Everything to know about hacking

A Complete Guide on Hacking

3 Things to learn about Hacking

Hacking is a German word. It means “to cut in pieces”. The basic definition of hacking is that, it is a
process of compiling information. However, today hacking is identified as an act of stealing
information. This is usually done by compromising digital networks. It is widely believed to be illegal.
However, it is not so. Ethical hacking (a type of hacking) is legal.

Here is a small guide on hacking that will help to hire a hacker.

Legality vs Hacking

Based on legality, there are two types of hacking. They are black hat hacking and ethical hacking.
Black hat hacking is getting unauthorised access to networks. In simple words, it is illegal. On the
other hand, ethical hacking has legal permission to access information from different networks.

Why is hacking important?

Not all hackings are important. Ethical hacking is important as it helps a company to protect its data.

The job of the ethical hackers is to hack the company that hired them. After hacking, they
provide an insight into the security system of the company. This helps the company to update its
data security system. Also, the company can learn about the loop holes in its current security
system. Thus, ethical hacking helps a company to update its security system.

Ethical hacking is used to identify threats and therefore is important. It acts as a defence system.

Techniques used

The following are the major techniques used by hackers:

Phishing: Here hackers use personal information such as credit card details and passwords to hack
into victim accounts.

DNS Spoofing: It tricks the browser to send its internet traffic to wrong place.

Cookie theft: Here the hacker uses the session data to impersonate the user

Cross-site scripting: Here the hacker injects their own code into a website. The code will cause the
website to behave in a different way.

Everything to know about Ethical Hacking

A Guide on Ethical Hacking

Things to know about Ethical Hacking

Ethical hacking is a legal method to access digital network. It is used to test the defence system of an
organization against real hackers. Here is a guide on ethical hacking that will help to find professional
hacker for hire.

Penetration Testing vs Ethical Hacking

These two terms are used interchangeably. They are not the same. The penetration testing identifies
flaw risks and security vulnerabilities. It is done regularly. It does not provide comprehensive
answers. On the other hand, ethical hacking is a broader term.

The penetration testing performs cyber security assessment only on specific IT systems. It is
not important for the penetration testers to carry certificates as the skills required is minimal. They
require access only to a few devices.

Ethical hacking assesses the entire security system of the company in which the penetration
testing is one of the features. It requires access to wide range of computers. It is highly important for
the ethical hackers to carry right certificates.

Certificates

Before hiring ethical hackers check if they hold widely accepted certificates. These certificates help
to determine their skill levels. They are GPEN (GIAC Penetration tester), CHFI (Computer Hacking
Forensic Investigator), CSA (Certified Security Analyst), CND (Certified Network Defender), CEH
(Certified Ethical Hacker).

Factors to check before hiring an ethical hacker

There are certain common issues associated with the cyber security of a company. Hacking becomes
easy when these issues are not addressed. They are basic and one need not hire a pro to solve these
issues.

Never hire an ethical hacker without correcting these mistakes. They are as follows

 Improperly set firewall

 Bad DMZ setup
 Unprotected passwords
 Using default credentials

This is important because, if the ethical hackers use these routes, then the major loop holes in the
security system might go unseen. Hire a hacker only after fixing the above issues.

5 Types of Ethical Hacking you should know

5 Types of Ethical hacking explained

5 Types of Ethical Hacking you should be aware of

The need for ethical hackers is increasing day by day. This is mainly because the digital world is
growing exponentially and so are the cyber criminals! Here is a complete guide on different types of
ethical hacking. It is essential to learn about these types as it helps to find a professional ethical
hacker for hire.

Web Application Hacking

It is also called penetrate hacking. It should be done from time to time. The web application hacking
is performed to check the possible security breaches when a company adds new network.

System Hacking
The system hacking is performed by gaining access to computers and network. Hackers use malware,
worms, trojans, social engineering, email spamming and phishing techniques to execute system
hacking.

Web server hacking

Here the hacker steals passwords and other important credentials by attacking the web server. The
web servers run applications that connect to back-end databases. These connection points are weak
and attacking through these points is called web server hacking. Only a professional can fix these
loopholes and therefore it is essential to hire a hacker.

Wireless network hacking

The wireless networks communicate through radio waves. This makes it easy for the hackers to sniff
the network. During wireless network hacking, the professional checks if there are loop holes in the
security system that might permit the sniffers.

Social Engineering

It is a manipulation technique that is used to get personal information. Here the attacker motivates
the user to compromise themselves.

Best qualities of an ethical hacker

Look for the following qualities while hiring an ethical hacker

 He should identify loopholes that can be used by the attackers

 He should have the knowledge of penetrative testing
 He should address the risk of transitioning to the cloud. Seldom a company is forced to
transfer to a cloud storage as the in-house storage becomes unaffordable.
 He should be ready to train the office employees in identifying tools and methods that help
in identifying threats.

10 Types of Hackers you should know

10 Types of hackers explained

10 Types of Hackers you should be aware of

Today internet and computers have changed the world extensively. This has reduced physical
burden but increased data thefts. Hackers steal data with wrong intentions. Here is a complete guide
on different types of hackers that will help find the best hacker for hire.

White Hat Hackers

These people are experts in cyber security. They are certified and their work is legal. The white
hackers hack networks to test the level of cybersecurity of a company.

Black Hat Hackers

They are illegal hacking experts. They steal data from different organizations and sell them on black
market.

Gray Hat Hackers

The Gray Hat hackers are fun loving people. Their intention is neither to rob people nor to earn
money. They enjoy finding loopholes in defence systems and find fun in cracking them.

Script Kiddies

The script kiddies hack into websites, systems and networks only to get attention from their peers.
Their knowledge in hacking is incomplete. They are not pros.

Green Hat Hackers

These hackers are little advanced as compared to script kiddies. They usually work for experienced
hackers. They are constantly in search of opportunities that takes them to next level.

Blue Hat Hackers

The intention of these hackers is to gain popularity. They work to settle scores with their rivals.

Red Hat Hackers

They are similar to white hat hackers. They try to stop hacking. The main difference between red hat
hackers and white hat hackers is that the former is ruthless in counteracting.

State sponsored hackers

They are appointed by the governments to fetch information about other countries.

Hacktivist

Hacktivists are those hackers that hack government websites. The stolen data is used for social and
political gain.

Whistleblowers

They are those hackers that expose confidential information.

In the current world, a new hacker is emerging every day. Their intensity and ability to attack is
increasing day by day.

6 Things to consider before hiring a Hacker

How to hire a good Hacker?

6 Tips to hire a good Hacker

In the modern world, hiring a hacker has become essential to keep data safe. It aids in testing the
capability of cybersecurity of the system. It is essential to hire hackers to prevent loss of intellectual
properties, avoid exposure of information and theft of resources. Here are some tips to hire a
hacker.

Who is suitable?

Never compromise on the quality of the hackers. Make sure they have received formal training and
are experienced. The organizations or individuals should ensure that the hackers do not hold
personal grudge against them.
Skills

An organization should search for hackers with deep knowledge and experience if they do not have
any IT security. On the other hand, they shall simply hire a consultant.

Terms of Engagement

It is essential to decide on the terms with the hacker before hiring them. This includes
communication protocols, hiring and termination policies, non-disclosure agreements, non-compete
arrangements. These are basically measures adopted to prevent leak of sensitive information.

Budget

Fix the budget based on the depth of testing required. Hire initial penetration testers if there is
shortage of budget. They are hackers who test the cybersecurity of a specific department of an
organization. On the other hand, ethical hackers have access to the entire system of the company.

Where to find the hackers?

It is better to hire hackers through referrals. Also, one can hire them from hacking conventions.
Research thoroughly on the internet and select a brand name.

Standards

A good hacker puts forth set of standards. They are basically detailed information of their works.
This helps to gain an idea about their skills. The seven main standards to look for while hiring a
hacker are as follows:

 Intelligence gathering
 Pre-engagement interactions
 Exploitation
 Threat modelling
 Frequent reporting and work updates
 Vulnerability analysis
 Post Exploitation

Hiring a hacker does not make the job done. The aim is to fix the vulnerabilities.

9 Skills of a Good Hacker

How to identify a good hacker?

9 Steps to hire a good hacker

There are certain basic technical and non-technical aspects one should look for in a hacker. Here are
some tips to find a good hacker for hire.

Basics

Make sure the hackers are skilled in basic skills such as setting up networking parameters. Ensure he
has hands on experience on the desired Operating System (Linux, Windows, etc).
Networking

A good hacker is skilled in subnetting, MAC addressing, IPv4, DNS, NAT, OSI model, ARP, routers and
switches, DHCP, etc. Make sure the hacker is updated in these technologies.

Linux skills

Check if the hacker is experienced in working with Linux. This is because several hacking protocols
are well executed in Linux. Hackers generally prefer Linux to Windows for its secure and open-source
nature.

Wireshark or Tcpdump

They are sniffer analyzers. A sniffer is a tool used by hackers to monitor data flow in a network.
Wireshark is a widely used sniffer. On the other hand, Tcpdump is a command line sniffer. Go for
hackers with wireshark skills only if the requirement of testing is wide. They are expensive.

Concepts and technologies

A good hacker understands the concept requirement. He first addresses the roadblocks in the
defence system before beginning his work. His knowledge should be deep enough to understand IDS
(Intrusion Detection System), PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) and SSL (Secure Sockets Layer).

Wireless Technologies

Make sure the hacker understands encryption algorithm such as WPA, WEP and the four-way
handshake. WPA is Wi-Fi Protected Access. WEP is Wired Equivalent Privacy.

Scripting

Some hackers use the tools of other hackers. Avoid them. Make sure the hacker has his own scripts.
Only proficient hackers develop their own tools.

Data base

A good hacker has high command over databases such as Oracle, SQL server.

Web Applications

The success of hacking depends on the skills of the hacker in web application. Greater the
knowledge in web application higher is the success.

7 Top reasons to hire hackers online

Why should you hire hackers?

7 Benefits of hiring a hacker

The digital platform has grown extensively. Everything starting from bank transactions, booking
flights, to buying and selling happens in digital platforms. The digital platform is highly prone to
thefts and data breaches. Therefore, it is essential to hire a hacker to prevent data breaches. The
hackers are highly experienced in tracing the loopholes in the security system and fixing them. Here
are top reasons.
Reduction in losses

Hackers steal data for money. Loss of customer data can damage the reputation of the company.
Eventually customers begin to lose their trusts. The damages are serious if the business is in the field
of banking and medical services. The company might face huge loses and lose its credibility among
the public in such situations. Therefore, it is essential to hire a professional hacker to prevent such
situations.

Sophisticated Attacks

Today the cyberattacks are highly classy and cultured. It is challenging to detect actions of cyber
criminals. Therefore, it is essential to hire an ethical hacker to block notorious intruders. Ethical
hackers are legally authorized people.

Defensive Strategy

Hackers help to adopt a strategy. This includes duplication of actions. Such strategies act as strong
firewall. They confuse the hackers trying to steal the data.

Limits Liability

Hackers strengthen data security. Even if the organization is prone to hacking, data leakage or
security breaches, a certified hacker will make sure the damages are minimal. They also help in
recovering stolen data.

Latest technologies

The hackers are updated with latest security system. This way the organization is constantly ahead
of its competitors in terms of security. The hackers look out for new technologies that help to
address the weakness of current security system.

Business growth

The companies might lose clients if it is hacked. The clients will stop doing business fearing data
breach and other damages. This will affect the growth of the business.

Secure system for outsourcing

Generally, companies outsource some of their services. In such cases virtual assistants are big
loopholes. The criminals might attack the system through these loopholes.

How to hire hackers online?

9 Tips to hire hackers online

An Essential Guide on hiring hackers online

Hackers have huge role in the modern world. They are highly influential both in positive and negative
ways. It is essential to hire a hacker to counter ill influences of the digital world. Here are some tips
to hire hackers online.

Learn
Get a basic knowledge about hacking before hiring a hacker. Learn the basic terms and their
meanings. Ask friends to suggest books and articles on hacking. Browse the internet. This will help in
making the right choice.

Transparent

A good hacker is transparent. Most of the hackers love their jobs. They do it for fun rather than for
money. However, there are hackers who do serious business. Such serious business providers will
offer equities to sweeten the deal! But they are expensive as compared to the fun lovers.

Versions

A good hacker has updated versions of his tools. He builds his own tools. He would have started
small with version 1 and grown big in subsequent versions.

Open-source hackers

Some companies such as Facebook, Google are now using open-source contributions of hackers as
proxy. These hackers work all day long and offer hacking services for free at night! While hiring such
hackers ask for their profile in popular platforms like Github. These platforms are places where the
hackers store their codes.

Share previous projects

A good hacker shares his proudest projects with his clients. However, the factor of secrecy plays a
major role here. Still the hackers should be able to share a part of his work.

Interactions

Enquire about the delivery system of the hacker. Some prefer to maintain a secret identity. In such
cases make payments in instalments.

Cost

Hackers are becoming expensive day by day. It is better to hire a freelance hacker rather than a full-
time hacker.

Communication

Enquire about the hacker’s mode of communication. Also, he should use non-technical words while
communicating.

Referral

Ask the hackers to share at least three developer referrals and three client referrals.

Pros of hiring a hacker

What are the benefits in hiring a hacker?

Advantages of hiring a hacker

Today hiring a hacker is highly debatable. Companies fear of the term hacking. To the contrary
hacking is highly beneficial. It boosts the security system of the organization. Also, hacking is legal
when used for such constructive purposes. Here are top benefits of employing a hacker. The guide
will help to find a hacker for hire.

Experience

Hacking demands breaking in a security system. Most of the hackers are experienced in this.
Therefore, they are the right candidates to provide an insight on the problems in the security
system.

The hackers are well aware of the loopholes in the security system. Thus, they help in updating the
security system of a company.

Fix Loopholes

The software engineers in the companies who are equally qualified as the hackers (subject wise) are
not the right persons to fix the loopholes in the security system. This is because of the following
reasons:

 They are busy in other tasks.

 They have a huge network to manage
 They can only analyze and fix security problems manually

On the other hand, hackers will focus only on finding the loopholes. They professionally pinpoint the
vulnerabilities in the security system.

Consultation

The organizations can consult the hackers to improve their security system. They can hire hackers to
find out the weak points in their system. Also, they help to identify the sensitive areas. By this major
security breaches shall be prevented. For instance, assume that a company is outsourcing its
services. Here it is essential to double secure the vulnerable data exchange points.

Latest technologies

Data breaches are increasing and becoming smarter with advancements in technologies. Therefore,
it is important to keep the security systems upgraded. As the hackers are in constant touch in
securing systems, they are well aware of the latest technologies.

How to know if you are hacked?

6 Signs that you are hacked

6 Steps to find out if you are hacked

With digital advancements, hacking has become common. Here are signs that help to find if an
individual is hacked. Some of these signs cause serious problems.

Ransomware

Suddenly the screen goes blank. It is locked and the data is encrypted. Later, a message appears
asking for payment to unlock the system.

Fake Antivirus Messages

Pop up messages appear on the screen. They pretend to be antivirus scanning product. They then
claim to have found malware infections in the system. These messages lock up the browser to steal
the stored credentials such as passwords and user ids.

Unwanted browser tool bar

Suddenly the browser has multiple toolbars. The toolbars indicate to offer help.

Redirected

The internet searches are redirected. The hackers are paid to redirect the traffic to a particular site
when the user has no intention to visit the site. This is done to increase the traffic of the site.

Social media invitations

The user’s social media friends receive invitations. This happens while the user is already friends
with the person.

Confidential data leaks

The official confidential data of an organization is on the internet for free downloads. This is highly
embarrassing. In such cases the organization loses its trust and reputation.

Solution

The best solution to all the above issues is to install an anti-virus, scan the system and start
recovering the data. If the issue still remains unsolved, hire a hacker.

Other common signs

 Passwords stop working

 Occurrence of unexpected software installs
 Mouse starts moving between programs and makes selections all by itself
 Task manager, antimalware and registry editor are disabled
 Sudden loss of money in online account
 A notification pops up saying “You are hacked”
 Strange network traffic patterns
 Credentials are in password dump

Most of the hacking originates from unpatched software, trojan horse programs, and by responding
to phishing emails. It is good to avoid these three. This reduces the chances of getting hacked.

What should you do when you are hacked?

First 8 things you should do when you are hacked

What to do when your system is hacked?

Every person connected to internet is susceptible to hacking. Today hacking has become common.
There is no point in worrying about the damages caused due to hacking. Rather act quick and do the
needful. Here are the first things one should do when he or she is hacked.

Reset passwords
Change the passwords of bank accounts, mail accounts and other important accounts. Choose a
password that is totally irrelevant to the previous password. Also, make sure the password is strong
with special characters, numbers and capital letters.

Update and Scan

There are possibilities that the hack occurred through a malware. In that case it needs to be
removed. Scan and remove the malware before starting the recovery process.

Take back the account

Most of the online services such as Google, Yahoo, Microsoft have tools that help users to get their
account back. Use these services to retrieve the accounts.

Find why

After making the necessary steps, figure out why and how did the hacking occur. What was the
pathway for the hacker to enter into system? If the damages are huge, find an ethical hacker for hire
to recover the losses.

Check for backdoors

Smart hackers usually set up tools to get back after few days. Therefore, it is important to check for
back door software programs. Also, change the answers to the security questions in all the accounts.

Commerce accounts

When the commerce accounts are hacked, make sure no new shipping addresses are set up. This is
very common in sites that allow users to make one-click purchases.

Security audit

Perform security audit to all the accounts. Hacking e-mail account may only be a path to bank
account. Therefore, it is important to reset passwords of all the accounts. Treat every other account
as compromised.

De-authorize the apps

De-authorize all the apps that use the login credentials of the compromised account. However, if the
hacker has used the login details to authorize another service or device, it is better to pull out the
plug of all the devices. How to find this? One might receive a message on the registered mobile
number saying “Your account has been logged in a new device”.

How to prevent getting hacked?

6 Things you need to do to prevent getting hacked

6 Tips to prevent getting hacked

People are hacked because of two main reasons. They are flaws in human behavior and flaws in
software. One cannot do much about the flaws in software. On the other hand, users can avoid
getting hacked by bringing in certain changes in their behavior. Here are some tips to prevent getting
hacked.

Multi-Factor Authentication
Turn on the two-factor or multi-factor authentication. This is the most effective way to protect the
accounts.

Password manager

Choose strong passwords. Avoid using common passwords like “12345” or “password”. Make sure
the password consists of special characters and numbers. Use password managers to create strong
passwords. Also, password managers help to avoid the trouble of remembering a password.

Learn to spot the attack

There are common signs that warn that the system is being hacked. Learn them and act quickly.
Retrieve hacked accounts as early as possible. Hacking an e-mail account might be a pathway to hack
the bank account. Therefore, when one secures his or her bank account as soon as his e-mail
account is compromised, the losses are minimal.

Update!

Update every single digital device and service. The service providers like Facebook, Windows and
WhatsApp frequently launch new versions. Always update to their newer versions. This is because,
they fix the loopholes in the new versions as hackers are finding new ways (to hack) every day.

Encrypt

Use encrypted services. In such cases, the hackers cannot access the information even if the device is
stolen. For this one can also find an ethical hacker for hire.

Digital Footprint

Delete accounts that are not in use. Hackers use previous data breaches to access the current
accounts of the users.

Other tips

 The user should reduce the amount of information available about his online life
 Delete the search history in the search engines frequently

5 Signs that firewall is not secure

How to find if the firewall is not secure?

5 Tips that help to find when the firewall is not secure

The firewall security is the most effective way to protect the system from cyber criminals.
Without firewall system is open to threats. The hackers have to break open the firewall in order to
get access to the information in the system.

The defence systems are added over the firewall protection. Therefore, in order to prevent
cyberattacks, the user should first ensure that his firewall is secure. The following signs indicate that
the firewall is not secure.

Sluggish computers
A fast-working computer slows down suddenly. Also, computers begin to crash and freeze
frequently. These signs indicate that there is an unauthorized program intruding the system by
breaching the firewall.

Disabled firewall

The firewall is turned ON all the times. If the user notices that it is turned off or disabled by itself, it
means that the firewall is breached. To fix this issue, scan the system and remove malwares and
then restore.

Vulnerable applications

If the applications used in the system has vulnerabilities, it is easy for the hackers to bypass the
firewall.

SQL injections

Firewall has no immunity to SQL injections. Here, the loophole is the point where an application
connects with database. There are possibilities for the firewall to get breached in such conditions. To
fix such loopholes, one has to find an ethical hacker for hire.

Network sprawl

At times when more infrastructure of an organization moves to the cloud, the number of networks
grows unchecked. Such a situation is called network sprawl. When network sprawl increases, the
hidden and unprotected paths in the network increases. In such cases, the firewall fails to block
unauthorized accesses.

Way Forward

A strong firewall is not the only solution to protect the system from hackers. However, they are the
first line of defence.

How do hackers get around the firewall?

3 Ways by which hackers breach firewall

How do hackers breach firewall?

Firewalls are the basic safety measure used against hacking and data breaches. There are eight
different types of firewalls. They are cloud firewall, software firewall, circuit-level gateways, next-gen
firewalls, packet-filtering firewalls, stateful inspection firewalls, application-level gateways, hardware
firewalls.

Unfortunately, the hackers have become highly skilled to breach all the eight firewalls! Here are
different ways by which hackers break in a firewall.

Phishing

Firewalls are not well equipped to handle phishing hacks. Here the hackers send fake emails to
extract user credentials. This can be user ids, credit card details, etc. The hackers create fake
websites to send the mails so that firewall believes that these mails come from an authorized
source.

Distributed Denial of Service

It is a type of Denial of Service. It is an attempt to crash a web server. This is done by overwhelming
the server with data. The firewalls fail to protect systems from DDoS attack for the following
reasons:

 The bandwidth of firewall and other hardware are limited to 1 to 5 Gbps. However, the
average attack speed of DDoS is around 6.6 Gbps. Thus, the server is overwhelmed and the
attack continues unabated.
 Not all the targeted assets are behind the firewall

Once initiated, the DDoS attack is quick and the losses are huge. Therefore, it is better to find an
ethical hacker for hire to recover the lost data. Also, there are possibilities that the attacker might
re-enter after some days. Usually, the hackers leave a backdoor open during DDoS attacks. Only a
professional hacker is completely capable of removing such back doors.

Botnet

The firewalls fail to detect botnets. The botnet is a group of devices infected with malware. These
devices obey the orders of the hacker triggering the cyberattack from remote location. Usually,
these attacks are initiated by the users themselves when they unknowingly click on a link in their
mail. Thus, firewall looks botnet as an authorized asset and allows it to access the system.

What are the disadvantages in hiring a hacker?

What are the concerns in hiring a hacker?

Cons of hiring a hacker

Generally, hackers are smart. Their profession demands them to be tricky and clever. Therefore, it is
essential to stay cautious while hiring a hacker. Today hackers are hired on high packages. When an
organization is making such huge investments, it is essential to learn about the hardships to be faced

Here are some of the disadvantages in hiring a hacker. It helps to avoid being misled while finding a
hacker for hire.

Criminal records

The major problem in hiring a hacker is their former criminal records. Most of the top hackers have
at least one illegal charge filed against them. What is the solution? Arrange for multiple meetings
with the hackers. Go through referrals. Make sure the referrals are trust worthy. Try to assess the
hackers during the meeting. Prepare a set of questions prior to the meeting. Observe their body
language and replies.

Unsatisfied Clients
The clients might feel unsatisfied when they learn that their business partner has hired a hacker
(with a criminal record). Also, they might come under pressure of data breaches. Therefore,
maintain secrecy while hiring hackers.

Legal policies

After hiring, the hackers become official employees of the organization. They will get all authorities
like that of the regular employees. In such cases one cannot even question them. How to handle
such situations? Do not hire a permanent official hacker. Hire a new hacker every time there is a
need to check on the security of the system.

Suggestions

 It is important to stay precautious when an organization has decided to hire a hacker.

 Consult multiple hackers to frame a strong opinion
 Make the required background checks
 Draw service contracts. Explain every term clearly with security clause

Hackers with criminal records are now the world’s best security consultants. Therefore, act wise to
gain the maximum benefit.