Cyber Security and Ethical Hacking

CIA triad is an information security model which helps organizations to set certain rules, regulations, and policies to protect the organization from unauthorized access and data exfiltration. The principles which form the core of the CIA are: C stands for Confidentiality I  for Integrity A  for Availability Confidentiality : It aims to protect sensitive information from being accessed by unauthorized individuals or systems when it is being transferred via a network or as such. One way to do this is to use encryption techniques so that even if the data gets corrupted it cannot be decrypted. Encryption standards include  AES : Advanced Encryption Standard DES : Data Encryption Standard Data is commonly categorized based on the amount and type of damage that can be caused to it if it fell into wrong hands. Appropriate measures are then implemented according to the categories.  Integrity : It involves making sure that the data does not change in transit. It should not b...

Reconnaissance  It is also known as footprinting or information-gathering phase In this phase, information is gathered on three major groups/ categories Host Network Number of people involved in the network Before carrying out the attack this is the preparatory phase to gather information about the target in order to carry out a successful attack Fig 1.1 Comparison of types of reconnaissance Scanning This phase involves using the information gathered in the first phase to find vulnerabilities in the network that the hacker wants to hack.  It consists of three types of scanning Fig 1.2 Comparison of types of scanning Gaining access In this phase, the attacker finally manages to break into the system/network using certain tools, techniques, and processes by exploiting some vulnerabilities.  The attacker tries to get the administrator access to the network so that he can make changes to the system easily and effectively.  Maintaining access During this phase, the attack...

Malicious software or malware is an umbrella term used to describe any type of software, program, etc. that is installed on the system without the user’s consent and knowledge. It is designed to harm or corrupt the programs, files, information, etc. on the system of the host.  Computer viruses, worms, trojan horses, spyware, ransomware, scareware, adware, and other malicious programs come under the category of malware.  Viruses These are the malicious programs that spread across systems and programs. They cause disruption to systems, operational problems like reduced speed, pop-up windows, crashing of devices, changes to default settings, etc., and damage the data as well as software. They attach themselves to an executable host file. Now, when the host file is opened the virus becomes active. The most important aspect of a virus is that it is able to replicate itself.  Worms They do not need to attach themselves to the host files. They themselves are software that can re...

Types of Hackers This is for all those who are planning to start their hacking journey. Hope that you do not end up being an unethical hacker after reading this😟 White hat hackers They are also known as Ethical Hackers These are basically the good people 👼 of the hacking industry They do everything within the lawful boundaries They do not have malicious intentions They do this to improve the security of the systems by checking and scanning for vulnerabilities and then using necessary tools to provide better protection Black hat hackers They perform illegal activities for their own personal interests They gain unauthorized access to confidential data by cyber threats and attacks They have malicious intentions👾  They steal information, violate privacy, corrupt important files, implant viruses and disrupt the working of the system These are the hackers commonly shown in movies with a hoody Grey hat hackers They perform the tasks of both white as well as grey hat hackers They also d...

All of us get fascinated by images of people working on systems in dark rooms with their hoodies on their heads.  It looks so classy and cool after all! But, do we actually know what those people do, and do such people really exist? So in this very first blog  I would tell you what they do and who they are? What is hacking? It is the process of finding vulnerabilities and security breaches in a system to gain access to the data and/or corrupt files in a network, website, software, or any electronic device or to violate the privacy of others.  Then what is ethical hacking? Ethical Hacking is similar to hacking only the intention of gaining access is not malicious. It is legal and to safeguard systems from cyber-attacks and threats.  What is cyber security? It is the protection of data, confidential information such as passwords, pin codes etc., and personal information stored in inter-connected systems or software and hardware from cyber threats and digital attac...