Hacking For Dummies®, 2nd Edition

Chapter 4. Hacking Methodology

In This Chapter

• Examining steps for successful ethical hacking

• Gleaning information about your organization from the Internet

• Scanning your network

• Looking for vulnerabilities

Before you start testing your systems, it's critical to have at least a basic methodology to work from. Ethical hacking involves more than just penetrating and patching. Proven techniques can help guide you along the hacking highway and ensure that you end up at the right destination. Planning a methodology that supports your ethical hacking goals is what separates the professionals from the amateurs.

Setting the Stage

In the past, ethical hacking was mostly a manual process. Now, tools can automate various tasks. These tools allow you to focus on performing the tests instead of on your testing methods. However, it's important to follow a general methodology and understand what's going on behind the scenes.

Ethical hacking is similar to beta testing software. Think logically — like a programmer — dissecting and interacting with all the network components to see how they work. You gather information, often in many small pieces, and assemble the pieces of the puzzle. You start at point A with several goals in mind, hack (repeating many steps along the way), and move closer until you discover security vulnerabilities at point B.

The process that ethical hacking is built around is basically the same as the one a malicious attacker would use — the difference lies in the goals and how ...