How to become a Hacker??

12 Steps to become a Hacker

A hacker is someone who seeks and exploits weaknesses in a computer system or computer network. Hackers may be motivated by a multitude of reasons, such as profit, protest, challenge, enjoyment, or to evaluate those weaknesses to assist in removing them. Hacking is an engaging field  but it is not easy.To become a hacker  one has to have an attitude and curiosity of learning and adapting new skills.You must have a deep knowledge of programming language, operating systems, computer systems and many more.Many people think that a hacker is a criminal and do illegal activities but they are wrong.
For their sake, I would like to say that many multinational companies hire professional hacker to safeguard their system and information and they are  highly paid.Here we present a list of 12 most important steps to become a hacker,have a deep look at these.
  1.Learn Linux/Unix.

 Many people today run some version of Microsoft Windows,which is fine for home and official use, but it is also good to learn alternative operating system like Linux/Unix. Learning Linux/Unix not only broaden your experience,but it is  necessity when wanting to navigate Linux based Servers running websites and other web services.
If you are new to Linux, Ubuntu is a good distro for new user to try.Also, having a good understanding of Linux command line is also a must.
  2.Learn Networking concepts
Another important and essential step to become a hacker is to be good at networking concepts and understanding how the networks are created. You need to know the differences between different types of networks and must have a clear understanding of TCP/IP and UDP to exploit vulnerabilities (loop holes) in system.
Understanding what LAN, WAN, VPN, Firewall is also important.

You must have a clear understanding and use of network tools such as Wireshark, NMAP for packet analyzing, network scanning etc.
  3.Learn to program in C
C programming is the base of Linux/Unix as these OS is coded in C programming which makes it most powerful language as compared to other language.It was developed by Dennis Ritchie in the late 1970's.To become a hacker you should master C language.
  4.Learn more than one OS.
It is a must for a hacker to learn more than one Operating System.There are many operating systems other than Windows, Linux/Unix, etc.Every system has a loop hole which the hacker need to exploit.
  5.Learn Cryptography
To become a successful hacker you need to master the art of cryptography. Encryption and Decryption are important skills in hacking. Encryption is widely done in several aspects of information system security in authentication, confidentiality and integrity of data. Information on a network is in encrypted form such as passwords. While hacking a system, these encrypted codes needs to be broken, which is called decryption.
  6.Continue Never ending Learning.
The key to success in the hacking career is continous learning. Reading blogs for hacking available at sites such as hackerfactor blog and IKEA hacker blog; participating in the forums such as hackforums.net and elite hack are great ways to refresh your knowledge as a hacker. The online video forums like TED or TechTalk are good sources to know more about the emergent hacking techniques and technologies that are being deployed. You should also try following the posts of famous hackers such as Adrian Lamo, Kevin Mitnick, Kevin Poulsen and Robert Tappan Morris.
  7.Join discussions and meet hackers.
Most important for a hacker is to make a community or join forums, discussions with other hackers worldwide, so that they can exchange and share their knowledge and work as a team. Join Facebook groups related to hacking where you can get more from experts.
  8.Experiment a lot.
After learning some concepts, sit and practice them. Setup your own lab for experimental purpose. You need a good computer system to start with as some tools may require powerful processor, RAM etc. Keep on Testing and learning until you breach a system.
Some of the things you may need to keep in mind when doing experiments 
  • Keep a backup before any experiment.
  • Start small and have check points.
  • Know when to stop.
  • Document your progress
  • Keep improvising
  • Automate repetitive tasks
  9.Learn more and more about Hacking.
Go through various tutorials, eBooks written by experts in the field of hacking. In the field of hacking, learning is never ending because security changes every day with new updates in systems.
  10.Go Next Level:Write Vulnerability
Vulnerability of a program is the weakness of the program. It is a good approach to look for the vulnerability of an existing program and share the same with others. In this way you will have the option to collect varied opinions from different sources, enabling you to hone your current skill set. The examples of computer vulnerabilities include memory safety violation, input validation error, privilege confusion bugs and user interface failure. For instance, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 11 had the vulnerability bug in its preview version which several hackers exploited.
Identifying a new weakness in any software is the real work any expert hackers would perform.
11.Contribute to Open Source Security Projects.
An open source computer security project helps you a lot in polishing and testing your hacking skills. It’s not a piece of cake to get it done. Some organizations such as MOZILLA, APACHE offer open source projects. Contribute and be a part of them even if your contribution is small, it will add a big value to your field.
12.Participate in Hacking challenges.
Regular participation in the hacking challenges can help you learn more and sharpen your knowledge. There are several companies that organize these challenges in order to check the vulnerability of their software products. The most common hacking challenge includes breaching the security system of the software and taking control of the third party computer systems. Apart from that, there are some websites listed below that regularly offer hacking challenges online.
Above are few exhaustive steps that can teach you how to be a hacker and help you walk the road of being an expert hacker. However, you should be a responsible citizen and be selective, ensuring you don’t use this skill to breach the security of important institutions, as it may land you in dire straits. You should always remember, for every hacking tool, there is always a counter hacking tool. Therefore, be a smart hacker and more importantly, be a responsible hacker.

 Hope you enjoyed reading this article!!!!

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