Ethical Hacking Fundamentals

Ethical Hacking

Penetration Testing

• Simulated cyber attack against a computer system, network, or web application to test its defenses
• Goals:
  • Identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of security measures
  • Provide recommendations for improvement
• Types of penetration testing:
  • Network penetration testing: testing a network's defenses
  • Web application penetration testing: testing a web application's defenses
  • Social engineering penetration testing: testing human vulnerabilities

Network Exploitation

• Process of identifying and exploiting vulnerabilities in a network to gain unauthorized access
• Steps:
  1. Reconnaissance: gathering information about the target network
  2. Scanning: identifying open ports and services
  3. Vulnerability identification: identifying potential vulnerabilities
  4. Exploitation: using identified vulnerabilities to gain access
  5. Post-exploitation: maintaining access and escalating privileges
• Common network exploitation techniques:
  • TCP/IP hijacking
  • DNS spoofing
  • Man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks

Incident Response

• Process of responding to a security incident or breach
• Goals:
  • Contain the incident
  • Eradicate the root cause
  • Recover from the incident
  • Implement measures to prevent future incidents
• Steps:
  1. Identification: identifying the incident
  2. Containment: isolating the affected systems or networks
  3. Eradication: removing the root cause of the incident
  4. Recovery: restoring systems and data to a known good state
  5. Lessons learned: documenting the incident and implementing improvements

Vulnerability Assessment

• Process of identifying, classifying, and prioritizing vulnerabilities in a system or network
• Types of vulnerability assessments:
  • Network vulnerability assessment: identifying vulnerabilities in a network
  • Web application vulnerability assessment: identifying vulnerabilities in a web application
  • Host-based vulnerability assessment: identifying vulnerabilities in a host system
• Steps:
  1. Information gathering: collecting data about the target system or network
  2. Vulnerability identification: identifying potential vulnerabilities
  3. Risk assessment: prioritizing vulnerabilities based on risk
  4. Reporting: documenting findings and recommendations

Social Engineering

• Process of manipulating individuals into divulging confidential information or performing certain actions
• Types of social engineering:
  • Phishing: using email or messaging to trick individuals into divulging information
  • Pretexting: creating a fake scenario to gain trust
  • Baiting: using physical media to install malware
  • Quid pro quo: offering a service or benefit in exchange for information
• Common social engineering tactics:
  • Urgency: creating a sense of urgency to prompt action
  • Authority: using authority figures to gain trust
  • Scarcity: creating a sense of scarcity to prompt action
  • Reciprocity: offering a benefit in exchange for information