Though there are numerous negative connotations associated with the word hacker, but hopefully not all the persons reading this are interested in negative coding.
Not everyone has the skill or the ability to be a hacker, as by definition a hacker is someone who has extensive knowledge when it comes to handling computers as well as programming.
The hacking culture is a popular one indeed, but it is not as negative as many perceive it to be. Here is a comprehensive list to help you how to become a hacker.
Tips to Become a Good Hacker:
The following mentioned are few tips on how to learn hacking for beginners and how to be a hacker.
1. Start by learning the fundamentals before attempting to do anything:
Rather than unnecessarily trying to be one with no sound technical knowledge to back you up, you ought to start at the very beginning by having a sound knowledge in computers.
A great way to dip your toes into the water, when you are confused about where to begin from is by understanding Unix. What many do not know is that Unix is the operating system of the internet.
You can use the internet without learning about Unix, Yet you cannot become a hacker without learning Unix.
2. Begin by trying to learn the correct attitude of a hacker:
If being a professional hacker is something which you are interested in, then make sure that you imbibe the correct attitude.
It is of paramount importance that a hacker, besides knowing the intricate nuances of computer system as well as computer programming, knows that he or she does not need to adhere to any stereotype when it comes to hacking.
There are a lot of negative things which are said and written about hacking and hackers, yet you should work as per what you want to do with your skill.
3. Know that not all hacking has to be a negative thing:
Before you think that you rather not become a hacker, because there is so much negativity associated with it, you ought to remember that hacking is not always a negative thing.
People who use their ability for negative use are commonly referred to as hackers, but this term is actually wrong, as such people should be correctly referred to as crackers.
Crackers in a hacker community are people that are involved in illegal as well as unethical things which you ought to steer clear off.
4. Gradually build on your ability to write in Hyper Text Mark Language:
To become a professional hacker, it is not merely enough to have the correct attitude, you must know how to write in Hyper Text Mark Language, or HTML as it is popularly referred to as. When you see a website which is composed of pictures, images as well as text, it is all done through the use of HTML.
You can write your HTML in any basic word processing program, like for example Notepad. It is not at all difficult to master the art of writing in HTML and over time you have to keep improving.
5. Do be proficient in more than one language of programming:
Needless to say, before you can run, you ought to learn to walk, before you can write an essay you need to learn the alphabet, similarly, to become a hacker and break the rules, you need to be well versed in all the rules first.
So keeping this in mind, a hacker has to have a sound and in depth knowledge in the language of programming.
It is advisable to make use of a starting platform such as r3 or Kali. In addition to this a good language to start off with is ‘Python’ and for more serious work, C or C++. The above mentioned are few best programming languages for hacking.
6. Become a Creative and unconventional thinker:
Hackers are known for their unconventional as well as creative bend of mind. To become a hacker you too must try and think of out of the box techniques when it comes to getting things done.
There is no particular set of rules a hacker can follow to get his work done therefore it is up to him to assimilate all the textbook knowledge in programming which he or she has gained and to put it to use in a practical manner.
There is no diploma for ethical hacking course, therefore to a large extent hackers must rely on their own expertise.
7. Read up some old pieces to get the true spirit of a hacker:
To be a good professional hacker one think which you ought to imbibe is the spirit of a true hacker. It is practically impossible that you will imbibe this spirit on your own without any source of inspiration, therefore, for you, it is advisable to read up some old pieces that might help you know what hacking is all about.
Two examples of such old pieces include, ‘Jargon File’ as well as ‘Hackers Manifesto’ written by The Mentor, the technical issues addressed may be old but the essence surpasses the boundaries of time.
8. Use your expertise to stand up against injustice and inequality:
If you think you have what it takes to become a professional hacker, then you can put your knowledge to positive use by helping people in need. In such a case you can make your chief enemy those sources of authority that use their power in a bad way to withhold information from the common man or from weaker individuals.
By doing this positive work you will become a crusader raising your voice for those individuals who are too afraid or even too backward to raise their voices on their own.
9. You can land a corporate job if that interests you:
There are many people who have a joint interest for becoming professional hackers as well as landing a corporate job. If you are one of these people as well, then you need not worry at all, you can fulfill your dream.
It is not a very well known fact that hackers are hired by big companies as well so as to ensure that all their data is very well protected. Since hackers know how other hackers work, therefore they will be able to take the necessary precautions as well as ensure any damage is minimal.
10. Learn about a number of operating systems, rather than just one:
There are a number of operating systems that are being used across the globe and as a hacker it would greatly benefit you to learn about a number of different operating systems rather than being acquainted with only one.
Apart from the popular operating system UNIX, there are numerous other ones as well. Windows is in fact one of the systems which is compromised most often and therefore you should have a working knowledge of a Microsoft System.
11. Your networking concepts need to be very sharp to become a hacker:
Learning network concepts will really help you go a long way when it comes to becoming a hacker. A great reference book that you can make use of is ‘A Top down Approach’, which is by James F. Kurose and Keith W. Ross.
In addition to reading this what you must do is to familiarize yourself with what exactly is VPN, LAN, WAN as well as subnet. If your primary aim as a hacker is to use to your advantage the vulnerabilities of the net, then you ought to know about, UDP protocol and TCP/IP.
12. Embark on a project to help you get in depth knowledge on computers:
Being a hacker you must have all computer related knowledge at your finger tips. What can really help you is embarking on a self assigned project.
A popular project which many hackers do is building a computer on their own right from scratch. This sounds like a lot of work and indeed it is, yet this has been a tried and tested method to help hackers improve on their work and get better acquainted with a computer as well as a computer system.
13. Carefully read up on tutorials for hacking knowledge which you can find online:
There is a lot of information online as well, when hackers are looking for help or even information. In addition to the information, there are also several step by step hacking tutorials online which are very helpful indeed.
Figuring things out in your own way and in your own time is a good thing yet if you reach a dead end then you can always find answers for your queries online. They may not be the best, but they will certainly guide you in the right direction.
14. Keep a log book to document your progress:
A method which scientists make use of to keep a track of the work they are doing is by maintaining a log book. If you wish to be a hacker, then this is something that you can do as well so that you know what all you have experimented with, what has worked successfully as well as what has not.
In addition to this when maintaining a log book, it becomes easy for you to keep a track of what as well as how much you have been able to accomplish in a given span of time.
15. It is advisable to work alone rather than in a team:
Becoming a hacker is not a very popular job that people opt for and given the general job description it is always advisable to work on your own. This does not imply that you cannot seek good council from friends or colleagues, but it has been noticed that working in solitude yields more positive results in general.
16. Continuous practice is a must:
Once you become a hacker you cannot possibly assume that your studying or practicing days are over. If you want to succeed it is up to you to keep up with the changing times in terms of advancements in programming and make sure that you do your studying well, such that you are not left behind in the rat race.
There are a number of individuals who choose to become hacker, for the sheer thrill of the fact that they can constantly as well as continuously gain more information with each passing day.
17. Do participate in several hacking skills challenges online:
Healthy competition has proved as a highly effective way of making us give our hundred percent at all times. To improve on your skill and ability you can participate in a number of ethical hacking challenges online where you can test yourself as well as find out, as opposed to others in your field, where you stand and how you perform.
As a professional hacker you will have to brace yourself to work under pressure, so this can be an excellent way for you to gauge, how quickly you are able to act when the going gets tough.
18. Use your knowledge responsibly or the consequences could be dire:
When choosing to take up a career as a professional hacker you must remember that in the course of your career there will be many temptations where you might want to use the wealth of knowledge which you have for negative purposes.
Yet, you ought to remember that ‘hacking ‘in the negative sense if used, has serious as well as dire consequences as it has been deemed illegal by the law. So keeping this in mind this should be reason enough for you to not indulge in any illegal and unethical actions.
Conclusion:
So these are some of the tips you can follow on how to become a hacker. Hacking is an extremely complex thing which cannot be accomplished by everyone. It is only after learning the very hacking basics and mastering them, one can go on to become a good professional hacker.
These steps are exhaustive and difficult to execute, yet it is important to remember than you should put all the knowledge you have acquired to positive use rather than wasting it on doing something negative.
