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Here we bring to you 12 steps to become a hacker, together with all the
books, tutorials and resources that you need to learn in the process. So
pack your bags and get set for the journey!
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Hacking is a fascinating field but it definitely isn't easy. Here we
have listed 12 of the most important steps essential to become a hacker,
together with all the resources that you need for learning.
Here
we focus on the skills and attitude needed to become a hacker. Breaking
the security system and entering into the system is not the only thing a
hacker does. One requires knowledge of a wide variety of subjects and
in depth knowledge of programming languages and operating systems. And
needless to say, learning is essential in the journey...
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Here are the 12 steps:
It is not an easy task to become a hacker. As a hacker, you need to have an attitude and curiosity. Reading the hacking manifesto
can teach you the attitude of a hacker. Nurturing the hacker attitude
is more about developing competence in the languages rather than having a
stereotypical attitude.
Though a lot of people consider that a
hacker is a criminal, in real life, they are hired by big companies for
protecting information and minimizing potential damage. The act of
hacking actually is that of being over-curious and outwitting authority.
As a hacker, you should be hell bent on breaching authoritarian rules,
secrecy and censorship. Deception is another arsenal which will allow
you to dodge the vigilant eyes of authority.
The act of stealing
something or doing harm to someone is not hacking. Such people are
commonly called crackers in the community. Crackers are involved in
illegal activities and we do not recommend you to get involved into such
activities.
Step 1: Learn To Program In C
C
programming is one of the most powerful languages in computer
programming. It is necessary to really master this language. This
programming language was invented by Denise Ritchie in between the years
1969 and 1973 at AT&T Bell Labs. C programming will essentially
help you divide the task in smaller pieces and these pieces can be
expressed by a sequence of commands. Try writing some program on your
own by assessing the logic.
Here are 35 ebooks on C programming
Step 2: Learn More Than One Programming Language
When
you are trying to become a hacker, it is very important to learn other
modern computer programming languages such as JAVA, Perl, PHP and
Python. One of the best ways to learn these is by reading books from
experts.
Here are 32 free ebooks on JAVA
Here are 24 free ebooks on Perl
Here are 21 free ebooks on PHP
Here are 50 free ebooks on Python
Step 3: Learn UNIX
UNIX
is a multi-tasking and multi-user computer operating system that is
designed to provide good security to the systems. This operating system
was developed by some employees of AT&T in Bell Labs. The best way
to learn it is to get into an open-source version (e.g. centos) and
install/run the same on your own. You can operate internet without
learning UNIX, but it is not possible for you to be an internet hacker
without understanding UNIX.
Here are 33 free ebooks on UNIX
Step 4: Learn More Than One Operating Systems
There
are many other operating systems apart from UNIX. Windows operating
system is one of the most commonly compromised systems, hence, it is
good to learn hacking Microsoft systems, which are closed-source
systems.
According to the National Vulnerability Database, Microsoft operating systems have a large number of vulnerabilities.
Windows
OS installers are distributed in binary, therefore, it is not easy for
you to read the code. Binary code is basically the digital
representation of text and data that computer understands. However,
knowing how programs are written for Windows and how different
applications behave on this operating system will help.
One of
the recent vulnerabilities of a popular OS was that Java Web Start
applications get launched automatically even if the Java plug-ins are
disabled. How to be a hacker is about knowing the weaknesses of these
operating systems and targeting them systematically.
Step 5: Learn Networking Concepts
The networking concept needs to be sharp when you want to be a hacker.
Understanding
how the networks are created is important, however, you need to know
the differences between different types are networks. Having a clear
understanding of TCP/IP and UDP protocol is a must to be able to exploit
the vulnerabilities on world wide web.
Understand what is subnet, LAN, WAN and VPN.
The
networking commands to do a HTTP request needs to be on your
fingertips. The HTTP protocol, is the gateway through which one enters
the internet world. Hence, it is necessary to learn this protocol in
order to break the barriers. The hackers often use the HTTP gateway to
breach the security of the system and take control over it.
Apache Httpd
is one of the most commonly used web servers and knowing in and out of
it is going to empower you on any HTTP or other application layer
protocol related endeavors.
Also Nmap is a powerful network
scanning tool that is used by hackers and security professional across
the world to identify vulnerable hosts. However, to effectively start
using it you must understand the networking basics.
Step 6: Start Simple: Go Through Tutorials About Hacking
This
is the simple and best way to start. Read as many tutorials as possible
that are meant for hacking. These articles will give you insight and
help you develop the attitude to be a hacker. Some tutorials will
initiate you with Nmap, Nessus and SuperScan, some of the hacking
programs or tools that hackers generally use. These tutorials are
readily available over the internet; Both text and video tutorials are
available for you to answer your question how to be a hacker.
Here are some of the video tutorials
Here are some of the text tutorials
Step 7: Learn Cryptography
As
an expert hacker, you need to understand and master the art of
cryptography. The technology of cryptography and encryption is very
important for internet and networking. It is the practice and study of
techniques that are used for secure communication in the presence of
third parties. The encryption is done for various aspects of information
security such as confidentiality of the data, integrity of the data and
authentication. Moreover, the technology of cryptography is extensively
used in ATM cards, computer passwords and e-commerce. While hacking,
these encrypted codes needs to be broken, which is called decryption.
Understand
various techniques used for password cracking. There are dozens of
tools available to do password cracking, and using it is not hacking. To
be expert at hacking its important for you to understand how to create a
program that can crack a password from cypher text.
Here are 20 free ebooks on Cryptography
Step 8: Experiment A Lot
This
is an important step for setting yourself up as an expert hacker. Setup
a laboratory on your own to experiment the learning on the practical
applications. A simplest lab will have your computer, however once you
advance you may want to add more and more computers and required
hardware for your experiments.
It is good to try experimenting on
your own computers, where you can rectify if you have done any mistake.
Many hackers initially start off by downloading virtual lab
applications such as Oracle VirtualBox. You require at least 3 GBs of
RAM and a comparatively powerful processor to carry out your hacking
experiments. Setting up the virtual machine is crucial, as it will allow
you to test virus, applications and different servers without affecting
your own PC.
Some of the things you may need to keep in mind when doing experiments
- Keep a backup before any experiment.
- Start small and have check points.
- Know when to stop.
- Document your progress
- Keep improvising
- Automate repetitive tasks
Step 9: Read Some Good Books From Experts
Reading
will always enhance your knowledge. Try to read as many books and
articles as possible written by the experts in the field field of
ethical hacking and enterprise security
Reading a lot about
anything related is so important in the world of hacking that you must
also consider enhancing your reading speed. If your reading speed is
slow, then you may not be able to progress fast in this field. Practice
speed reading techniques like skimming, chunk reading etc.
When
it comes to reading a lot, it's also important to know that a majority
of content on web is not worth your time. Many people use search engine
tricks to attract traffic but have little value in it. If you skim
through an article within seconds and decide not to read that is going
to save you a lot of time for some really well researched content.
Step 10: Go Next Level: Write Vulnerability
Vulnerability
of a program is the weakness of the program. It is a good approach to
look for the vulnerability of an existing program and share the same
with others. In this way you will have the option to collect varied
opinions from different sources, enabling you to hone your current skill
set.
The examples of computer vulnerabilities include memory
safety violation, input validation error, privilege confusion bugs and
user interface failure. For instance, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 11
had the vulnerability bug in its preview version which several hackers
exploited.
Identifying a new weakness in any software is the real work any expert hackers would perform.
Step 11: Contribute To Open Source Security Projects
Contributing
to an open-source computer security project is a great platform to test
your skills. This is not everyone’s cup of tea. Many organizations like
Mozilla and Apache offer these types of open source projects. Try to be
a part of these projects and add a valuable contribution to the benefit
of the community.
Participating in the open source security
projects such as anti-spam, anti-virus, firewall and data removals help
you augment your dexterity as a hacker. Contribute your vulnerability
findings to the global vulnerability databases and give back to the
community.
Remember that it does not matter if your contribution is small, as long as you participate and add value it helps.
Step 12: Continue Learning And Keep Listening To Security Talks
The
key to success in the hacking career is continuous learning. Reading
blogs for hacking available at sites such as hackerfactor blog and IKEA
hacker blog; participating in the forums such as hackforums.net and
elite hack are great ways to refresh your knowledge as a hacker. The
online video forums like TED or TechTalk are good sources to know more
about the emergent hacking techniques and technologies that are being
deployed. You should also try following the posts of famous hackers such
as Adrian Lamo, Kevin Mitnick, Kevin Poulsen and Robert Tappan Morris. |
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