Hacking is the act of gaining unauthorized access to a system, network, or application. Hackers achieve this through two primary approaches: exploiting technical vulnerabilities within systems or manipulating users through social engineering. As a result, hacking includes both technical methods and psychological techniques, where attackers trick individuals into executing malicious code or revealing sensitive information.
Hacking can be legal or illegal, depending on intent and authorization.
Ethical hackers work to prevent malicious attackers from unlawfully accessing organizational systems by identifying weaknesses before they can be exploited.
Ethical hacking is the authorized and deliberate attempt to breach an organization’s systems, networks, or applications to evaluate their security posture. Ethical hackers—also known as white-hat hackers—simulate real-world attacks to uncover vulnerabilities and help organizations improve their defenses.
Ethical hacking typically involves the following activities:
Ethical hackers follow strict guidelines to ensure legality and professionalism:
Ethical hackers aim to secure systems and improve defenses. They report vulnerabilities, suggest remediation steps, and often perform re-testing to confirm issues are resolved.
Malicious hackers, on the other hand, exploit vulnerabilities for financial gain, disruption, or personal recognition. Their findings are never reported, and their actions focus solely on damage rather than improvement.
Ethical hacking simulates attacker behavior to identify potential attack vectors. The process begins with intelligence gathering, followed by vulnerability identification using automated tools and manual testing techniques.
Common vulnerabilities identified include:
Ethical hackers follow a structured methodology similar to real attackers.
Also known as footprinting, this phase involves gathering as much information as possible about the target, such as IP addresses, services, employee details, and network structure.
Footprinting can be:
Scanning identifies open ports, services, systems, and vulnerabilities. Tools such as port scanners, network mappers, and vulnerability scanners are used.
Types of scanning include:
In this phase, attackers attempt to exploit vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access. This may involve malware deployment, credential theft, or social engineering. Tools like Metasploit are commonly used.
Ethical hackers use this phase to secure access points, enforce authentication controls, test firewall defenses, and simulate phishing attacks.
Attackers attempt to retain access through backdoors, Trojans, or compromised credentials. The goal is to remain undetected while continuing malicious activity.
Ethical hackers analyze this phase to detect persistence mechanisms and eliminate hidden threats.
Attackers erase logs and evidence to avoid detection. This includes deleting files, modifying logs, and hiding network activity.
Ethical hackers study these techniques to improve detection, logging, and forensic readiness.
Black hat hackers exploit systems without authorization for malicious or financial purposes. They often work with organized crime groups and use malware to steal data, disrupt systems, or cause financial loss.
White hat hackers legally test systems to improve security. They help organizations identify vulnerabilities before attackers exploit them and may also assist law enforcement in cybercrime investigations.
Grey hat hackers operate between ethical and malicious hacking. They may access systems without permission but typically disclose vulnerabilities afterward, sometimes requesting compensation. Their actions are not always legal, but they often lack malicious intent.
Rootkits provide attackers with hidden administrative access to systems. They operate at the operating system level and allow complete control, often without the user’s knowledge.
Keyloggers record every keystroke entered on a device, capturing usernames, passwords, credit card details, OTPs, and other sensitive information.
Vulnerability scanners automatically identify security weaknesses in systems, networks, and applications. They also detect operating systems, installed software, and misconfigurations, helping organizations prioritize remediation.
SQL injection exploits insecure input fields to manipulate database queries and extract sensitive data. It remains one of the most severe and common attack vectors, especially in poorly designed applications.
DDoS attacks overwhelm servers or networks with massive traffic, disrupting normal operations. Attackers often use compromised devices such as computers, IoT devices, and mobile phones as bots to execute these attacks without owners’ knowledge.
Ethical hacking plays a critical role in strengthening cybersecurity by proactively identifying weaknesses, improving defenses, and ensuring organizations remain resilient against evolving cyber threats.