Concepts -- Hackers

What is a hacker?  An evil computer user, out to get your banking information and go on a shopping spree?  That is what is portrayed in Hollywood.  Using the term may conjure up an image like the one below:

A hacker is just a person that knows how to use a computer and a network at an expert level.  Instead of associating the image above with the term Hacker, we should start thinking of something more like this image:

Hackers are not all evil-doers.  Just skilled computer super-users.  And many of them are women. Hackers have important computer skills.  Some hackers do use these skills for evil deeds.  Others use those skills to identify weaknesses in software and networks.  When those weaknesses are identified, measures can be taken to fix those weaknesses and any users affected can be notified.
Three main concepts:  Ethical Hacking, Penetration Test, and Security Test.  What are they?  And, what is the difference between them?

Ethical Hacking is done by IT professionals trained to use tools that are known to illegal hackers attempting to break into a computer network.  Ethical hacking is the practice of breaking into a company’s network with the owners permission.  This practice is done with the full knowledge of the client and done with the intent to identify any unknown weaknesses or vulnerabilities. 

Penetration Test is a test where an ethical hacker attempts to break into a company’s network to identify any weakness or holes in their security.  The hacker will literally try to penetrate their system.  This is done to identify any vulnerabilities on the network.

Security Test is a test where the ethical hackers will do more than just merely trying to break in.  They will also analyze the client’s security policies and procedures, reporting any vulnerabilities and weaknesses back to management. 

All three of these concepts can be intertwined.  Ethical hackers will perform penetration tests and security test.  And, penetration and security tests are similar in their goals, but security testing takes the testing a bit further.  All of these are done in an effort to create the most secure environment possible.

These are useful terms to understand in the world of Cyber Security and it is important to understand their synergies.  Now, lets get to hacking...