Ethical Hacking

What is ethical hacking?

Ethical hacking, also known as white hat hacking, occurs when a cybersecurity professional makes an authorized attempt to gain access to computer systems, applications, or protected data. Ethical hackers identify vulnerabilities, threats, and other weak points that malicious hackers may exploit. 

Companies use digital forensics software to investigate their IT systems following security incidences or for preventative maintenance. These tools help businesses analyze their systems in-depth to identify the root causes of security incidents and vulnerabilities and identify the steps necessary to prevent similar situations. 

Types of ethical hacking

Malicious hackers gain access to systems and applications through various types of system hacking. Ethical hacking helps protect systems and applications against the different types of hacking malicious hackers may use. The types of ethical hacking include the following:

• Web applications: An ethical hacker performs web application hacking to exploit vulnerabilities and weaknesses in web-based applications. For example, ethical hackers check for weak points that might allow hackers to inject malicious code into web applications and hijack browser sessions without authorized access.
• Systems: A system hacker might gain unauthorized access to a system through a password attack, stealing credentials, or finding a new vulnerability. Ethical hackers document their findings and provide detailed recommendations to the organization to help them improve their security.
• Wireless networks: Since wireless networks use radio waves for transmission, it can be easy for malicious hackers to exploit weaknesses and gain access to the network. Ethical hackers collect information about the network, such as encryption methods and public information. Then, they use wireless scanning tools, attempt to crack Wi-Fi passwords and crack Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) or Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) encryption methods.

Phases of ethical hacking

Organizations may employ ethical hackers to simulate attacks by malicious individuals and identify opportunities to protect themselves against attacks better. Ethical hackers follow a five-step process to simulate attacks and pinpoint vulnerabilities and weaknesses. The five phases of ethical hacking are:

• The Reconnaissance Phase: In the first phase of the ethical hacking process, the hacker gathers all information about the systems, networks, and security measures in place. Active reconnaissance involves looking for information about the target system, network, or application for the attack. Passive reconnaissance includes gathering critical information about the company’s stakeholders and other essential public facts.

• The Scanning Phase: After gathering the necessary information, the ethical hacker uses it to scan for vulnerabilities. This phase involves network mapping, port scanning to identify open ports on the network, and leveraging automated tools to detect weaknesses for exploitation. Port scanning involves determining which ports on a network are open or weak, making these open doors good options for entry for malicious hackers. 

• Gain Access: The ethical hacker hacks the system or network during this phase. They use and analyze the information obtained during the two previous steps and launch a full attack. This phase gives ethical hackers an idea of the potential vulnerabilities, data at risk, and methods by which a real hacker might corrupt the system or spread viruses.

• Maintain Access: In most cases, ethical hackers are tasked with a specific mission or goal upon hacking into an organization’s systems. As such, they must maintain access to the server until they achieve their goal. They may employ Trojans (malware disguised as legitimate code) and other backdoors to ensure they can retain access to the system in the future.

• Cover Tracks: At this point in the process, the ethical hacker has hacked into a system or network, inflicted as much damage as possible, and now needs to cover their tracks to avoid detection. The security system should not be able to identify the ethical hacker. Examples of measures an ethical hacker might take to cover tracks include corrupting and deleting logs, removing backdoors they created, deleting any folders and files they made, and removing all traces of activity. 

Benefits of ethical hacking

Ethical hacking offers several significant benefits to individuals and organizations prioritizing cybersecurity and data protection. The key benefits include the following: 

• Potential to inform, improve, and defend networks: The most apparent and significant benefit of ethical hacking is that it helps organizations identify vulnerabilities, weaknesses, and security flaws. By proactively identifying and addressing these concerns, organizations can better defend their networks and protect their data from malicious hackers. 

• Compliance checks: Many industries and geographic regions have cybersecurity regulations and data privacy requirements. Ethical hacking helps businesses meet all of the necessary legal obligations related to data privacy or quickly enact measures to ensure compliance when they are not. 

• Better incident response planning: In the event of a legitimate hack, an organization should leverage an incident response plan. Ethical hacking engagements allow teams to test their incident response plan and identify gaps in their processes to prepare better for future attacks.

Best practices for ethical hackers

Ethical hackers should adhere to a few best practices to ensure ethical hacking agreements are effective, responsible, and moral. They include:

• Following legal and ethical guidelines: Ethical hackers must familiarize themselves with and adhere to all relevant laws, regulations, and industry standards governing hacking activities and security measures. They should always prioritize using their skills ethically and respect the organization's boundaries. Additionally, ethical hackers should always avoid disclosing sensitive or personally identifiable information (PII) that is not in the scope of their work. 

• Hacking within the scope of work: Ethical hackers should work closely with an organization to define the scope of the assessment, including what methodologies they will use and which systems will be involved. A shared understanding of the agreement is necessary to minimize impact and disruption to critical services. 
• Documenting and reporting findings: Good ethical hackers maintain detailed notes about the vulnerabilities they discover and how they recommend enhancing security measures. Findings should be reported promptly and clearly so the organization can act swiftly. 

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