Adam Dodson - Hacking: Computer Hacking for beginners, how to hack, and understanding computer security!

Hacking

Computer Hacking for beginners, how to hack, and understanding computer security!

Table of Contents

Introduction

Thank you for taking the time to pick up this book about hacking!
This book covers the topic of Computer hacking, what it is, and how you can learn to hack.

You will learn about the difference between white hat and black hat hacking, and be given some information on how to secure yourself against hackers.

You will learn about the different types of hackers, the hacks they do and their motivations. This book will teach you the lexicon that hackers use, and by the end of it you will be well prepared to dive into the hacking community!

At the completion of this book you will have a good understanding of how hacking and security works, and should have the ability to perform some simple hacks yourself!

Once again, thanks for reading this book, I hope that it can serve as a great introduction to your future in the hacking world!

Chapter 1: What is Hacking?

Hacking is simply when someone exploits any weaknesses in a computer or computer network to gain entry. In regards to computer networking, hacking is a technical effort to alter the normal behavior of network connections and connected systems. Not all hacking is done with illegal or immoral intentions, and there are many classifications of hackers. The media tends to focus onthe illegal form of hacking, which has given both it and the titl e hacke r a negative connotation.

With the invent of bulletin-board systems, or BBS, in the 1980s, it became possible for people to upload and download information to computer networks. This is when the idea of hacking became well-known. The use of BBS peaked in 1996, when it was eclipsed by the Internet that everyone knows and uses today.

In pop-culture, one of the first references to hacking can be found in the 1982 movie Tron , when the main character says he ha s been doing a little hacking her e while talking about breaking into a computer network. Public awareness of the idea of hacking really took off in 1983 with the release of the movie War Games . The idea that a group of teenagers could impact national security was frightening to many people.

As a result of the publi c s fear, Congressman Dan Glickman called for laws against computer hacking. In 1983, six bills were introduced to the House of Representatives on the subject. As a result of this, hackers with good intentions started to try to define and separate themselves from those with malicious ones. This is where the term s white ha t an d black ha t hacking comes from.

In the 1990s, the ter m hacke r did not have such negative connotations. Hackers were simply skilled people in computer programming and sometimes hacked a competitor to learn their code. Some hackers became goo d crackers , people who were good at getting into password protected computers, networks, and files. In order to be a good cracker one had to be a good hacker. The terms became intertwined and eventually hacker won out.

Common tools of the hacker are viruses, worms, and exploits. Most people are familiar with computer viruses. It is machine code that is designed to get into a computer and start copying itself into other files and programs. A hacker can design a virus to do a number of things, resulting in minor inconveniences, all the wayto devastating computer shut-downs. Viruses are able to happen due t o exploit s in a system. An exploit capitalizes on a vulnerability, bug, or glitch. An exploit will cause unexpected behavior in an operating system and applications while spreading itself. Exploits go through system networking holes and generally are used to gain more privileges than the system administrator allows. Worms are like viruses but they transport themselves over network connections.

Beginning Skills Needed to be a Successful Hacker

• Basic Computer Skills Obviously, you have got to be good with computers. This involves more than just surfing the internet and creating Word documents. You should also know how to use the command line in Windows, edit the registry, and set-up networking parameters.

• Networking Skills An understanding of networking is vital. Some examples of things you will need to be familiar with are:
• DHCP
• NAT
• Public vs. Private IP
• Routers and Switches
• MAC Addressing
• ARP
• Subnetting
• VLANs
• DNS

• Linux Skills Most tools developed for hacking use the Linux operating system. Linux gives hackers options that they cannot get using Windows. There are many online tutorials to get you started using Linux.

• Virtualization There are several virtualization software packages, and a hacker needs to be proficient in at least one of them. Examples include VMWare Workstation and VirtualBox. This will allow you to have a safe environment to practice your hacks before using them in the real world.

• Analyzing TCP/IP Traffic and Attacks Wireshark is a popular tool used for sniffer/protocol analysis. Tcpdump is a command line sniffer/protocol analyzer. This will help analyze TCP/IP traffic and attacks.

• Security Technology A good hacker has to know what they are up against. Learning how security software aims to keep out hackers is a good way to get around it. You will need to understand things like SSL (secure sockets layer,) PKI (public key infrastructure,) IDS (intrusion detection system,) and firewalls. If a beginner is serious about hacking they can learn many of these skills in a security course such as Security+.

• Wireless Technology You will need a basic understanding of things like encryption algorithms (WEP, WPA, WPA2.) An understanding of the legal constraints on wireless technology and the protocol for authentication and connection is also useful.

• Programming This is an utterly essential skill for even the most basic hacking. There are five programming languages that you should learn if you really want to master hacking:
• Python This is a high-level programming language that can be difficult for a beginner to learn. It is a scripting language, meaning you can produce a lot of code in a short period of time. There are many free online tutorials to help you learn Python. It is the choice of companies like Yahoo, Google, and NASA.
• C - C has influenced almost all of the other programming languages, so learning it can help you pick up the others. C has a reputation for requiring complex code to perform simple tasks, making it less popular among experienced hackers. Knowledge of C still is useful when learning programming.
• C++ - This one was originally designed to program system software, but has been used to also develop video games, and desktop, computer, and mobile apps. C++ is very fast and powerful, making it a language used by companies such as Facebook, Amazon, PayPal, and Adobe. It is considered one of the harder first languages to master.
• Java This language is designed to be portable, meaning it will run on any operating system, platform, or device. It is the standard programming language for mobile apps, interactive websites, and video games, making it essential to learn. Java should not be confused with JavaScript, as the first is a programming language and the second is a scripting language.
• Ruby This is a great first language for programmers. It is designed to read more like English. It was also designed to be fun as well as productive. Ruby gained popularity through the Ruby on Rails framework, a full-stack web framework intended for programmers to enjoy. Used most often for backend development, Ruby on Rails has been used on Shopify, Bloomberg, Airbnb, and Hulu websites.

There are varying opinions on which language should be mastered first. To learn these languages, use the internet to find free online tutorials until you begin to understand the basics and then try applying them. Most of the top hackers working today are self-taught when it comes to programming.