International Journal of Advanced Research in Engineering and Technology (IJARET)

Volume 11, Issue 12, December 2020, pp. 163-168, Article ID: IJARET_11_12_018
Available online at http://iaeme.com/Home/issue/IJARET?Volume=11&Issue=12
ISSN Print: 0976-6480 and ISSN Online: 0976-6499
DOI: 10.34218/IJARET.11.12.2020.018

© IAEME Publication Scopus Indexed

A REVIEW PAPER ON ETHICAL HACKING

Prabhat Kumar Sahu, Biswamohan Acharya
Department of Computer Science and Engineering,
Siksha 'O' Anusandhan (Deemed to be University), Bhubaneswar, Odisha

ABSTRACT
An ethical hacker is the network specialist & computer who pounce some security
systems on the behalf of its possessor seeking amenability that could be exploited by a
malicious hacker. The Internet's explosive growth has conduct many virtuous things: e-
commerce, e-mail, collaborative computing & new fields for advertisement and
information distribution. Ethical hacking has become a main anxiety for businesses &
governments, also known as the intrusion testing or penetration testing or red teaming.
Organizations are concerned about the probability of being "hacked" & potential
clients are concerned about keeping personal information under control. Hackers are
classified according to their work and knowledge. The white hat hackers are the ethical
hackers. Ethical hackers use hacking approaches to ensure safety. Ethical hacking is
needed to protect the system from the hacker’s damage. The major reason behind the
ethical hacking study is to assess the security and report back to the owner of the target
system. This paper provides a brief ideas of the ethical hacking & every aspects.
Key words: Cybercrimes, Clearing Tracks, Computer Security, Ethical Hacking,
Scanning and Enumeration.

Cite this Article: Prabhat Kumar Sahu, Biswamohan Acharya, A Review Paper on
Ethical Hacking, International Journal of Advanced Research in Engineering and
Technology, 11(12), 2020, pp. 163-168.
http://iaeme.com/Home/issue/IJARET?Volume=11&Issue=12

1. INTRODUCTION
Ethical hacking technology spreads to diverse areas of life and in particular to every walks of
the computer industry. The required to protect dominant data of the common should be
communicate with the correct technology. Because of the smartness of hackers, ethical hacking
arose as the latest and innovative computer technology [1]. To protect their data, every small
or large organization adopts this as the front layer of security. Understanding the general
public's true intentions in these days is quite a difficult task, & it even more difficult to
appreciate the motives of each ethical hacker entering vulnerable networks or systems.

http://iaeme.com/Home/journal/IJARET 163 [email protected]

 Prabhat Kumar Sahu, Biswamohan Acharya

Technology is constantly increasing & people are finding resources that endorse them.
These devices fall into the inaccurate hands, they may create good controversy in violation of
our constitutional right to seclusion, dignity & freewill.
Ethical hacking becoming a powerful policy in fighting online threats with the rise of
cybercrime [2]. Generally speaking, ethical hackers that are allowed to shatter into ostensibly
'secure' computer system without malevolent intent, but with the goal of finding susceptibility
in sequence to conduct about better preservation. Sometimes the local IT security officers or
managers in a company are told that such an assault is to take place usually called a 'penetration
test' and may even look over the shoulder of the hacker but frequently they are not, & knowledge
of the attack is limited to the senior staff, sometimes just 2 or 3 members of the board. Many
ethical hackers works for consultants & others are wage-earning workers who regularly perform
a scheduled hacks program [3]. In the widespread discipline of the ethical hacking, there are a
number of specialisms; therefore, it is unfeasible to group every 'hackers' into the
comprehensive classification. Some ethical hackers, also known as a white-hat sneaker or
hacker, is celebrity who hacks without spiteful intent and helps business secures their systems.
However, the opposite is a 'black-hat' hacker who uses his or her abilities to perpetrate
cybercrimes, usually to make the profit. Meanwhile, hackers identified the 'grey-hat' hacker are
searching for compromised systems & informing the business [4].

2. ETHICAL HACKING
1. Ethical Hacker
A white hat ethical hackers is the hacker who exploits for some great cause (such as protecting
some organization). The good people are basically ethical hackers. They have legal permission
to interfere with the program of others. The ethical hacker search ports, websites & locate bugs
that can be targeted by a cracker. Once the weaknesses for any device are known, the attacks
can be done easily. To be safe in this internet world, user needs to learn how a hacker (cracker)
can get into his network [4]. Ethical hacking is learning the conception of hacking & applying
them to secure any systems, organization for any great cause. Fig.1 describes the levels for
ethical hacking consisting of five blocks [5].
• Reconnaissance
• Maintaining Access
• Scanning & Enumeration
• Gaining Access
• Clearing Tracks

http://iaeme.com/Home/journal/IJARET 164 [email protected]

 A Review Paper on Ethical Hacking

Reconnaissance

Scanning and
Clearing Tracks
Enumeration

Maintaining
Gaining Access
Access

Figure 1 Ethical Hacking Steps

Reconnaissance: It is the set of procedures & technique used to gather information’s about the
target systems secretly. In this, the ethical hacker seeks to gather as more information as
possible about the target systems, following the 7 steps mentioned below [6].
• Identification of active machines

• Preliminary information collection

• Identification of every ports services
• Network mapping

• Identification of open ports & access points

• OS fingerprinting
2. Scanning & Enumeration:
The 2nd step of the penetration testing & ethical hacking is the enumeration and scanning.
Scanning is the common technique that pen tester uses to find the open door. Scanning is worn
to determine the weaknesses of the service that operate on the port. They need to figure out the
operating systems included, live host, firewalls, services, intrusion detection, perimeter
equipment, routing & general networks topology (physical network layout) that are parts of the
targets organization during this phase. Enumeration is the main priority network attack.
Enumeration is a producer by actively connecting to it to collect information about the target
machine [7].

http://iaeme.com/Home/journal/IJARET 165 [email protected]

 Prabhat Kumar Sahu, Biswamohan Acharya

3. Gaining Access:
Once the observation is finished & every weakness are tested, the hackers then attempts
with the helps of some tools & techniques to gain access. This essentially focuses on the
retrieval of the password. Either bypass techniques (like using konboot) or password cracking
the techniques that can be used for this by hacker.

4. Maintaining Access:
Once the intruder has got access to the targeted systems, he can take advantage of both the
systems & its resources & use the systems as a catapult pad for testing & harming other system,
or can retain the low profile & continue to exploit the systems without the genuine user knowing
every acts. Those 2 acts will demolish the organization that leads to a calamity. Rootkits gain
entrance at the operating systems level, while the Trojan horses gain entrance at the program
levels. Attackers that can use the Trojan horses to migrate on the system user passwords, names
& credit card information’s. Organizations that can use tools for honeypots or intrusion
detection to detect the intruders. Nonetheless, the hindmost is not commend unless the company
has the necessary security personnel to take advantage of the defense principle.

5. Clearing Tracks:
For several purposes such as avoiding detection & further penalizing for intrusion, an
offender will destroy confirmation of his activities and existence. Eliminating evidence that is
often referred to the ' clearing tracks ' is the requirement for every intruder who needs to remain
anonymous and prevent detect back. Usually this steps begins by delete the adulterate logins or
all other possible errors messages generated from the attack process on the victim system. For
e.g., a buffer overflow attack usually leaves a message that needs to be cleared in the systems
logs. Next attention is focused on making changes in order not to log in to potential logins. The
1st thing a systems administrator does to trace the system's uncommon activity is to review all
the systems log file, it is necessary for trespasser to use the tool to change the system logs so
that the administrator cannot track them. Making the system look like it did before they obtain
access & set up backdoor for their own use is important for attackers. Any files that have been
modified must be swap back to their actual feature’s so there is no doubt into the mind of
administrators that the systems have been trespasser.

3. TOOLS USED IN ETHICAL HACKING

1. Tools for Reconnaissance:
Google, Whois Lookup and NSLookup.

2. Tools for Scanning:

Ping, Tracert, Nmap, Zenmap, Nikto WebsiteVulnerability Scanner, Netcraft.

3. Tools for Gaining Access:

John the Ripper, Wireshark, KonBoot, pwdump7, Aircrack, Fluxion, Cain and Abel.

http://iaeme.com/Home/journal/IJARET 166 [email protected]

 A Review Paper on Ethical Hacking

4. Tools that are used for the Maintaining Access:

Metasploit Penetration Testing Software, Beast, Cain & Abel.

5. Tools for Clearing Tracks:

Metasploit Penetration Testing Software, OS Forensics [8].

4. TYPES OF CYBER HACKER

1. White-hat:
A white-hat hacker, also known as the ethical hackers, is celebrity who has non-mischievous
intent every time they breaks into security systems. Most white-hat hacker is safety specialist,
often working with a company to track & enhance security weaknesses legally.

2. Black-hat:
The ' black-hat ' hackers, sometimes referred to as a ' cracker, ' is celebrity who hack with
malicious intent & without permission. The hackers typically want to prove her or his hacking
skills & will perform a variety of cybercrimes, such as credit card fraud, identity theft and
piracy. A black hat hacker is a person with detailed computer knowledge aimed at infringing or
bypassing internet security [9].

3. Grey-hat:
As the color suggests, somewhere between white-hat & black-hat hackers is a ' grey-hat '
hacker, as he or she possesses both characteristics. For example, in search of compromised
systems, some grey-hat hackers will roam in the Internet; like the white-hat hackers, the targeted
company will be aware of any vulnerability & will patch them, but like the grey-hat hacker, the
black-hat hacker will hack without permission.

4. Blue-hat:
Independent specialist companies for computer security are employed to check a program
for vulnerabilities before it is released, finding weak links that can be removed. Blue hat is also
affiliated with Microsoft's annual security convention where Microsoft engineers & hackers are
able to communicate freely. Blue hat hackers are someone outside of the consultancy firm of
computer security who tests a system before it is launched, looking for exploits to be closed.
The Blue Hat Hacker is also referring to Microsoft's security executive to execute arbitrary code
in Windows. The word was also connected with Microsoft's annual security convention, the
unofficial names associated with Microsoft employee badges from the blue color [10].

5. Elite Hacker:
These type of hackers that have prominence as the ' best in the business ' & are regarded as
the innovators & experts. The invented language called ' Leets peak' was used by elite hackers
to shield their pages from searching engines. A language meant that few letters were replaced
in a words by the numerical similarity or other similar letters. The hacker is a common phase
used to describe to a person who covertly gains access for the purpose of earning money to
systems and networks. However, some practice the creative art of hacking because they get a
certain amount of excitement from the test they are put into [11].

http://iaeme.com/Home/journal/IJARET 167 [email protected]

 Prabhat Kumar Sahu, Biswamohan Acharya

5. CONCLUSION
The security problems will endure as long as constructor remain committed to present systems
architectures, generated without some security requirements. Proper security will not be a fact
as long as there is funding for ad-hoc & security solutions for these insufficient designs & as
long as the delusory results of intrusion team are recognized as evidence of computer systems
security. Regular monitoring, attentive detection of intrusion, good systems management
practice & awareness of computer security that all essential components of the security effort
of an organization. In any of these places, a single failure could well expose a company to cyber
vandalism, loss of revenue, humiliation or even worse. Each new technology has its advantages
& risks. While the ethical hackers that can help customers better appreciate their security needs,
keeping their guards in place is up to customers.

REFERENCES
[1] “Is Ethical Hacking Ethical?,” Int. J. Eng. Sci. Technol., 2011.
[2] S.-P. Oriyano, “Introduction to Ethical Hacking,” in CEHTMv9, 2017.
[3] B. Sahare, A. Naik, and S. Khandey, “Study of Ethical Hacking,” Int. J. Comput. Sci. Trends
Technol., 2014.
[4] S. Patil, A. Jangra, M. Bhale, A. Raina, and P. Kulkarni, “Ethical hacking: The need for cyber
security,” in IEEE International Conference on Power, Control, Signals and Instrumentation
Engineering, ICPCSI 2017, 2018, doi: 10.1109/ICPCSI.2017.8391982.
[5] G. R. Lucas, “Cyber warfare,” in The Ashgate Research Companion to Military Ethics, 2016.
[6] P. Engebretson, “Reconnaissance,” in The Basics of Hacking and Penetration Testing, 2011.
[7] Ehacking, “Scanning and Enumeration- Second Step of Ethical Hacking,” ehacking, 2011.
[8] R. Baloch, Ethical Hacking and Penetration Testing Guide. 2017.
[9] Norton, “What is the Difference Between Black, White and Grey Hat Hackers?” Emerging
Threats, 2019.
[10] S. Tulasi Prasad, “Ethical Hacking and Types of Hackers,” Int. J. Emerg. Technol. Comput. Sci.
Electron., 2014.
[11] A. Boudreau, L. J. Van’t Veer, and M. J. Bissell, “An ‘elite hacker’: Beast tumors exploit the
normal microenvironment program to instruct their progression and biological diversity,” Cell
Adhesion and Migration. 2012, doi: 10.4161/cam.20880.

http://iaeme.com/Home/journal/IJARET 168 [email protected]