Ethical Hacking Using Kali Linux

Study Notes

Ethical hacking involves penetrating systems to identify vulnerabilities, not exploit them.
A cyber attack is an attempt to damage, sabotage, or illegally gain access to computer systems or networks.
Cyber attacks are increasingly common and dangerous, and people rely heavily on electronic devices.
Hackers target computer systems to carry out illegal actions.
This can include penetrating, sabotaging, or stealing information from systems or networks.
Hackers often try to trick individuals into giving up their personal information through malicious messages.
Crimes such as stealing credit card information, bank accounts and social media data can result from these attacks.
One method used is sending fraudulent messages posing as legitimate sources to elicit the divulgence of personal information.

Adam, while watching TV, learned that a bank was hit by a crippling cyber attack, leading to bankruptcy.
Adam asked his teacher about cyber attacks and how to protect himself.
The teacher explained, 'A cyber attack is an attempt by individuals or groups to penetrate, sabotage, or obtain information from computer systems or networks illegally.'
The teacher explained further that 'Cyber attacks are one of the most dangerous threats in today's reliance on electronics.'
This means hackers attempt to gain access to various systems for harmful purposes, relying heavily on the convenience of readily accessible technology.

Malicious Software (Viruses): These harmful programs, often from unknown sources, can damage or disable devices. Spyware and viruses are examples of this, which could render a device unusable.
Cyber Attack Through Information Escalation: This attack involves sending deceptive emails that seem to be from trusted sources. It is designed to trick the recipient into harmful actions or revealing sensitive data.
Cyber Attack Through Ransomware: Here, hackers encrypt a victim's files and solicit a ransom in return for decrypting them. The hackers may not even possess the data but use the threat of access or disclosure to solicit payment from the harmed individuals or organizations.
Cyber Attacks Via Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) Attack: A hacker interferes with communications between a victim and the internet. This can be by creating an insecure network to which the victim connects, or through malicious software that permits access and control to the victims’ private data.

Some email messages are examples of attempts to hack a device.
Phishing emails are designed to trick people into providing access codes or other sensitive private information.

Companies work hard to fix security weaknesses in computer programs and operating systems.
Microsoft provides monthly security updates for Windows to protect users from hackers.
The steps for updating Windows are outlined visually:
- Click the Windows Start button.
- Click on the Settings icon to open Windows Settings
- Click “Update & Security” settings.
- Click “Check for updates”.
- Wait for the update to finish.
- Restart your computer (if prompted).

Use Avast Free Antivirus software to scan for viruses on a computer.
The Avast Free Antivirus software will scan for security threats such as Viruses, Malware, and Spyware.
The process includes searching for the Microsoft Store, installing the software, and running the scan.

A hacker is someone who possesses expert knowledge of software and networks and is capable of finding vulnerabilities in systems.
Hackers who act ethically are called White Hat hackers. Their work involves finding vulnerabilities so that systems can be better protected.
Black Hat hackers are unethical hackers who engage in harmful actions like stealing data, extortion, and sabotage.
Gray Hat hackers are hackers who act without adhering to a clear plan and might act for good or malicious reasons.

A specific website (https://delinea.com/resources/password-generator-it-tool) can generate strong passwords.
This resource helps create passwords that are challenging to guess by hackers.