Ethical hacking is the legal activity of circumventing system security in order to detect potential data breaches and network risks. In order to evaluate the system’s defenses, the firm that controls the system or network permits Cyber Security engineers to execute such actions. This method, unlike illegal hacking, is planned, sanctioned, and, most importantly, lawful. Below is a list of the five phases in ethical hacker that every cyber security enthusiast should know.
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Reconnaissance phase of ethical hacking commonly knows as Recon stage in Cyber Security is similar to knowing details about a person before dealing with them. Recon is the initial step which is very vital for the success of the Hacker. In this stage the Hacker tries to gather as much information as possible so that it can be helpful in the exploitation stage. It can supply all of the necessary information for gaining access to networks that are not connected to the internet. In a nutshell, a recon is an unlimited source of knowledge that may be exploited. Reconnaissance are of two type Active Reocn and Passive Recon.
To know more about Reconnaissance phase of ethical hacking : What is Recon in Cyber Security?
2. Scanning
Scanning is a collection of techniques for detecting live hosts, ports, and services, determining the target system’s operating system and architecture, and identifying network vulnerabilities and threats. To construct a profile of the target company, network scanning is employed. Scanning is the process of gathering additional information via the use of sophisticated and aggressive reconnaissance tactics. Scanning phase of cybersecurity generally involves 3 types of scanning
- Port Scanning – detecting open ports and services running on the target.
- Network Scanning– IP addresses, operating system data, topology details, information on trustworthy routers, and so on.
- Web Vulnerability scanning : the process of looking for known flaws or vulnerabilities in a system.
To know more check out this post : Scanning Post Link Here
3. Gaining Access
Following the Recon and Scanning Phase of ethical hacking, ethical hackers seek to exploit vulnerabilities for administrator access. Attempting to transfer a malicious payload to the application across the network, an adjacent subnetwork, or getting a direct access using a connected computer. Some of the commonly using attacks/exploitation are well explained in OWASP Top 10.
To know more: LINK TO GAINING ACCESS HERE
4. Maintaining The Gained Access
When hackers get into an organization’s system, they usually have an objective or a strategy in mind. This implies that just breaking into or hacking into the system will not suffice. The ethical hacker must keep access to the system until he achieves his objective. To complete this phase, ethical hackers typically use Trojans, other backdoors, or rootkits. They can also utilize the sustaining access phase to conduct a number of different attacks against the organization, causing even more harm.
5. Clearing Tracks And Recommendation Phase Of Ethical Hacking
Hackers execute procedures that remove any traces of their destructive activity in order to avoid leaving any proof.
These are some of them:
- Scripts and apps that were utilized are uninstalled.
- Changing registry settings
- removing logs
- deleting the folders that were generated as a result of the assault
- Hackers that want to remain unnoticed use strategies like Tunneling, Stenography
The ethical hacker ends the processes of ethical hacking by documenting a report on the vulnerabilities and offering repair suggestions after successfully completing all five phases of ethical hacking.
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