Wanna know what exactly Ethical Hackers Do to Secure Networks? Just Check this out

Securing any network (or system) consists of several tests. Based on the results of these tests, ethical hackers secure the weakness of that network. Depending on such tests ethical hacking is classified as following:

White Box Testing: Ethical Hacker, who is performing this test have fill knowledge of the network. He knows the basic hierarchy of the network. Also he knows which operating systems are running, what the security measures are taken, which software company uses for their work and every single detail of it.

And then he plans how to find the system’s vulnerabilities and attack it. But this type of test is not effective, as he already knows where weakness is in the system. He can directly intrude there and perform the task. So such tests are preferred in low priority sections of network.

Black Box Testing: From the above explanation you might have guessed that how black box is performed. In this test ethical hacker has no knowledge of the network, not even the infrastructure of the company. He doesn’t know how network is classified and what is going on ‘in there’. This is where the skill of every ethical hacker is waiting for. So what he will do now?

He tries to get information from the outside. Every detail of the company, its history, or from some past employees of the company is helpful for him. From all information he gathered, he makes fingerprint of the company network. Fingerprint diagram is made on a paper with details he received. He fails to get access to some details obviously, so he assumes them and prepares a fingerprint of the same. (Not one, two or three – if one fails he uses the other)

Then he attacks from the network from outside. (By using the internet)

And then he finds vulnerabilities of the network as criminal hacker do. This is where network is actually subjected to its security test. This is best for securing network and every company prefers it.

Now again, the above test consists of two parts named vulnerability and penetration testing. The vulnerability assessment is done by automated tolls and hackers just checks the results and secures weakness. For penetration test, hacker actually finds vulnerabilities, tries to exploit every single of it, and then determines how this would affect the network. Based on result he eliminates some of them whichever possible and remaining are secured one bye one.

Some prefer either the black box or the white box test, and others prefer both. Doesn’t matter what kind of test you are performing, aim is only one- “Security”.

With the technology evolving continuously, activities of cyber criminals are also increasing. Taking advantage of inadequate enterprise security cyber crooks are spreading the wings of this low-risk criminal business. Criminal gangs are targeting top students from leading academic institutions to enrich their resources for committing hi-tech crimes. To ensure the next generation of malicious coders and hackers they are sponsoring young graduates everywhere.

The gangs with criminal intentions have formed an online cult, which gives them status of celebrities within online communities. And they also spread ‘black-hat’ hacking tricks in this cult.

Cyber criminals basically targeting social networking and community sites and spread ad ware, mal wares and viruses through these media. And the authors of such viruses are cashing in depending on their popularity.

They are developing new tricks daily, which make them harder to detect. Following are the basic things they use.

Phishing attack:
Hackers design fake emails same as your banks have and forward that email asking your passwords for some security reasons. If you fall in their trap you can lose your all money.

Botnets:
These are the robot networks of illegally linked computers, which can be operated remotely and one of the preferred methods of performing attacks.

Trojans:
With the help of Trojan hacker can control a computer in many ways and can destroy data to great extent too. Hackers can send Trojan to you by mails, chat rooms, or files you download from internet.

I guess if you are aware of these you can at least try to stay away from hackers.

Cyber criminals have psychological warfare to try an attack and to succeed. They keep on practicing things to increase their knowledge. There hard work makes them masterminds of the dark world. But all they have is used for organized crimes. They explore the databases, breakdown networks, crack bank accounts or play mind games. Everything they do to make fast money with minimum risk. This new formatted structure is becoming more professional and strategic in its working, which is one of the recent alarming threats.

Evolving technologies in smart-phones and mobiles like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPRS and VoIP they are getting new challenges and it is again increasing the number of criminals in the cyber world. Cyber crime is longer in its infancy it’s a big business with vast opportunities.

This disease of technology does not have and one-time medicine or vaccine. It is something to be continuously worked at rather than complete cure and ‘Ethical Hackers’ can be the only way.