On the contrary, ethical hacking entails utilizing identical tools and methodologies as hackers to pinpoint vulnerabilities within a system and rectify them proactively, preventing potential exploitation. As King suggests, adopting a hacker’s mindset is the key to outsmarting a hacker. For a comprehensive grasp of the principles, enrolling in the Ethical Hacking Course in Chennai offered by FITA Academy will help you better understanding of Hacking. This Blog will Explore The Five Phases of Ethical Hacking.
The Five Stages of Ethical Hacking
Although the webinar examines these stages through a hacker’s lens, King clarifies that a white hat hacker employs the same phases to assess an organization’s network. While an attacker employs this methodology to infiltrate the network, an ethical hacker employs it to safeguard it.
Exploration
Exploration, also called the preparatory stage, is when a hacker acquires information about a target before initiating an attack. This process unfolds in stages before the exploitation of system vulnerabilities. Dumpster diving marks one of the initial steps in the Reconnaissance phase, during which the hacker discovers valuable details like outdated passwords and the names of crucial personnel, such as the head of the network department. Active surveillance is then performed to understand the organization’s functioning. Foot printing yields crucial information, including the domain name, TCP and UDP services, system names, and passwords. Various other techniques for foot printing include mirroring a website to impersonate it, utilizing search engines to extract information about the organization, and leveraging details of current employees for impersonation. Register for an online Ethical Hacking course to enhance your ability in the preparatory stage.
Scanning
During this stage, the hacker identifies a swift method to gain entry into the network and extract information. Each method reveals a distinct set of vulnerabilities the hacker can exploit to target the system’s weaknesses. In the pre-attack phase, the hacker scrutinizes the network for specific information based on the data acquired during reconnaissance. In the information extraction phase, attackers gather details about ports, active machines, and operating system specifications to prepare for an attack.
Access Acquisition
The hacker acquires entry to the system, applications, and network and then elevates their user privileges to gain control over the interconnected systems.
Sustain Access
In this phase, the hacker maintains access to the organization’s Rootkits and Trojans, leveraging them to initiate further attacks on the network.
Erase Traces
After obtaining access, the hacker erases their tracks to evade security personnel. This involves clearing the cache and cookies, manipulating log files, and shutting down all open ports. This step is crucial as it eliminates system information, significantly complicating the tracking of the hacking activity.
What Lies Ahead for Ethical Hacking?
As per King, ethical hacking remains unfamiliar to many, but as cyber-attacks and security breaches surge, awareness is gradually growing about ethical hackers being the true guardians of systems. Discussing future challenges in hacking, King notes that the next potential threat is AI hack attacks (Artificial Intelligence designed explicitly for hacking systems). He emphasizes that in such scenarios, systems must defend themselves against AI hacks using the same strategies employed against advanced hacks. Participating in an Ethical Hacking Course in Bangalore can enhance your expertise and skills in the field.
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