15 Essential Skills for Professional Hackers

15 Essential Skills for Professional Hackers

Primary skills:

These are the basics every hacker should know before attempting to crack. Once you have mastered everything in this section, you can move on to the intermediate level.

1. basic computer skills

To become a hacker, you need some basic computer skills. These skills go beyond the ability to create Word documents or surf the web. You need to be able to use the command line, edit the registry, and set network parameters in Windows.

As far as the current network environment is concerned, you can learn these basic knowledge for free in many places. You only need to pay the corresponding time for step-by-step learning.

2. Internet skills

• DHCP
• NAT
• subnetting
• IPv4
• IPv6
• Public vs. Private IPs
• domain name system
• routers and switches
• VLAN
• OSI model
• MAC address
• ARP

Don't underestimate these network skills. As a hacker, this is what you deal with every day. Only when you understand more deeply can you submit your own success rate when doing any project.

3. Linux skills

Learning to use the Linux system is the most critical beginning of becoming a hacker. Almost all the tools we use as hackers were developed for Linux, and Linux gives us features that we don't have with Windows.

4. Wireshark or Tcpdump

Wireshark is the most widely used sniffer/protocol analyzer and tcpdump is a command line sniffer/protocol analyzer. Both are useful when analyzing TCP/IP traffic and attacks.

5. Virtualization

You need to be familiar with one of the virtualization software packages, such as VirtualBox or VMWare Workstation. Ideally, you want a safe environment to practice your skills before taking them out into the real world. Virtual environments give you a safe environment to test and improve your hacks before using them.

6. Safety concepts and technologies

Hackers must understand PKI (Public Key Infrastructure), SSL (Secure Sockets Layer), IDS (Intrusion Detection System), firewalls, etc. Regarding these contents, you can learn introductory technologies for free on various platforms. I still recommend self-study for these contents. Because the biggest consumption is not skills, but too much time.

7. Wireless technology

In order to be able to hack wireless, you must first understand how it works. Things like encryption algorithms (WEP, WPA, WPA2), four-way handshake, and WPS. But don't mess around, learn and practice according to the Internet Security Law.

Deep learning plan | Wireless WIFI network security technology primary scope definition
Wifite automatic wifi cracking
essential equipment for beginners in the field of wireless security (WIFI)

Intermediate skills

8. Ability to script

Without scripting skills, hackers will only be able to use other hackers' tools. This limits your efficiency. New tools that exist every day lose their effectiveness as security administrators come up with defenses. To develop your own unique tools, you need to be proficient in at least one scripting language, including the BASH shell. These should include one of Perl, Python or Ruby. I recommend beginners to learn here: Python

9. Database

If you want to be able to hack databases proficiently, you're going to need to understand databases and how they work. This includes the SQL language. I also recommend mastering one of the major DBMSs, such as SQL Server, Oracle, or MySQL. I recommend everyone to learn here: Sql thinks that these can be learned for free on the Internet.

11. Web application

Web applications are available. The more you understand how web applications work and the databases behind them, the more successful you will be. Because you may need to build your own website for phishing and other malicious purposes.

12. Investigation and evidence collection

There is a saying: Know yourself, know your enemy, and win a hundred battles. To become an excellent hacker, you must not be discovered! The more you know about digital forensics, the better you can avoid and evade detection.

13. Advanced TCP/IP

Beginner hackers must understand the basics of TCP/IP, but intermediate levels require a deep understanding of the TCP/IP protocol stack and domain. This includes how to manipulate every field in TCP and IP packets (flags, window, df, tos, seq, ack, etc.) and use it against the victim system to enable man-in-the-middle attacks, etc.

14. Cryptography

While you don't need to be a cryptographer to be a good hacker, the more you know about the strengths and weaknesses of each cryptographic algorithm, the better your chances of defeating it. Additionally, hackers can use cryptography to hide their activities and evade detection.

15 reverse engineering

Reverse engineering enables you to open a piece of malware and rebuild it with other features and functions. As in software engineering, no one builds a new application from scratch. Almost every new exploit or malware uses components from other existing malware.