Ethical Hacking- an Introduction

The explosive growth and advancement of theskills, their attitudes, and how they go about helping
Internet has brought many good things and services:their customers find and plug up security holes and
Electronic commerce, easy access to vast stores ofback doors and loose points. The ethical hacking
reference material and information, collaborativeprocess is explained, along with many of the
computing, e-mail, and new avenues for advertisingproblems(threats) that the Global Security Analysis Lab
and information distribution, online gaming, socializinghas seen during its early years of ethical hacking for
sites to name a few. As with most technologicalIBM clients.
advances, there is also a dark(Negative) side also:The term “HACKER” has a dual usage and
criminal hackers and Hacking. Governments,meaning in the computer industry today. Originally, the
companies, and private citizens around the world areterm was defined as:
anxious to be a part of this revolution for the purposeHACKER noun :-
of evolution and development, but they are afraid that1. A person who enjoys learning the details of
some hacker will break(creep) into their Web servercomputer systems and how to stretch their
and replace their logo with pornography or somecapabilities—as opposed to most users of
undesired stuff and all, read their e-mail, steal theircomputers, who prefer to learn only the minimum
credit card number from an on-line shopping andamount necessary.
money transferring site, or implant software that will2. One who programs enthusiastically or who enjoys
secretly transmit their organization's secrets to theprogramming rather than just theorizing or mugging up
open Internet (spyware etc). With these concerns andthe programming. These persons are the amateurs of
others, the ethical hacker can help with the sameprogramming who do it for self satisfaction and
problem. This paper describes ethical hackers: theirenjoyment rather than any professional means.