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Since hackers are capable of doing substantial security and financial damage, finding ways to shield your network and systems against them is a necessity now. This is where ethical hacking techniques work as a defensive barrier to shield organisations. With escalating reliance on digital technologies, robust cybersecurity measures need to establish an equally strong defence system against cyber attacks. As per Security Magazine, more than 2,200 malicious attacks occur daily- a concerning figure that keeps increasing.
Ethical hackers harness an array of the most common hacking techniques to mimic the behaviour of malicious hackers and use them to repair system vulnerabilities. Wondering what such hacking techniques are? Let us take you through these diverse hacking techniques. But first, let’s start with decoding the basics of ethical hacking!
Table of Contents
- What Is Ethical Hacking?
- Types of Hacking Methods
- Types of Ethical Hacking
- How to Protect Against These Types of Hacking Attacks
- Conclusion
- FAQs
What Is Ethical Hacking?
Ethical hacking refers to authorised attempts undertaken by skilled professionals to gain access to host systems and learn their vulnerable aspects. Simply put, ethical hackers retrace the steps that any potential malicious hacker can take and instead look for present vulnerabilities within any system. They further repair these weak links before any actual cyber attack can be conducted.
Ethical hacking is conducted by skilled professionals who are called ‘white hat hackers’.
Types of Hacking Techniques
Hacking techniques continue to evolve with market innovations and the most recent security measures. Therefore, it is important to understand some of the most commonly used hacking methods that hackers usually employ for system and network infiltration.
Let’s explore the types of hacking:
1. Phishing
Attackers harness phishing, a deceitful tactic where they impersonate reputable entities in digital communication to deceive victims into revealing sensitive information. This approach often involves sending deceptive emails that appear to be from trustworthy sources, tricking users with security renewal pop-ups, using ‘voice phishing’ to deceive people and steal personal information or creating fake social media posts to steal user information.
2. Sniffing
Intercepting and analysing packets on networks refers to a practice called sniffing. This practice allows the extraction of sensitive information such as passcodes and financial data. Hackers utilise specialised software and eavesdrop on network traffic to exploit unsecured or incompetently secured networks to fulfil their malicious intent.
3. Footprinting
In the initial stage of hacking, an attacker actively gathers extensive information about the target system or network. In ethical hacking, this process is known as ‘footprinting.’
Footprinting is used as an investigative attempt to gain the target system’s data, which includes information related to domain names, IP addresses, scanning open ports, and network infrastructure. Using this knowledge, ethical hackers perform pen testing to search for compromised system components and repair them.
4. Social Engineering
Hackers exploit human interaction in social engineering, strategically manipulating individuals psychologically to breach standard security procedures and gain unauthorised access to valuable information.
5. SQL Injection
SQL injection refers to a type of code injection attack where hackers inject malicious SQL code into an SQL query through input data from the application. This leads to backend database manipulation, which can either result in stolen sensitive data, alterations in system data or even the destruction of entire database.
6. Enumeration
The process of enumeration involves extracting specific details about a target, including user names, network resources, and services. Enumeration comes in the reconnaissance phase of a cyberattack, where the hacker is trying to gain access to as much information as possible from the target system.
This method empowers hackers to pinpoint potential attack vectors by identifying the target system, mapping network topologies, decoding configuration details and much more. Access to such information makes system intrusion easy for hackers.
7. Bruteforce
The Brute-force attack is one of the oldest forms of cyber attack, which involves multiple forceful attempts at gaining the right system credentials to access user systems, networks or accounts. The Brute-force attack process requires systematic guessing of passwords or encryption keys, a process undertaken through exhaustive effort, not exploiting inherent weaknesses.
8. DoS/DDoS
Denial of Service (DoS) and Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks aim to flood systems, networks, or services with an excessive volume of traffic. A DDoS attack leads to the target system or network becoming overwhelmed, which can lead to slow performance, unresponsiveness and eventually a complete downtime– disabling legitimate users to lose access to the space.
If these different types of hacking methods interest you and compel you to delve deeper into this domain, pursuing CEH certification training would be an optimal choice.
Types of Ethical Hacking Techniques
A skilled cyber security professional can become an ethical hacker by mimicking the strategies and techniques of malicious hackers to actively identify and rectify vulnerabilities. The key areas this role focuses on include:
1. Web Application Hacking
Web application hacking Identifies security weaknesses in web applications. The subsequent step is to propose measures in order to mitigate the risks associated with these identified vulnerabilities.
2. System Hacking
The focus of system hacking lies in the pursuit of unauthorised access to computer systems. It seizes control by exploiting its vulnerabilities, which enables ethical hackers to strengthen its defence system against all potential intrusions.
3. Wireless Network Hacking
Identifying vulnerabilities that might permit unauthorised network access, this method actively tests the security of wireless networks.
4. Server Hacking
The aim of server hacking is to identify vulnerabilities within server configurations and software. This identification serves as a preventive measure against unauthorised access or data breaches.
How to Protect Against These Types of Hacking Attacks
We observed the diverse methods of hacking, which span from sophisticated phishing attacks to advanced persistent threats. However, the question still persists– how do businesses go about safeguarding themselves from these threats?
Well, this is where protection and prevention strategies come in.
The following strategies lay out how we can safeguard systems and data against these vulnerabilities, integrate ethical hacking techniques and gain insights into the types of hacking techniques that cybercriminals frequently use.
Implement Strong Access Control Measures
Implementing robust access control measures is crucial for countering brute force attacks and unauthorised access attempts. This necessitates the use of complex passwords by employing multi-factor authentication (a system that ensures stringent control over permissions) and continuous monitoring. Organisations can mitigate the risk of information theft by hackers through a strategic approach: they restrict access to sensitive data.
Conduct Regular Security Audits and Penetration Testing
Actively utilising ethical hacking techniques for regular security audits and penetration testing is a proactive strategy aimed at identifying and subsequently addressing vulnerabilities. Ethical hackers employ identical methods to those of malicious counterparts. However, they operate within strict controls and authorisation–an approach that bolsters overall system security. These assessments serve as preventive measures, potentially revealing the system’s defence weaknesses before any potential exploit occurs.
Educate and Train Staff
Significantly, human error often orchestrates successful cyber attacks. Educating and training staff on current hacking techniques in cyber security by equipping them to identify phishing attempts, malicious links, or suspicious attachments can mitigate the risk of information breaches. Thus, it is essential that we empower individuals through awareness programs.
Keep Software and Systems Up to Date
Known vulnerabilities in software and operating systems become targets of many techniques of hacking. We can fortify our defence against these exploits by regularly updating and patching the software to close security gaps. To streamline this process, we should employ automated patch management tools since they guarantee that our systems always stand protected from the latest threats.
Employ Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems
Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) and Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS) are essential parts of a strong cybersecurity plan. They keep an eye on network activity for anything fishy or known attack methods, stopping hacks as they happen. With IDS and IPS in place, organisations can block different hacking methods that aim to mess with services or swipe important data.
Encrypt Sensitive Data
Encryption is a crucial tool in cybersecurity that makes data unreadable to unauthorised users. Organisations use it to protect against hacking attempts that aim to intercept or steal sensitive information– whether it’s stored or transmitted. This is especially important for financial transactions and the protection of personal data. Therefore, it’s not just a choice but a necessary action they must take.
Foster a Culture of Security
Ultimately, an organisation that fosters a security culture establishes serious engagement with cybersecurity. Regular discussions about the significance of security, updates on emerging hacking methods, and encouragement to report any suspicious activities form integral parts of this approach.
If all these discussions pique your interest, you could look at embarking on a career in ethical hacking and be at the forefront of cybersecurity efforts, protecting organisations from data breaches and cyber threats. You could be playing a vital role in securing information systems and ensuring the privacy and integrity of sensitive data.
Conclusion
To safeguard digital assets in the contemporary world, one must possess a deep understanding of both ethical and malicious hacking techniques. By employing ethical hacking practices, organisations can maintain their systems’ security and data integrity and ensure they always stay ahead of potential cyber threats.
Newcomers to the field can establish a robust foundation in cybersecurity and ethical hacking techniques by embarking on an Ethical Hacking Tutorial offered by Edureka. This tutorial spans various subjects, including comprehension of the ethical hacking process, along with practical applications using cutting-edge hacking tools and methodologies.
FAQs
1. What are the steps involved in Ethical Hacking?
Commonly, ethical hacking involves assessing the target, probing for flaws, gaining access, maintaining access for a thorough analysis, and even hiding the traces.
2. What are some of the hacking tools used by Ethical Hackers?
Ethical hackers use various tools, such as Nmap, Metasploit, and Wireshark, to study and gain access to systems and prevent future attacks.
3. What are some of the best methods used by Ethical hackers to gain access to their target?
When it comes to ethical hacking, hackers like to implement methods such as penetration testing, social engineering tests and vulnerability assessments in order to find system vulnerabilities.
4. What are some of the programming languages used by ethical hackers?
Examples of coding languages that are regularly used by ethical hackers include Python, JavaScript, and SQL to write out scripts and automate hacking processes.
