There is no doubt that ethical hacking is one of the most in-demand jobs right now. If you want to become an ethical hacker, It is important that you understand the various prerequisites before joinning any course or institution. Two of the prerequisites required for you to become a hacker is learning the best programming languages and of course, the techniques used for hacking.
In this article, I’ll be mentioning some of the best programming languages and techniques used by hackers. There are numerous learning institutions and online platforms offering courses for you to learn these two fundamental areas for a hacker. There are also plenty of online tutorials available for free.
Programming languages for Hackers
Knowing programming languages is necessary as some of the best hackers in the world began as programmers. By knowing programming languages, you are able to not only dissect code but also analyze it. You will be in a position to write your own hacking tools or own scripts. Consequently, here are the best programming languages for hackers.
1. C and C++
Definitely, for programmers, C and C++ are low-level languages that are most powerful and at their disposal. By learning C and C++ programming languages, you will be given access to resources in the low level including system processes and RAM. If such low-level resources are not protected effectively by the particular program that a hacker is trying to compromise then that leaves a hacker in a position that is really expedient.
It is important to appreciate that these languages are not as simple to understand as you may think. It can take you years to be able to master the languages and these languages are a requirement for computer engineers and scientist jobs.
Also, Read: 10 Best Operating Systems for Hackers and Pentesters
2. Python
This is a general-purpose programming language that was introduced around 199; hence it is a fairly new language. Even with the language being young, it has managed to position itself as a choice language meant for prototyping and testing apart from other automated tasks. That is because the Python language is user-friendly and has incredible power.
What is more, reading the program and understanding its operations and functions is fairly easy. That is because such functions are in English language words including “not” and “for”. Additionally, the language has a massive community making finding help online easier. That’s the reason, I’ve written a totally separate article on Why Python Programming Language is very useful for Hackers?
3. Java
Java is a general purpose language that powers most of the major software and websites and therefore the reason why it is popular. The language is designed to specifically have limited implementation dependencies as is possible and this is important in a great way. That is because if a language has fewer dependencies, it means it is more lightweight and robust. It is important that a hacker learns Java as it is widely used and also it reads in the same way as C and C++ programming languages and it is not hard to master.
4. Lisp
Not many people have ever heard about this language or know that it exists. Even few programmers
have been able to master Lisp as it is difficult to learn. That is why Python is most preferred compared to this language since it is easier to teach and learn.
I must stress that even if Lips is difficult to learn and teach it is considered an incredibly powerful language. Therefore, it should be embraced because of the challenge it poses to us, young hackers and even aspiring computer science majors.
Techniques Used For Hacking
If you are a hacker, that means you get unauthorized access to unclassified and personal information including email account details and credit card details. Since this activity is illegal. You should only use your skills in the test application or for helping other organizations to discover vatious vulnerabilies in their system. You can also make use of Google Dorks to find vulnerable systems.
1. Virus/Trojan/Worms
These are malicious software programs that after being installed into the system of a victim keep sending the data of the particular victim to the hacker. Moreover, the malicious software programs can also sniff your data, divert traffic and lock the files. These programmers can be developed using those programming languages we mentioned above.
2. Cookie Theft
Browsers employ the use of cookies for recording and storing our personal data including passwords used in various websites, username and browsing history. If a hacker gets access to your cookies, that means the attacker is able to authenticate him/her on a browser as you. A popular method of executing cookie theft is by encouraging the IP packets of the user to pass through the machine of the hacker.
This method is often referred to as Session Hijacking/SideJacking. To avoid being attacked this way, use website connections that are encrypted and secure.
3. ClickJacking Attacks
ClickJacking is also known as UI Redress. This technique involves the attacker hiding the actual UI (User interface) where you are supposed to click as a potential victim. Your click is hijacked by the attacker as you are fooled into performing an action that is undesired by clicking a link that is hidden. This technique is most often popular with movie streaming, app download and torrent websites.
While it is true that this technique is usually employed for earning advertising dollars, it can also, be employed for stealing your personal information.
4. Bait And Switch
This hacking technique involves a potential attacker buying websites advertising spaces. When you click these very attractive to click ads, you often get directed to a malware-infected page. The attacker is then able to install adware or malware on your computer.
As an innocent user, you may believe that the program is authentic while it is not. By installing the malicious program on your computer, the hacker is able to gain access to your computer in an unprivileged way.
5. Phishing (Social Enginering)
This technique involves a hacker replicating sites that are most-accessed and sends a spoofed link to trap the potential victim. This is one of the popular and deadliest techniques and is used in combination with social engineering.
If a victim enters some data or tries to log in, the attacker is able to get the personal information of the victim. That is accomplished by using Trojan that is running on the website that is not authentic or real. The Phishing applications and websites can be developed using Java abd Python.
