The goal of the ethical hacker is to help the organization take preemptive measures against malicious attacks by attacking the system himself; all the while staying within legal limits. This philosophy stems from the proven practice of trying to catch a thief, by thinking like a thief. As technology advances and organization depend on technology increasingly, information assets have evolved into critical components of survival. If hacking involves creativity and thinking ‘out-of-the-box’, then vulnerability testing and security audits will not ensure the security proofing of an organization. To ensure that organizations have adequately protected their information assets, they must adopt the approach of ‘defense in depth’. In other words, they must penetrate their networks and assess the security posture for vulnerabilities and exposure. The Ethical Hacker is an individual who is usually employed with the organization and who can be trusted to undertake an attempt to penetrate networks and/or computer systems using the same methods as a Hacker. Hacking is a felony in some countries. When it is done by request and under a contract between an Ethical Hacker and an organization, it is legal.
The most important point is that an Ethical Hacker has authorization to probe the target. The CEH Program certifies individuals in the specific network security discipline of Ethical Hacking from a vendor-neutral perspective. The Certified Ethical Hacker certification will fortify the application knowledge of security officers, auditors, security professionals, site administrators, and anyone who is concerned about the integrity of the network infrastructure.
A Certified Ethical Hacker is a skilled professional who understands and knows how to look for the weaknesses and vulnerabilities in target systems and uses the same knowledge and tools as a malicious hacker.
- https://www.eccouncil.org/train-certify/certified-ethical-hacker-ceh/
CEH v13
Information security refers to the protection or safeguarding of information and information systems that use, store, and transmit information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction.
Tools Covered
2. Scanning Tools
Nessus
Module 1 – Introduction to Ethical Hacking
1. Explain Information Security Concepts
Information security refers to the protection or safeguarding of information and information systems that use, store, and transmit information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction. Information is a critical asset that organizations must secure. If sensitive information falls into the wrong hands, then the respective organization may suffer huge losses in terms of finances, brand reputation, customers, or in other ways. To provide an understanding of how to secure such critical information resources, this module starts with an overview of information security. This section introduces the elements of information security, classification of attacks, and information warfare.
Elements of Information Security
- Confidentiality
- Integrity
- Availability
- Authenticity
- Non-repudiation
- Attacks = Motive (Goal) x Method (TTP) x Vulnerability
Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures ( TTPs)
Vulnerability
Classification of Attacks
- Passive Attacks : wireshark
- Active Attacks
- Close-in Attacks
- Insider Attacks
- Distribution Attacks
2. Explain Hacking Concepts and Different Hacker Classes
What is Hacking?
Who is a Hacker?
3. Explain Ethical Hacking Concepts and Scope
Ethical Hacking Concepts
What is Ethical Hacking?
Reasons why organizations recruit ethical hackers
Scope and Limitations of Ethical Hacking
Skills of an Ethical Hacker
AI-Driven Ethical Hacking
- Automation of Repetitive Tasks
- Predictive Analysis
- Advanced Threat Detection
- Adaptive Learning
- Enhanced Decision Making
- Enhanced Reporting
- Simulation and Testing
- Scalability
- Continuous Monitoring
- Adaptive Defense Mechanisms
ChatGPT-Powered AI Tools:
- HackerGPT https://chat.hackerai.co
- PentestGPT https://github.com
- Bug Hunter GPT https://chatgpt.com
- Ethical Hacker GPT https://chatgpt.com
4. Explain Hacking Methodologies and Frameworks
CEH Ethical Hacking Framework
Cyber Kill Chain Methodology
MITRE ATT&CK Framework
Diamond Model of Intrusion Analysis
5. Summarize the Techniques used in Information Security Controls
Information Assurance (IA)
- Developing local policy, process, and guidance
- Designing network and user authentication strategies
- Identifying network vulnerabilities and threats
- Identifying problem and resource requirements
- Creating plans for identified resource requirements
- Applying appropriate information assurance controls
- Performing certification and accreditation
- Providing information assurance training
Continual/ Adaptive Security Strategy
Defense – in – Depth
What is Risk?
Risk Management
Risk Management Phases
Cyber Threat Intelligence
Threat Intelligence Lifecycle
Threat Modeling
Incident Management
Incident Handling and Response
Role of AI and ML in Cyber Security
▪ Supervised learning makes use of algorithms that input a set of labeled training data, with the aim of learning the differences between the labels
▪ Unsupervised learning makes use of algorithms that input unlabeled training data, with the aim of deducing all categories by itsel
How Do AI and ML Prevent Cyber Attacks?
- Password Protection and Authentication
- Phishing Detection and Prevention
- Threat Detection
- Vulnerability Management
- Behavioral Analytics
- Network Security
- AI-based Antivirus
- Fraud Detection
- Botnet Detection
- AI to Combat AI Threats
6. Explain the Importance of Applicable Security Laws and Standards
Information Security Laws and Standards
Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard ( PCI DSS)
- PCI Data Security Standard – High Level Overview:
- Build and Maintain a Secure Network
- Protect Cardholder Data
- Maintain a Vulnerability Management Program
- Implement Strong Access Control Measures
- Regularly Monitor and Test Networks
- Maintain an Information Security Policy
ISO/ IEC Standards
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act ( HIPAA)
- Electronic Transaction and Code Set Standards: Requires every provider who does business electronically to use the same health care transactions, code sets, and identifiers
- Privacy Rule: Provides federal protections for the personal health information held by covered entities and gives patients an array of rights with respect to that information
- Security Rule: Specifies a series of administrative, physical, and technical safeguards for covered entities to use to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of electronically protected health information
- National Identifier Requirements: Requires that health care providers, health plans, and employers have standard national numbers that identify them attached to standard transactions
- Enforcement RuleProvides the standards for enforcing all the Administration Simplification Rules
Sarbanes Oxley Act ( SOX)
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and the Federal Information Security Management Act ( FISMA)
General Data Protection Regula tion (GDPR)
Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA) – UK
• Requiring personal data to be processed lawfully and fairly, based on the data subject’s consent or another specified basis,• Conferring rights on the data subject to obtain information about the processing of personal data and to require inaccurate personal data to be rectified, and• Conferring functions on the Commissioner, giving the holder of that office responsibility to monitor and enforce their provision
Cyber Law in Different Countries
Canada
- Canada is one of the first countries in the world to propose a law to regulate AI.
- Currently, there is no regulatory framework in Canada specific to AI.
- While some regulations in specific areas, such as health and finance, apply to certain uses of AI, there is no approach to ensure that AI systems address systemic risks during their design and development.
- Will the CPPA allow businesses to collect and use my personal information for any purpose?
- Consent is required for businesses to collect, use or disclose your personal information, with only some limited and specific exceptions. Businesses sometimes need personal information to provide a product or service you have requested. This is why, with important safeguards in place, the CPPA will provide certain exceptions to consent where such exceptions would be reasonably expected and where businesses are not trying to influence your decisions without your knowledge.
- Fair information principle
- Dealint with a breach
- Complaints to Privacy Commissioner of Canada
10 PIPEDA privacy tips for businesses: With privacy becoming ever-more important to consumers, good privacy practices are good for business. Follow these tips to protect your customers’ personal information and comply with the federal law.
- Get your customers’ consent to collect their personal information and limit your collection and retention of it.
- Ensure staff receive appropriate privacy protection training.
- Limit and monitor access to personal information and take appropriate action when an employee accesses information without authorization.
- Think twice before collecting sensitive personal information, such as driver’s licenses.
- Inform customers if you are using video surveillance.
- Have a privacy policy and be upfront about your collection and use of personal information.
- Protect personal information on laptops, USB keys and portable hard drives through technological safeguards such as encryption and password protection.
- Respond to requests for access to personal information in a timely manner.
- Safeguard personal information against privacy breaches and report breaches that could result in significant harm to an individual.
- Make sure your customers know who to speak to if they have questions about privacy.
EU
The European Union has introduced new legislation on artificial intelligence: The EU AI Act. It lays the foundations for the regulation of AI in the EU.
- https://artificialintelligenceact.eu/ai-act-explorer/