Hacker, hack, and hacking are terms that have become ubiquitous in the 21st century. You've probably heard about life hacks, business hacks, and so on. While these may be, in some sense of the word, forms of hacking, the traditional form of hacking we'll discuss in this book is computer hacking. Computer hacking is the art of using computer-based technologies in ways they were never intended to be used to get them to do something unanticipated.

Hacking has taken on many different names and forms throughout the years. In the late 20th century, a common form of hacking was known as phreaking, which abused weaknesses in analog phone systems. Computer hacking has been around for more than half a century and, over the past few decades, has become a pop culture sensation in Hollywood movies and on television shows. It's all over the news, almost daily...

Every field has certain terms that become a major part of the language of that field. Information security and cybersecurity are no different. The following are the most common terms, and we'll explore them in detail in this section:

• Threat
• Asset
• Vulnerability
• Exploit
• Risk
• Zero-day
• Hack value

Let's delve into these terms in more detail.

A threat in terms of cybersecurity is something or someone that intends to cause harm to another person or system. Furthermore, we can look at a threat as something that has the potential to cause malicious damage to a system, network, or person.

Whether you're on the offensive or defensive side in cybersecurity, you must always be able...

While penetration testing is interesting, we cannot attack a target without a battle plan. Planning ensures that the penetration testing follows a sequential order of steps to achieve the desired outcome, which is identifying vulnerabilities. Each phase outlines and describes what is required before moving onto the next steps. This ensures that all details about the work and target are gathered efficiently and that the penetration tester has a clear understanding of the task ahead.

The following are the different phases in penetration testing:

1. Pre-engagement
2. Information gathering
3. Threat modeling
4. Vulnerability analysis
5. Exploitation
6. Post-exploitation
7. Report writing

Each of these phases will be covered in more detail in the following sections.

In the field of penetration testing, there are many official and standard methodologies that are used to perform a penetration test on a target system or network.

In the following sections, we will discuss the most popular standards and frameworks that are used in cybersecurity to ensure that organizations meet an acceptable baseline of operating in a secure environment.

OWASP stands for Open Web Application Security Project, and it provides methodologies as well as lists of the top 10 biggest security weaknesses present in web applications. This list is the de facto framework used by web application penetration testers and is what most corporations are looking for when hiring penetration...

The following are different approaches to performing a penetration test on a target organization:

• White box
• Black box
• Gray box

Let's see what each of these entails.

A white box assessment is typical of web application testing but can extend to any form of penetration testing. The key difference between white, black, and gray box testing is the amount of information provided to the testers prior to the engagement. In a white box assessment, the tester will be provided with full information about the application and its technology, and will usually be given credentials with varying degrees of access to quickly and thoroughly identify vulnerabilities in the applications, systems...

Vulnerability and port scanning cannot identify the issues that manual testing can, and this is the reason that an organization hires penetration testers to conduct these assessments. Delivering scans instead of manual testing is a form of fraud and is, in my opinion, highly unethical. If you can't cut it testing, then practice, practice, and practice some more. You will learn legal ways to up your tradecraft later in this book.

In the following sections, we will dive into various types of penetration tests.

Web application penetration testing, hereafter referred to as WAPT, is the most common form of penetration testing and likely to be the first penetration...

During any penetration test training, you will encounter the five phases of hacking. These phases are as follows:

1. Reconnaissance
2. Scanning
3. Gaining access
4. Maintaining access
5. Covering tracks

In the following sections, we will describe each in detail.

The reconnaissance or information-gathering phase is where the attacker focuses on acquiring meaningful information about their target. This is the most important phase in hacking: the more details known about the target, the easier it is to compromise a weakness and exploit it.

The following are techniques used in the reconnaissance phase:

• Using search engines to gather information
• Using social networking platforms
• Performing...

During the course of this chapter, we discussed the different types of hackers while outlining their primary characteristics. The various types of penetration tests and phases were covered, including an exploration of popular testing methodologies and approaches used in the cybersecurity industry.

You are now able to compare and contrast the different types of hackers. You have gained knowledge and understanding of various terms used within the cybersecurity industry, and you have got to grips with the importance of and different phases of penetration testing. You are able to distinguish between various types of penetration testing, such as network, web, and even cloud penetration testing.

In Chapter 2, Setting Up Kali - Part 1, and Chapter 3, Setting Up Kali - Part 2, we will be covering the steps involved in setting up your own virtual penetration testing lab for practicing...

1. What type of hacker depends on instructions and tools created by others but does not understand the technical aspects of hacking?
2. What is the last phase of hacking?
3. Which penetration testing methodology is used on web applications?
4. What is the approach where the penetration tester has the least knowledge about the target?
5. What type of hacker is employed by a nation's government?

• Penetration testing methodologies: https://www.owasp.org/index.php/Penetration_testing_methodologies
• Penetration testing phases: https://www.imperva.com/learn/application-security/penetration-testing/