Ethical hacking is the practice of intentionally probing computer systems, networks, or applications for security vulnerabilities—but with permission and for defensive purposes

Kali Linux is a Debian-based Linux distribution designed specifically for penetration testing, ethical hacking, and digital forensics. It comes preloaded with hundreds of tools for security testing.

Anonymization is the process of removing or altering personally identifiable information (PII) from a data set so that individuals cannot be identified. It is commonly used in data privacy, cybersecurity, and GDPR compliance to ensure that personal information is not exposed.

Both proxies and VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) are tools used to protect your privacy and anonymity online, but they function in slightly different ways. Let’s break down the key differences, uses, and advantages of each:

When it comes to accessing the Deep Web and Dark Web, Tor (The Onion Router) is the most popular and secure tool. Tor is designed to protect your privacy by routing your internet traffic through multiple encrypted layers, making it difficult for anyone to trace your online activity back to you. Here’s a guide on how to use Tor to access these hidden parts of the internet.

Information gathering (often called reconnaissance or recon) is the process of collecting data about a target system, network, or individual. It is typically the first step in various cybersecurity assessments (e.g., penetration testing or ethical hacking) and can also be used in social engineering and open-source intelligence (OSINT) activities. This process involves identifying information that can be exploited for further attacks or to gain insights into security weaknesses.

Port Scanning is a method used to identify open ports and services running on a target machine or network. It’s a critical part of network reconnaissance and helps security professionals understand the attack surface of a system. Port scanning can be used to identify vulnerabilities in a system by checking which ports are open, which services are running on those ports, and potentially which version of a service is being used.

DNS Enumeration is the process of gathering information about Domain Name System (DNS) records for a domain. It is often used in reconnaissance to gather information about a target during penetration testing or ethical hacking. The goal of DNS enumeration is to gather valuable data that could be useful for identifying potential vulnerabilities, such as subdomains, mail servers, or name servers.

DNS is a hierarchical system used to translate domain names into IP addresses, but it can also provide a wealth of information about a target domain, which is why DNS enumeration is crucial in information gathering.

Password Cracking is the process of recovering passwords from data that has been stored in or transmitted by a computer system. It’s a key technique used in both ethical hacking and cybercrime. In cybersecurity, ethical hackers use password cracking to test password strength and identify weak user credentials in a system.

Vulnerability Identification is the process of discovering weaknesses or flaws in systems, applications, or networks that can be exploited by attackers to gain unauthorized access or cause harm. It’s a key phase in ethical hacking and penetration testing—part of the larger process known as vulnerability assessment or risk analysis.

The Metasploit Framework is one of the most powerful and widely used penetration testing tools in cybersecurity. Developed by Rapid7, it helps ethical hackers and security professionals identify, validate, and exploit vulnerabilities in systems.

Let’s walk through a realistic and legal lab setup using the MS17-010 EternalBlue vulnerability (one of the most famous Windows SMB flaws).

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