Hacking is the search for vulnerabilities in a network or computer in order to gain access. Becoming a hacker is not easy, and in this article we will cover the basics.
To become a hacker you need to have a thorough knowledge of programming languages, hacking techniques, vulnerability hunting, networking, operating systems, etc. You must also have a creative way of thinking. You have to adapt quickly to the situation, find non-standard solutions, be creative.
If you can develop the above skills over time, then to understand, for example, the structure of MySQL, or learn how to work with PGP encryption, you will have to learn a lot. And for a long time.
To become a hacker you need to:
- Learn and use a UNIX system, such as Ubuntu or MacOS
- UNIX systems were originally designed for programmers who develop software, not for users who are not in any way related to IT. UNIX systems are the systems on which almost the entire Internet is based, since they are mostly used as servers (mostly Debian and Ubuntu). You cannot become a hacker without knowing them and learning how to use the terminal.
For Windows users
If you use Windows, the good news is that you don’t have to uninstall the current system and you don’t have to format the disk. There are several options for working with Linux:
- Learn VirtualBox (an emulator program for the operating system). Once you learn it, you will be able to run your operating system in your operating system. It sounds scary, but the program can be very useful.
- Install Linux next to Windows. If you do it correctly, the boot loaders will not conflict. It is quite easy to do this: there are many manuals on the Internet.
Learn HTML markup language
If you’re not familiar with programming, then I don’t know what you’re doing on this site at all, then you have a great opportunity to get started by learning the Hyper Text Mark-Up Language. Regardless of what you see on the site, know that it’s all HTML.
To make a submission form for that file, you need to know HTML. By submitting a file that, for example, pulls all passwords or gives you access to a database, you are free to do whatever you want with the web service.
So, you need to know HTML in order to:
- Look for web vulnerabilities.
- Exploit those vulnerabilities.
- Learn several programming languages.
As we all know, to break the rules, you have to know the rules first. The same principle works for programming: to break someone’s code, you must know how programming languages work and know how to program yourself. Some of the most recommended languages to learn:
Python: This is probably the best language for web development. There are two major frameworks written in it which have produced a huge number of web applications, Flask and Django. The language is well built and documented. Best of all, it is very easy to learn. By the way a lot of developers use Python to create a simple and complete automation.
C++: A language used in industrial programming. It’s taught at schools, colleges and universities. It’s also used to write servers. I recommend that you start learning languages with it, because it contains all the OOP principles. Once you learn how to work with it, you can easily master other languages.
JavaScript, JQuery: Basically, almost all sites use JS and JQuery. It is necessary to know that these sites depend on JS, such as forms for entering passwords. After all, some sites do not allow you to select and copy some information, do not allow you to download a file or view the content, but to do this, it is enough to disable JS in your browser. Well, to disable JavaScript, you need to know: a) the situations in which the work (protection) of the site depends on it, and b) how JavaScript is enabled and what methods can be used to block the scripts.
SQL: the most interesting part. All passwords, personal data, are stored in databases written in SQL. The most common database management system is MySQL. To understand how to use MySQL injection, you need to know what MySQL injection is. To understand MySQL injection, you need to know what MySQL queries are, what their syntax is, what the database structure is, how data is stored, what tables are, etc.
Learn the devices of networks
You must clearly understand the devices of networks and how they work if you want to become a hacker. It is important to understand how networks are created and the differences between TCP/IP and UDP etc. Find out what kind of network you use. Learn to configure it. Understand possible attack vectors.
If you have a good understanding of different networks you will be able to exploit their vulnerabilities. You also need to understand the design and operation of the webserver and website.
Learn cryptography
This is an integral part of learning. You need to understand the algorithms of different ciphers such as SHA-512, the OpenSSL algorithm, etc. You also need to understand hashing. Cryptography is used everywhere: passwords, bank cards, cryptocurrencies, trading floors, etc.