For Dummies 978-0-470-55093-9 Fiche technique télécharger pdf (Page 2)

Part I: Building the Foundation for Ethical Hacking

✓ Hackers (or external attackers) try to compromise computers and

sensitive information for ill-gotten gains — usually from the outside —

as an unauthorized user. Hackers go for almost any system they think

they can compromise. Some prefer prestigious, well-protected systems,

but hacking into anyone’s system increases an attacker’s status in

hacker circles.

✓ Malicious internal users (or internal attackers) try to compromise com-

puters and sensitive information from the inside as authorized and

“trusted” users. Malicious users go for systems they believe they can

compromise for ill-gotten gains or revenge.

Malicious attackers are, generally speaking, both hackers and malicious

users. For the sake of simplicity, I refer to both as hackers and specify

hacker or malicious user only when I need to drill down further into their

tools, techniques, and ways of thinking.

✓ Ethical hackers (or good guys) hack systems to discover vulnerabilities

to protect against unauthorized access, abuse, and misuse.

Defining hacker

Hacker has two meanings:

✓ Traditionally, hackers like to tinker with software or electronic systems.

Hackers enjoy exploring and learning how computer systems operate.

They love discovering new ways to work — both mechanically and elec-

tronically.

✓ In recent years, hacker has taken on a new meaning — someone who

maliciously breaks into systems for personal gain. Technically, these

criminals are crackers (criminal hackers). Crackers break into, or crack,

systems with malicious intent. They are out for personal gain: fame,

profit, and even revenge. They modify, delete, and steal critical informa-

tion, often making other people miserable.

The good-guy (white hat) hackers don’t like being in the same category as the

bad-guy (black hat) hackers. (In case you’re curious, the white hat and black

hat terms come from old Western TV shows in which the good guys wore

white cowboy hats and the bad guys wore black cowboy hats.) Gray hat hack-

ers are a little bit of both. Whatever the case, most people have a negative

connotation for the word hacker.

Many malicious hackers claim that they don’t cause damage but instead help

others. Yeah, right. Malicious hackers are electronic thieves and deserve the

consequences of their actions.

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For Dummies 978-0-470-55093-9 Fiche technique Page 2