I get a lot of emails about hacking & it is hard for me to answer each question frequently. So I have organized some of the most Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Hacking this time.
- What is 'Hacking'?
- Who is a 'Hacker'?
- What is the Hacker Terminology?
- How do I hack?
- What do I need to be able to hack?
- What is The Hacker Toolbox?
- How do I secure my computer from being hacked?
What is 'Hacking'?
Computer hacking is the process of changing computer software & hardware to do something outside of the original vendor’s purpose. Hacking is an art of exploiting loopholes/bugs in a software/module
Who is a 'Hacker'?
Many people believe that hackers are computer criminals. They don't recognize the fact that criminals and hackers are different & Media is responsible for this. Actually Hackers are good and extremely intelligent people who use their knowledge in a constructive manner to help organizations, companies, government, etc. to secure secret information on the net. Hackers are the one who like to explore and learn how computer systems work, finding ways to make them do what they do better, or do things they were not intended to do.
What is the Hacker Terminology?
Since hacker terminology changes lot over a period of time some of the terminologies here may not still be relevant when they are being used. Inspite of this, most of the terminology will stay and only change slightly if it does.
- Hacker: Person who modifies something to perform in a way that was different than it was made for.
- Cracker: Who break into a computer system for an offensive purpose, e.g. defacement. A cracker is a hacker.
- Ethical Hacker: People who hack into systems for defensive purposes.
- White hat hacker: People with defensive security intentions, similar to ethical hacker. White hat hackers existed before ethical hackers.
- Black hat hacker: A hacker with malicious or offensive intentions.
- Gray hat hacker: Combination of white and black hat hackers. White hats are technically gray hats because black hat hackers can use the tools that white hats use.
- Vulnerability: A weakness of a system that could lead to compromised security. Somebody may write a script to exploit this vulnerability.
- Exploit: A defined method of hacking vulnerability.
- Black Box Attacks: Security testing with no knowledge of network infrastructure, e.g. attacking a company from the net.
- White Box Attacks: Security testing with full knowledge of the network infrastructure.
How do I hack?
There's no easy way to hack. Read any information you can find on hacking. Read hacking forums & check out hacking websites. Learn a programming language like C++. Get a book like Hacking for Dummies which will teach you a lot. The best way to start hacking is to teach oneself !!!!
What do I need to be able to hack?
You need to understand how computer's operating system works, networks & protocols works, security settings and general PC knowledge. After this you need hacking tools which help you to hack.
What is The Hacker Toolbox?
Apart from their own ingenuity, the main resource hackers rely upon, is computer code. While there is a large community of hackers on net, only some hackers actually program code. Many hackers download code written by other people. There are different programs hackers use to explore computers and networks. These programs give hackers a lot of power over innocent users and organizations — once a skilled hacker knows how a system works, he can design programs that exploit it.
Malicious hackers use programs to:
- Log keystrokes: These programs allow hackers to review every keystroke a computer user make.
- Hack passwords: There are many ways to hack someone’s password, from educated guesses to algorithms that generate combination of letters, numbers and symbols.
- Infect a computer or system with a virus: A hacker might install a virus by infiltrating a system, but it is much more common for hackers to create simple viruses and send them out to potential victims via email, instant messages.
- Gain backdoor access: Similar to hacking passwords, some hackers create programs that search for unprotected pathways into network systems and computers. Another way a hacker might gain backdoor access is to infect a system with a Trojan horse.
How do I secure my computer from being hacked?
The best way is to having a basic knowledge of computer security and related topics such as Virus, Trojans, spyware, phishing etc. is more than enough to secure your computer. Install a good antivirus like Kaspersky and a firewall.
