” these languages can be used to make a user think that the program is doing one thing, while in reality, it might be doing another or containing some secret code without being detected. This has led most hackers over time to converge towards using more high-level scripting languages like Python to do their work because of its flexibility which enables quick implementation of features without sacrificing the efficiency that is required for fast execution speed and due to less public exposure regarding the use of such programming language.
Is Python necessary for ethical hacking?
Python is not necessary for ethical hacking. But it sure makes the job easier and more efficient.
Python is a powerful programming language that can be used to automate tasks in various applications, primarily related to information security. It has gained importance in the information security industry due to its ability to read and manipulate data from various sources (such as the web). This makes it an interesting and useful tool for performing ethical hacking tasks. And even though you don’t need Python when conducting such activities, it surely helps make your life easier.
When performing some penetration tests, there will inevitably be a lot of repetitive work that needs to be done – such as searching for sensitive files or checking if network services are listening on certain ports. In such scenarios, it is best to write a script that automates the task and spares us from thinking about its execution every time it needs to be run. Python comes in handy as it allows you to automate repetitive tasks in no time.
That being said, there are some tools (both commercial and open-source) that can help make your ethical hacking life easier by providing easy-to-use interfaces to various reconnaissance and penetration testing activities. For example, one of the most prominent security frameworks used today is Metasploit, an automated suite of tools for performing various information security tasks (such as finding exposed services on the network). However, this framework requires one to have prior experience with Python scripting and general programming tasks. So, to get the most out of such tools, one needs to be proficient with the Python programming language.
Conclusion
It is important to understand that there are two main approaches to becoming an ethical hacker. It will ultimately depend on the approach taken by the individual if he can be successful in his chosen profession. Although one might require learning certain coding languages for creating new forms of malware or viruses, this does not mean that those without programming skills still cannot make it as hackers if they know enough about cybersecurity.
The most important thing here is knowing how specific programs work to properly use them for hacking into systems while avoiding unwanted detection, which would jeopardize the entire mission being undertaken by the ethical hacker in the first place. Many people believe that all hackers have very good coding skills, which is not true because anyone can become a hacker with or without programming knowledge.
All it takes is the willingness to learn and the determination to understand the various algorithms needed for hacking into systems, which makes it possible for anyone to succeed as an ethical hacker, provided he has the right attitude and approach towards learning about cybersecurity.