How to Start a Career in Hacking

Learn the essential skills and resources to begin your journey in ethical hacking

Introduction

Starting a career in hacking, specifically ethical hacking, can be an exciting and rewarding journey. This blog post will guide you through the initial steps, recommend valuable resources such as books by OccupyTheWeb, YouTube channels to follow, and Udemy courses to advance your skills. Whether you are a beginner or looking to deepen your knowledge, this guide has something for everyone.

Step 1: Understanding the Basics

Before diving into advanced hacking techniques, it's essential to build a strong foundation. Here are some books by OccupyTheWeb that can help you get started:

1. Linux Basics for Hackers

This book introduces Linux, an essential operating system for hackers. You will learn about basic Linux commands, shell scripting, and how to set up a Linux environment.

2. Network Basics for Hackers

Understanding networking is crucial for hacking. This book covers networking concepts, protocols, and tools used by hackers to explore and exploit networks.

3. Getting Started Becoming a Master Hacker-Independent

This book is a comprehensive guide to ethical hacking. It covers various hacking techniques, tools, and methodologies used by professional ethical hackers.

Step 2: Staying Updated with YouTube Channels

Following these YouTube channels can help you stay updated with the latest trends and techniques in hacking:

1. David Bombal

David Bombal's channel offers networking tutorials, ethical hacking courses, and lab setups for hands-on learning.

2. CyberFlow

CyberFlow focuses on cybersecurity news, ethical hacking tutorials, and live hacking sessions.

3. NetworkChuck

NetworkChuck covers a wide range of topics including networking, ethical hacking, and IT certifications.

4. Cyber Mentor

The Cyber Mentor provides ethical hacking courses, capture the flag (CTF) challenges, and career advice for aspiring hackers.

Step 3: Advancing Your Skills with Udemy Courses

To advance your skills further, consider taking these Udemy courses:

1. The Complete Ethical Hacking Course: Beginner to Advanced!

This course covers everything from the basics to advanced hacking techniques. You'll learn about penetration testing, network scanning, and exploitation.

2. Learn Ethical Hacking from Scratch

A comprehensive course that teaches ethical hacking from scratch, covering different hacking techniques and tools.

3. Practical Ethical Hacking - The Complete Course

This course provides practical, hands-on experience with ethical hacking. It includes labs and real-world scenarios to enhance your learning.

Hacking Topics Covered

Here are some essential hacking topics covered in the recommended resources, with examples:

1. Information Gathering

Techniques used to collect information about targets.

Example Tool: whois
Description: Queries databases to find domain owner information.
Usage: whois example.com 

2. Scanning and Enumeration

Techniques used to discover live hosts, open ports, and services on a network.

Example Tool: nmap
Description: Network scanning tool.
Usage: nmap -A 192.168.1.1 performs a detailed scan.

3. Exploitation

Techniques used to exploit vulnerabilities in systems.

Example Framework: Metasploit
Description: A powerful exploitation framework.
Usage: msfconsole; starts the Metasploit console.
            

4. Post-Exploitation

Actions taken after successfully exploiting a system to maintain access and further compromise the target.

Example Tool: Meterpreter
Description: A post-exploitation tool within Metasploit.
Usage: run post/multi/manage/killav disables antivirus on the target.