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What are the top ethical hacking methods used for information security?

Evelyne Palatini

Oh dear, ethical hacking! Sounds like a word that is coined from two opposite worlds - ethics and hacking! But, the truth is ethical hacking plays an important role in ensuring information security. Ethical hacking essentially means breaking into a system or software to find its vulnerabilities and work towards strengthening them. So, what are the top ethical hacking methods used for information security? Let's dive in to find out more!

Firstly, we have the vulnerability scanning method. This is the preliminary step in ethical hacking and involves scanning the system for potential vulnerabilities. This helps hackers to identify entry points for potential attacks. It involves the use of advanced scanning tools to identify vulnerabilities. Often, the tools used are automatic and require no human intervention. This helps hackers to scan large servers for vulnerabilities in a shorter amount of time.

Secondly, we have the social engineering method. This tactic involves manipulating people into divulging confidential information. Spoof emails that appear to be from a legitimate source, phishing links, and fake websites are common attacks. Social engineering attacks are so successful because they exploit human weaknesses and emotions. That’s why it is essential to educate people about the risk of sharing valuable information.

Next up, we have the penetration testing method. It is also known as pen-testing. Penetration testing is a simulation of real-world hacking attempts on a system. It is an advanced method used to test the security of a system. It involves an authorized simulated attack on a system to find vulnerabilities. The aim is to identify security holes, assess them, and find a way to fix them.

Another ethical hacking method that is used widely is the Denial of Service (DoS) testing. It is a type of cyber attack aimed at making a system or network unavailable to its users. The goal of this simulation is to detect the measures and security protocols put in place to mitigate these types of attacks. Testers will look at the capability of a system to handle overwhelming traffic.

Lastly, we have local file inclusion (LFI) and remote file inclusion (RFI) testing. These are attacks that exploit a weakness in web applications where parameters used in a request are not sanitized. This is where an attacker can execute arbitrary files or overwrite sensitive files. This hacking method exploits the system to provide information to the hacker via remote access.

These are just some of the many ethical hacking methods used to maintain information security. While the methods may sound terrifying, they play a vital role in ensuring that our information remains safe. The goal of ethical hacking is not to destroy a system or cause harm but to improve security and reduce the risk of cyber attacks. So, let’s appreciate and support ethical hacking in its fight against cybercrime.

Wrapping up, ethical hacking methods are sophisticated and ever-evolving to keep up with the changing nature of cyber threats. If you're interested in learning more about ethical hacking, there is always the opportunity to attend workshops and certification programs. So, let's all take the time to thank ethical hackers for their hard work and dedication in keeping our information safe from the bad guys of the internet!