Ethical Hacking

5 minutes 5 Questions

Ethical hacking is the practice of identifying vulnerabilities and weaknesses in a computer system or network by simulating the actions of a malicious attacker. Ethical hackers use various tools and techniques to assess a system's security and identify potential entry points. Unlike malicious hackers, who often exploit these vulnerabilities for nefarious purposes, ethical hackers report their findings to the system owner so that appropriate measures can be taken to improve security. Ethical hacking is a crucial component of penetration testing, as it provides a comprehensive assessment of an organization's security posture and can help reveal areas that require immediate attention. Essential skills for ethical hackers include the ability to think like an attacker, good knowledge of networking protocols and operating systems, and technical expertise in various hacking methods, as well as a strong understanding of legal and ethical frameworks governing cybersecurity.

Guide: Understanding and Answering Questions on Ethical Hacking

Ethical Hacking is a methodology employed by organizations to identify vulnerabilities and threats in the system infrastructure that could possibly be exploited by malicious hackers.
Importance: In an ever-digital world, with increasing security threats, Ethical hacking serves as a proactive approach to system defense, allowing issues to be identified and fixed before they can be exploited.
What it is: Ethical Hacking is the practice of penetrating networks and systems to discover and fix potential threats essentially before they can be exploited by malicious entities. It is a crucial element in securing network systems.
How it works: Ethical hackers use the same methods and techniques to test and bypass a system’s defenses. However, instead of taking advantage of any vulnerabilities they find for personal gain, the vulnerabilities are disclosed to the system's owner.
Exam Tips: Understanding concepts and techniques is essential in answering questions. Pay special attention to the methodologies, tools, and the legal framework within the context of ethical hacking. Case studies depicting real-life situations could also occur, understanding practical applications is beneficial. Remember, Ethical hacking is about enhancing, not damaging security.

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Question 1

You discover an unpatched system during a penetration test. Which of the following will allow you to simulate an attacker's actions in a safe and controlled manner?

Denying access to the affected system Launching a Distributed Denial of Service attack Using a sandboxed environment Launching uncontrolled attacks

Correct Answer: Using a sandboxed environment

A sandboxed environment is essential for simulating an attacker's actions without causing harm to the target system. Other options, such as launching a DDoS attack or installing malware, are hazardous and unethical.

Question 2

While conducting a penetration test, you identify an application with weak user authentication. What should you do next?

Attempt to bypass the authentication mechanism Crash the application Change the user credentials Lock all user accounts

Correct Answer: Attempt to bypass the authentication mechanism

As an ethical hacker, you should attempt to bypass the application's authentication to test its security. The other options involve interfering with user accounts or the application's operation, which are not appropriate during ethical hacking.

Question 3

You are an ethical hacker and have been tasked with performing a penetration test on a company's network. As you perform the test, you discover an open FTP server but cannot find any confidential files. What would be the best course of action?

Report the vulnerability to the company Ignore the vulnerability Take control of the FTP server Steal non-confidential data

Correct Answer: Report the vulnerability to the company

As an ethical hacker, your responsibility is to report any vulnerabilities discovered during the penetration test so that the company can address them. Ignoring, exploiting, or abusing vulnerabilities violates ethical hacking principles.

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