Hacking the ultimate beginners guide to experts guide to computer hacking, penetration testing and basic security coding

Hacking: The Ultimate Beginners to Experts Guide to Computer Hacking, Penetration Testing and Basic Security Coding Contents Introduction Chapter – Ethical Hacking Chapter – Types of Hackers Chapter – Hacking Methods and their Prevention Chapter – Knowing the Target and Victim Chapter – Types of Malware Chapter – Spy Programs and Computer Viruses Conclusion Introduction Hackers are those individuals who use their knowledge of computers to infiltrate and compromise the security of other computer networks They often target home and office computers that are connected to the Internet The Internet is a gateway to a computer to connect to the world, which also makes it vulnerable to attacks from hackers across the globe Hackers can work alone or in groups, and in a lot of cases are self-taught Positive Side of Hacking Supporters argue that despite the inconvenience, hackers can cause benefit to the systems of business, they also provide high security to big companies; it helps to make the Internet safer Businesses nowadays tend to employ "ethical hackers" whose agenda is to test online security based systems and keep away potential threats Ethical hackers test the networks for vulnerabilities Their aim is to check if these networks are secure enough to get past their security defenses They ensure their companies are not susceptible in any way to attacks from the black and Grey hat hackers who are the bad hackers Thank you for choosing to read this book I believe it will answer your questions and help you understand hacking more Chapter – Ethical Hacking Does the famous word hacking sound familiar? Does it scare you? Ironically hacking is not that bad as many may think Illegal hacking is bad, legal hacking on the other hand is doing us good If this is your first book or reading on hacking then surely you will get some potential insight on hacking after reading this My article gives a simple overview on ethical hackers The term ethical hacker came to surface in the late 1970s when the government of United States of America hired groups of experts called 'red teams' to hack its hardware and software system Hackers are cyber criminals or online computer criminals that practice illegal hacking They penetrate into the security system of a computer network to fetch or extract information Technology and internet facilitated the birth and growth of network evils like a virus, anti-virus, hacking and ethical hacking Hacking is a practice of modification of a computer hardware and software system The illegal breaking of a computer system is a criminal offense Recently a spurt in the hacking of computer systems has opened up several courses on ethical hacking A 'white hat' hacker is a moral hacker who runs penetration testing and intrusion testing Ethical hacking in the process of legally hacking a computer system, that is hacking with permission and penetrating into the systems' database database The whole idea behind this is to secure the vulnerabilities and loopholes in the cyber-security system Legal hacking experts are usually Certified Ethical Hackers who are hired to prevent any potential threat to the computer security system or network Courses for ethical hacking have become widely popular, and many are taking it that we can download from the internet today Dynamic antivirus software plays crucial part in working process of your PC as it protects your personal information from online malicious virus threats Since the vulnerability of nasty Trojan viruses is increasingly dominating and destroying your computers, it is wisest idea to choose among the best antivirus programs that can serve the purpose of safeguarding your PC Though online viruses are advancing their approach, software developers across the world are trying their hardest to block such malicious practices and virtual bugs to provide users peace of mind One of the harmful categories of online virus threats is a Ransonware Trojan, such viruses plant encrypted files on your PC and hold it in exchange of cash or something valuable Such virus hostage security of your PC, as in one such case security systems and televisions connected through internet were controlled by third person from far location Overwriting virus threats are dangerous as these malicious malwares hold the ability of overwriting and eventually deleting important contents off your system Such virus threats are rarely spread and if infected, your PC can gradually lose all of the data and programs Another form of Trojan virus threat is Root Kits, which if gets on your PC can completely hold access of it Hackers typically hideaway files, folders, registry edits and other important components it uses Storm virus is under such category which spreads away through e-mails and if a person clicks on it your PC can eventually die Of course, intention behind the virus description was not to scare you but to make you aware of various viruses out there in the world The key is not to click on anything you're not familiar with on the internet However, having the best free antivirus security software is always a good backup because it will protect you from pop ups, which are certainly harmful for your PC as clicking it is like welcoming one of such malicious viruses intentionally Conclusion The Newest Target: Your Mobile Devices Whether you have an iPhone, Blackberry, Android, or any other internet connected phone, your device is just a miniature computer And exactly as you protect your vehicle with locks, you should also always "lock" your smartphone by setting up a password At first, it may feel inconvenient to constantly enter your PIN before accessing your phone applications; however, your phone contains enough personal information to seriously compromise your identity in the event your phone is lost or stolen Without a security PIN or password, your emails, your saved passwords and your network access is easily accessed by anyone who finds your phone In fact, many scammers buy stolen phones because it is so easy to request a password reset on your web email or even on your bank account Consider the financial impact and hassle that would create for you, your company, or even worse, your customers! Put a password on your smartphone and use it consistently to protect your information Passwords: A Str0ng Pa$$w0rd is Essential Effective passwords are critical to keeping your data safe This cannot be emphasized enough! You may have different passwords for your email and your desktop/laptop or they may be the same Whatever you choose, it is imperative that you NOT use your username as the password You must also avoid using any words in the dictionary, something obvious like your company name, your pet's or children's names, or any password less than characters long You should incorporate numbers, capital letters, and symbols (if symbols are supported in your environment) in the password as well Without a $tr0ng password, hackers can easily gain access to your email account, steal your information, and then send malicious emails to everyone on your contact list Don't be the one who infects everyone else because "password" was your password Thumb/Flash Drives: Beware of Strangers What if you are leaving your office or walking through a parking lot and you find a flash drive? Should you plug it into your computer to browse the contents to try finding the rightful owner? Probably not Once you plug the little memory unit into your USB port, you risk silently installing a Trojan that will give hackers direct access to your network Even worse, a program that hides in the background can capture every keystroke, take screenshots of what's on your monitor, turn on your webcam to watch you, and even turn on your microphone to listen to your conversations If you really want to view the contents of the thumb drive, plug it into a computer not connected to the internet, perhaps an old one you don't use and haven't yet recycled Just remember, even if your computer is not connected to a network, a virus on the flash drive can still destroy all your data Use your antivirus software to scan the drive for viruses if you have that feature Wireless Networks: War Driving is NOT Dead If you have notebook computers and smartphones that connect to the web, you're using a wireless network -another favorite entry point for hackers Consumer models of wireless network devices are so easy to setup that you just go to the store and buy what's on sale By following the simple diagram, you have all the connections made within minutes The result: Instant wireless internet! Hooray! It's working! "I can get out to the Internet and everyone is happy!" Yes, everyone, especially hackers, are thrilled Why? Because there are devices that hackers use to lock onto "unsecured networks" that don't have a password When wireless technology first emerged, hacking wireless networks was called "war driving" Now hackers can sit in their homes or public places and use "unsecured networks" to gain full access to your network and shared files as if they were sitting at a desk in your office Other times, hackers use unsecured wireless networks to engage in illegal, credit card fraud that can be traced back to your location Moral of the story: Secure your wireless network If you don't know how to this correctly, ask a professional Compromising Friends: Compromised Email Accounts In addition to never opening emails from people you don't know, you must be careful with emails that appear to be sent from your friend's account If you receive a message from someone on your contact list but the subject line is blank, strange, or ambiguous, NOT open the message The result ranged from the recipient's own email accounts being compromised to getting a nasty virus that sent out more emails to the rest of the contact list Rule of thumb: If you're not sure your friend or associate sent you a particular email, you can always ask them on the phone or send them a separate message to inquire about the subject line It is better to delay opening that message and error on the side of caution than it is to be a victim of your friend's compromised email account Safe Surfing: Just a Few More Reminders You should avoid clicking on links in emails The link may appear that it is going to your favorite website; however, the code behind the link can redirect you to the wrong site that looks identical to the official site NEVER click links in emails to reset passwords unless you have just requested a password reset less than minutes prior If you receive an email with a link telling you that you must change your password for any account, delete it immediately and contact the company directly Finally, never give out personal information unless you know 100% that you are on the correct website You should always type the official URL into the browser address bar or bookmark/add the official site to your favorites Thank you for taking time in reading this book I believe you have learned something on hacking and how to be safe from black hat hackers .. .Hacking: The Ultimate Beginners to Experts Guide to Computer Hacking, Penetration Testing and Basic Security Coding Contents Introduction Chapter – Ethical Hacking Chapter –... network, and these computers are used to send infected files to thousands of other computers If the attack is caught and traced, it is traced to you, not to the hacker There are a few symptoms that... who use their knowledge of computers to infiltrate and compromise the security of other computer networks They often target home and office computers that are connected to the Internet The Internet