Most people hold the conventional belief that hackers are always bad people. However, this is not the case because we have three different kinds of hackers, namely:
- White hats - white hats are ethical computer hackers or cybersecurity specialists. They do their jobs under the permission of the system owner.
- Black hats - are hackers who write malware and break security protocols for money.
- Grey hats - these are the kind of hackers who are neither grey nor white. They usually find loopholes in the system without the system owner's permission and contact them requesting a fee. Failure to do that, these hackers usually post the system's loopholes online for the world to see how corrupt the system is.
What is an ethical hack?
Ethical hacking is an authorized attempt to gain unauthorized access to a system, access the rest of restricted data, or find vulnerabilities in an application. Ethical hackers are contracted experts or employees whose duty is to identify weaknesses in an organization's system or a network through an ethical hacking process and possibly seal these vulnerabilities.
Top Rated Ethical Hacking Books of December 2024
Can I learn hacking from books?
The answer to this is a big YES. To be an L33T hacker, you need to be a good reader of ethical hacking books and have a genuine interest in computer systems and networks. I mean, to be a real hacker, you need to be obsessed with ethical hacking books and have a deep understanding of how a computer system or how a network works. Of course, there are tons of learning hacking resources, for instance, hacking websites, YouTube, and enrolling in online courses, but all this will not give you the label of being a good hacker. Instead, you will be a script kiddie - a wannabe or someone who does not understand what is going on. This is because these sources will teach you how to use tools and software without telling you why they work. Guess what this will result? You cannot invent new ways of hacking. So, to be precise, the best way to be a top hacker is to have books and put in more years of blood, sweat, and tears.
What is Kali Linux Kali?
Kali Linux is a Debian-based Linux distribution operating system. It is natively used for penetration testing, network security, password cracking, and more security work — recommended OS for those who want to learn ethical hacking.
Which language is best for hacking?
Assembly language, shellcode-command-line scripts, a scripting language like JavaScript, standard query language (SQL), and a good understanding of algorithms are all that you need. Unfortunately, there is no specific language to learn because all through, you will be trying to understand the client-side flaws, which are all coded in an array of sloppy languages.
Some notable ethical hacking books
- Jon Erikson's Hacking: The Art of Exploitation, Second Edition.
This is a beginner-friendly book that professionals can as well use. It has an excellent approach to ethical hacking and uses easy-to-understand language, taking you through the technicalities of programming and shell coding and introduces you to exploitation. It will also take you through the complexities of digital security tasks.
- Patrick Engebretson's The Basics of Hacking and Penetration Testing: Ethical Hacking and Penetration Testing Made Easy (Syngress Basics Series).
This book covers all things you need to know about penetration testing. It is an excellent book to supplement other books, and it is a worthy book for those who want to be the best in penetration testing. In addition, it covers modules on information gathering through exploitation and, finally, report writing. It is also an excellent guide to security experts who are already in the field to sharpen their skills.
- Vivek Ramachandran's Backtrack 5 Wireless Penetration Testing Beginner's Guide.
This book works cohesively with the reader. Every new attack that needs to be learned is described in the lab exercise with a clear illustration of associated steps. In addition, it covers topics on wireless testing with backtrack and lets you know what is expected in wireless security. The book, however, assumes that you have some basic knowledge in backtrack and basic wireless concepts. You can find more samples of security training proposals.
- Peter Kim's The Hacker Playbook: Practical Guide to Penetration Testing.
The book was written by a longtime security professional and CEO of the secure planet, LLC. It covers the topic of penetration testing through a series of football-style "plays." It deeply explains various deadlocks people face while doing penetration testing, like attacking different networks, pivoting through security controls, and evading antivirus attacks. It has a friendly approach and can be used by both beginners and industrial experts.
- Matt Walker's CEH Certified Ethical Hacker All-in-one Exam guide, Fourth edition.
The book is designed to help you pass exams with ease. There are many topics covered, including security and cloud computing. However, you must have some networking background to work effortlessly with this book.
