The Essential Skills to becoming a Master Hacker

2 Networking Skills

You need to understand the basics of networking, such as the following.

• Dhcp
• Nat
• Subnetting
• IPv4
• IPv6
• Public v Private IP
• Dns
• Routers and switches
• VLANs
• OSI model
• MAC addressing
• Arp

As we are often exploiting these technologies, the better you understand how to they work, the more successful you'll be. Note that I do not write the guides below, but they is very informative and cover some of the Networking basics ment ioned above.

• Hacker fundamentals:a Tale of the standards
• http://null-byte.wonderhowto.com/news/hacker-fundamentals-tale-two-standards-0133727/
• The Everyman ' s Guide to How Network Packets is Routed
• http://null-byte.wonderhowto.com/how-to/hacker-fundamentals-everymans-guide-network-packets-are-routed-across-web-0134491/

3 Linux Skills

It is extremely critical to develop Linux skills to become a hacker. Nearly all the tools we use as a hacker is developed for Linux and Linux gives us capabilities that we don't have using W indows.

If you need to improve your Linux skills, or you ' re just getting started with Linux, check out my Linux series for Beginne RS below.

• Linux Basics for the aspiring Hacker
• http://null-byte.wonderhowto.com/how-to/linux-basics/

4 Wireshark or Tcpdump

Wireshark is the most widely used Sniffer/protocol analyzer and while Tcpdump was a command line Sniffer/protocol Analyzer. Both can extraordinarily useful in analyzing TCP/IP traffic and attacks.

• An Intro to Wireshark and the OSI Model
• http://null-byte.wonderhowto.com/how-to/spy-your-buddys-network-traffic-intro-wireshark-and-osi-model-0133807/
• Wireshark Filters for Wiretappers
• http://null-byte.wonderhowto.com/news/8- wireshark-filters-every-wiretapper-uses-spy-web-conversations-and-surfing-habits-0134508/

5 Virtualization

You need to become proficient in using one of the virtualization software packages such as VirtualBox or VMWare workstatio N. Ideally, you need a safe environment to practice your hacks before you take the them out into real world. A virtual environment provides you a safe environment to test and refine your hacks before going live with them

6 Security Concepts & Technologies

A good hacker understands security concepts and technologies. The only-to-overcome the roadblocks established by the security admins are to being familiar with them. The hacker must understand such things as PKI (public Key Infrastructure), SSL (Secure Sockets Layer), IDS (intrusion dete ction system), firewalls, etc.

The beginner hacker can acquire many of these skills in a basic security course such as security+.

• How to Read & Write Snort Rules to Evade an IDS
• http://null-byte.wonderhowto.com/how-to/snort/

7 Wireless Technologies

In order to being able to hack wireless, you must first understand how it works. Things like the encryption algorithms (WEP, WPA, WPA2), the Four-way handshake, and WPS. In addition, understanding such as things as the protocol for connection and authentication and the legal constraints on W Ireless Technologies.

To get started, check out my guide below in Getting started with wireless terms and technologies, then read our collection Of Wi-Fi hacking guides for further information on each kind of encryption algorithms and for examples of what each hack W Orks.

• Getting Started with Wi-Fi Terms & Technologies
• http://null-byte.wonderhowto.com/how-to/hack-wi-fi-getting-started-with-terms-technologies-0147659/
• The aspiring Hacker ' s Guide to Hacking Wi-Fi
• http://null-byte.wonderhowto.com/how-to/wi-fi-hacking/

　　

The intermediate Skills

This is the where things get interesting, and where you really the start to get a feel for your capabilities as a hacker. Knowing all of these would allow you to advance to more intuitive hacks where is calling all the Shots-not some other Hacker.

8 Scripting

Without scripting skills, the hacker would be a relegated to using other hackers ' tools. This limits your effectiveness. Every day a new tool was in existence loses effectiveness as security admins come up with defenses.

To develop your own unique tools, you'll need to become proficient at least in one of the scripting languages including The BASH shell. These should include one of Perl, Python, or Ruby.

• Perl Scripting for the aspiring Hacker
• Scripting for the aspiring Hacker, part 1:bash Basics
• Scripting for the aspiring Hacker, part 2:conditional statements
• Scripting for the aspiring Hacker, part 3:windows PowerShell
• The Ultimate List of Hacking Scripts for Metasploit ' s Meterpreter

9 Database Skills

If you want to being able to proficiently hack databases, you'll need to understand databases and how they work. This includes the SQL language. I would also recommend the mastery of one of the major DBMS ' s such SQL Server, Oracle, or MySQL.

• The Terms & Technologies need to Know before Getting Started
• Hunting for Microsoft ' s SQL Server
• Cracking SQL Server Passwords & owning the server
• Hacking MySQL Online Databases with Sqlmap
• Extracting Data from Online Databases Using sqlmap

Web Applications

Web applications is probably the most fertile ground for hackers in recent years. The more your understand about how Web applications work and the databases behind them, the more successful you'll be. In addition, you'll likely need to build your own website for phishing and other nefarious purposes.

• How to Clone any Website Using httrack
• How to Redirect traffic to a Fake Website

Forensics

To become good hacker, you must isn't be caught! You can ' t become a pro hacker sitting in a prison cell for 5 years. The more you know on digital forensics, the better you can become at avoiding and evading detection.

• Digital Forensics, part 1:tools & Techniques
• Digital Forensics, part 2:network forensics
• Digital Forensics, part 3:recovering Deleted Files
• Digital Forensics, part 4:evading Detection while dosing

Advanced TCP/IP

The beginner hacker must understand TCP/IP basics, but to rise to the intermediate level, you must understand in intimate Details the TCP/IP protocol stack and fields. These include how each of the fields (flags, Windows, DF, TOS, seq, ack, etc) in both-TCP and IP packet can be Manipul Ated and used against the victim system to enable MitM attacks, among other things.

Cryptography

Although one doesn ' t need to being a cryptographer to being a good hacker, the more you understand the strengths and weaknesses of each cryptographic algorithm, the better the chances of defeating it. In addition, cryptography can used by the hacker to hide their activities and evade detection.

Reverse Engineering

Reverse Engineering enables you to open a piece of malware and re-build it with additional features and capabilities. Just as software engineering, no one builds a new application from scratch. Nearly every new exploit or malware uses components from the other existing malware.

In addition, reverse engineering enables the hacker to take a existing exploit and change their signature so that it can FL Y past IDS and AV detection.

• How to change Metasploit Payload Signatures to Evade AV Detection

The intangible Skills

Along with all these computer skills, the successful hacker must has some intangible skills. These include the following.

Think Creatively

There is always a-to-hack a system and many ways to accomplish it. A good hacker can think creatively of multiple approaches to the same hack.

• Null Byte ' s Guide to Social Engineering
• Cryptolocker:an Innovative & Creative Hack

problem-solving Skills

A Hacker is always coming up against seemingly unsolvable problems. This requires, the hacker is accustomed to thinking analytically and solving problems. This often demands, the hacker diagnose accurately what's wrong and then break the problem down into separate compone Nts. This is one of the those abilities that comes with many hours of practice.

• Problem solving is an Essential Hacker Skill

Persistence

A hacker must be persistent. If you fail at first, try again. If that fails, come up with a new approach and try again. It's only with a persistence, that's able to hack, the most secured systems.

• So ... Want to be a Hacker?

I hope this gives your some guidelines as to what one needs to study and master to ascend to the intermediate level of hack Ing. In a future article, I'll discuss what are need to master to ascend into the advanced or master hacker level, so keep comi Ng back, my novice hackers!

The Essential Skills to becoming a Master Hacker