Hacking are secret methods of bypassing authentication or security controls in a system. Hackers (both ethical and malicious) use different techniques depending on their goals. Here are some common types of hacking and related concepts:
1. Types of Hacking Based on Intent
- Ethical Hacking (White Hat) – Legally testing systems for vulnerabilities.
- Black Hat Hacking – Malicious hacking for personal gain.
- Grey Hat Hacking – A mix of ethical and unethical hacking (e.g., hacking without permission but disclosing vulnerabilities).
- Hacktivism – Hacking for political/social causes (e.g., Anonymous).
- State-Sponsored Hacking – Governments hacking other nations (e.g., cyber warfare).
2. Common Hacking Techniques & Attacks
- Backdoors – Hidden entry points into a system (e.g., malware, default passwords).
- Phishing – Tricking users into revealing sensitive info (emails, fake websites).
- SQL Injection (SQLi) – Exploiting databases through insecure input fields.
- DDoS Attacks – Overwhelming a server with traffic to crash it.
- Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) – Intercepting communications between two parties.
- Zero-Day Exploits – Attacking unknown vulnerabilities before patches are released.
- Social Engineering – Manipulating people into breaking security procedures.
- Ransomware – Encrypting files and demanding payment for decryption.
- Brute Force Attacks – Trying many password combinations to gain access.
- Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) – Injecting malicious scripts into web pages.
3. Backdoors – A Closer Look
Backdoors can be:
- Intentional (for admin access, debugging, or malicious control).
- Unintentional (due to poor coding or misconfigurations).
- Hardware Backdoors (embedded in chips/devices).
- Software Backdoors (malware, trojans, or built-in by developers).
Famous examples:
- ShadowPad (malware with a hidden backdoor).
- Drovorub (Russian malware with backdoor capabilities).
- Dual_EC_DRBG (alleged NSA backdoor in encryption).
4. Protection Against Hacking
- Regular updates & patches
- Strong passwords + 2FA
- Firewalls & IDS/IPS (Intrusion Detection/Prevention Systems)
- Encryption (SSL/TLS, VPNs)
- Security audits & penetration testing
Hacking can be illegal without proper authorization. Always follow ethical guidelines and laws.