How to Become a Hacker « Null Byte :: WonderHowTo

Many of our members here at Null Byte are aspiring hackers looking to gain skills and credentials to enter the most-valued profession of the 21st century. Hackers are being hired by IT security firms, antivirus developers, national military and espionage organizations, private detectives, and many other organizations.Presently, there is a worldwide shortage of skilled hackers andsalaries are rising rapidly. This is a great time to pursue a career in hacking—and this is a good time to discuss how to become a hacker.Education vs. ExperienceThere are many paths to entering this profession. Unlike, say medicine, where there is a single proscribed path you must take to enter the profession, the same cannot be said for hacking. Some believe that the only route to the profession is through many years of school and degrees. On the other hand, many simply launch into their skill development at an early age and continue to hone their skills over time.At this time—the end of 2015—I would say that the vast majority of professionals in this field have taken the latter route. They simply start playing with computer systems, dissecting them, figuring out how they work, and how to break them.Most have little formal education. For instance, the notoriousEdward Snowdenof NSA fame did not even graduate from high school, yet held a highly paid position at the CIA, then as a NSA contractor earning about $120,000 year. Firms want practical skills, not gaudy resumes.Image via The Guardian, via ReutersI am not trying to discourage anyone from going the formal education route (after all, that is the route I took), but it is not the ONLY route. The formal education route can be the safest route to a career in IT, but from my experience, may not be the most direct route to become a professional hacker.Most college professors and instructors have little or no experience with hacking. They have been trained in how to build systems, not break them. This means that, although they may offer a course in hacking, they don't have the mindset of a hacker. Their courses are more like trying to learn to build an airplane from someone who has only read about flying a kite.Image by Dai Sugano/Bay Area News GroupThe Hacker MindsetOne of the key traits that sets apart hackers from run-of-the mill IT folks is the "hacker mindset." This mindset is best described by four attributes:Problem solvingCommitment to freedomCreativityHelping your fellow hackerMuch has been said already here on Null Byte about helping our fellow hackers, so I won't repeat it. I will, though, re-emphasize that Null Byte is anewbie-friendly environmentfor learning hacker skills—and I intend to keep it that way. Mistreatment of those trying to learn will not be tolerated here.Hackers believe in freedom. That's why Linux and so many of the hacking tools are open source. This freedom extends beyond the software and includes freedom of the internet, freedom of information, and freedom to exchange.The hacker mindset is not limited to a single way of doing things. The hacker realizes that there many, many ways to get the same thing done. When a hurdle arises, they find a new way to bypass it. Sometimes this means using our tools in ways they were not intended, and sometimes it means creating our own tools. To use an overused cliché—don't be boxed in by others' ways of doing things. Think outside the box!Problem-SolvingThe hacker must be aproblem solver. This skill comes from repeatedly solving problems without asking someone else to solve it for you. Although it may be easier to Google for the solution, or ask someone with more experience, this will bypass the process of learning how to break down problems into manageable units and solve each one analytically.ALL hackers have this skill. Without it, you will doomed to frustration and mediocrity. It's okay to ask for help when you are stuck, and our Null Byte community is a great place to ask as there so many knowledgeable and helpful hackers here, but problem-solving is a skill that is only developed and strengthened by practice.You might be able to ask and get a quick answer here, but if you solve it yourself, you will be strengthening your analytical and problem-solving skills that will not only serve you well as a hacker, but in all endeavors of life.PersistenceGoing hand in hand with the problem-solving skills is persistence. When faced with a hurdle or problem, the true hacker does not throw up their hands and quit, rather they persist until they create a solution. Sometimes those solutions may takes hours or days or weeks or months, but the hacker doesn't quit. They are confident that eventually they can crack the problem, and in the meantime, their persistence is yielding new knowledge and strengthening their very valuable problem-solving skills.Basics BackgroundThe hackermust have some basic skillsof the IT field. These would includeLinux basicsandnetworking basics—at a minimum. To be capable of writing your own scripts, you need basicBASH scriptingand preferably one of the following scripting languages:Perl,Python, or Ruby.To delve deeper into exploit development, knowledge of assembler andCis required. If you want toattack databases, SQL knowledge is required. When attacking websites, a whole host of web languages is useful.In many cases, it's useful to learn how to build something before you try to hack it. For instance, once you have built a web app, then its easier to understandhow to hack them. This isn't required, but some people find it a better route. There are some hackers who are incapable of building anything as their mindset is one of finding flaws and breaking things.Image viaSon Kook-heeHacker Skills SetThe hacker must develop some hacker-specific skills. As mentioned above, they have a knowledge of networking and Linux, but then must build upon that knowledge by becoming conversant in one of the hacker operating systems, such asKali, and some of the more widely used tools, such as:MetasploitNmapHping3WiresharkBeEFAircrack-ngSnortCain & AbelBurp SuiteNiktoNessus,Nexpose, or OpenVasSysinternalsSqlmapDsniffSplunkTamper Datap0fA goodpassword cracker, such as John the Ripper orHashcat, or any number of otherpassword-cracking toolsAlthough this not an exhaustive list, I believe these to be the most important tools for the aspiring hacker to master.Choose a FocusThe world of information technology is vast. There are so many technologies and languages and no one can master them all. If you try, you will likely be stuck in a superficial understanding of all of them without the deep enough knowledge to master any. The same applies to hacking. Choose an area to focus your efforts in and master it. Once you have mastered that one, then look to master another. No one masters them all—and definitely not at the same time.Attempts to master all of the IT skills, and thereby hacking skills, will only lead to frustration and mediocrity.CertficationsThe IT industry, in general, and the hacking industry, in particular, like to see certifications. The reason for this is that certifications tend to be skill-specific, while degrees tend to be broad and theoretical. For someone trying to enter this field, the certifications are a surefire way to impress a prospective employer.As a starting point, I suggest theCompTIAcertifications such Security+, Network+, and A+. These vendor-neutral certifications will provide you the fundamental skill sets necessary to advance to the next level.Then I would suggest a hacking certification. TheCertified Ethical Hacker (CEH)is the grand daddy of ethical hacking certifications, but it is not held in high regard in the industry. That is why we will be offeringour own certifications (CWA, CWE, and CWP)beginning in January 2016.For those with advanced skills, there is theGIAC Penetration Tester (GPEN) certificationand theOffensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP) certification. Both are well regarded in the industry, and they require hands-on skills to pass, unlike the CEH.The growth of the IT security field and hacking have made this a prime time to study hacking. This growth and the concomitant demand for hackers will likely continue for many years into the future, making this career path a bright one for those with the aptitude and work ethic to study hacking.Want to start making money as a white hat hacker?Jump-start your hacking career with our2020 Premium Ethical Hacking Certification Training Bundlefrom the newNull Byte Shopand get over 60 hours of training from cybersecurity professionals.Buy Now (90% off) >Other worthwhile deals to check out:97% off The Ultimate 2021 White Hat Hacker Certification Bundle99% off The 2021 All-in-One Data Scientist Mega Bundle98% off The 2021 Premium Learn To Code Certification Bundle62% off MindMaster Mind Mapping Software: Perpetual LicenseRelatedHow To:Keeping Your Hacking Identity Secret: How to Become a Ghost Hacker #3How To:Keeping Your Hacking Identity Secret: How to Become a Ghost Hacker #4A Hackers Advice & Tip:Choosing Your Path. 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