Programming languages that are useful to hackers

SR NO.	COMPUTER LANGUAGES	DESCRIPTION	PLATFORM	PURPOSE
1	HTML	Language used to write web pages.	*Cross platform	Web hacking Login forms and other data entry methods on the web use HTML forms to get data. Been able to write and interpret HTML, makes it easy for you to identify and exploit weaknesses in the code.
2	JavaScript	Client side scripting language	*Cross platform	Web Hacking JavaScript code is executed on the client browse. You can use it to read saved cookies and perform cross site scripting etc.
3	PHP	Server side scripting language	*Cross platform	Web Hacking PHP is one of the most used web programming languages. It is used to process HTML forms and perform other custom tasks. You could write a custom application in PHP that modifies settings on a web server and makes the server vulnerable to attacks.
4	SQL	Language used to communicate with database	*Cross platform	Web Hacking Using SQL injection, to by-pass web application login algorithms that are weak, delete data from the database etc.
5	Python Ruby Bash Perl	High level programming languages	*Cross platform	Building tools & scripts They come in handy when you need to develop automation tools and scripts. The knowledge gained can also be used in understand and customization the already available tools.
6	C & C++	High level programming	*Cross platform	Writing exploits, shell codes etc. They come in handy when you need to write your own shell codes, exploits, root kits or understanding and expanding on existing ones.
7	Java CSharp Visual Basic VBScript	Other languages	Java & CSharp are *cross platform. Visual Basic is specific to windows	Other uses The usefulness of these languages depends on your scenario.

* Cross platform means programs developed using the particular language can be deployed on different operating systems such as Windows, Linuxed based, MAC etc.

Other skills

In addition to programming skills, a good hacker should also have the following skills:

• Know how to use the internet and search engines effectivelyto gather information.
• Get a Linux based operating system and the know the basics commands that every Linux user should know.
• Practicemakes perfect, a good hacker should be hard working and positively contribute to the hacker community. He/she can contribute by developing open source programs, answering questions in hacking forums etc.

What are hacking tools?

They are computer programs and scripts that helps you find and exploit weaknesses in computer systems. Some of these tools are open source while others are commercial.

Commonly Used Hacking Tools

The following table lists some of the most commonly used tools.

SR  NO.	TOOLS	DESCRIPTION	URL Link
1	Nmap	Network mapper. This tool is used to explore networks and perform security audits.	http://nmap.org/
2	Nessus	This tool can be used to perform; Remote vulnerability scanner Password dictionary attacks Denial of service attacks.   It is closed source, cross platform and free for personal use.	http://www.tenable.com/products/nessus
3	John The Ripper	Password cracking utility. It is cross platform.	http://www.openwall.com/john/
4	Cain & Abel	Microsoft Operating System passwords recovery tool. It is used to; Recover MS Access passwords Uncover password field Sniffing networks Cracking encrypted passwords using dictionary attacks, brute-force and cryptanalysis attacks. Visit their URL for more details	http://www.oxid.it/cain.html
5	NetStumbler	Used to detect wireless networks on the windows platform. It can be used for the following tasks; Verifying network configurations Finding locations with poor coverage in a WLAN Detecting causes of wireless interference Detecting unauthorized ("rogue") access points Aiming directional antennas for long-haul WLAN links	http://www.stumbler.net/
6	SQLMap	Automates the process of detecting and exploiting SQL Injection weaknesses. It is open source and cross platform. It supports the following database engines. MySQL Oracle Postgre SQL MS SQL Server MS Access IBM DB2 SQLite Firebird Sybase and SAP MaxDB   It supports the following SQL Injection Techniques; Boolean-based blind Time-based blind Error-based UNION query Stacked queries and out-of-band. Visit their URL for more details	http://sqlmap.org/

Summary

• Programming skills are essential to become an effective hacker.
• Network skills are essential to become an effective hacker
• SQL skills are essential to become an effective hacker.
• Hacking tools are programs that simplify the process of identifying and exploiting weaknesses in computer systems.