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Connect to a Secure Network
Although cable modems, digital subscriber lines and internet service providers offer some level of security monitoring, it’s crucial to secure your router—the first device that receives information from the Internet.

Enable and Configure a Firewall
A firewall controls the flow of information between your computer and the Internet. Most modern operating systems include a firewall. In addition to the operating system’s firewall, most routers have a built-in firewall.

Install and Use Antivirus and Anti-spyware Software
Many types of antivirus and anti-spyware software can detect the possible presence of malware by looking for patterns in the files or memory of your computer.

Remove Unnecessary Programs
Check the software on your computer. If you don’t know what a program does and don’t use it, research it to determine whether you need it.

Modify Unnecessary Default Features
Modifying unnecessary default features eliminates other opportunities for attack. Review the features that came enabled by default on your computer and disable or customize those you don’t need or plan to use.

Operate Under the Principle of Least Privilege
In most instances of a malware infection, the malware can operate only under the rights of the logged-in user. To minimize the impact of malware, use a standard or restricted user account for day-to-day activities.

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Secure Your Web Browser
Web browsers installed on new computers usually don’t have secure default settings. Securing your browser is a critical step to improving your computer’s security because an increasing number of attacks take advantage of web browsers.

Apply Software Updates and Enable Future Automatic Updates
Most software vendors release updates to patch or fix vulnerabilities, flaws and weaknesses in their software. Because intruders can exploit these bugs, it is important to keep your software updated.

Follow Good Security Practices
You can do some simple things to improve your computer’s security. Some of the most important are:

• Be wary of email attachments and untrusted links. Don’t open attachments or click on links unless you’re certain they’re safe, even if they come from a person you know.
• Use caution when providing sensitive information. Some email or web pages that appear to come from a legitimate source may actually be the work of an attacker.
• Create strong passwords. Only use passwords that contain eight or more characters, a variety of uppercase and lowercase letters, and at least one symbol and number.

How to Block Pop-up Adds on Your Android Devices
A recent article in PC Advisor gives some great advice about how to block those intrusive, annoying and (if you’re using a mobile phone) potentially expensive ads.

Enable the Pop-up Blocker in the Android Browser
Open up the browser. Click the three dots menu icon in the top righthand corner. Choose “Settings” from the list. Then select “Advanced” from the menu that appears. Ensure that “Block pop-ups” is enabled. You should never see a pop-up ad on your Android smartphone when you use the Android browser. You can achieve a similar result with the Chrome browser.

Use Chrome and Enable Data Saver
Using Chrome — with pop-ups blocked — rather than the Android browser will in and of itself help to block some data-hogging advertising nasties.

The PC Advisor article recommends that everyone enable the Data Saver option. “Data Saver compresses aspects of web pages that aren’t required on mobile devices. It offers a smoother web browsing experience and savings on your data bill as your phone no longer struggles to pull down unnecessary ads and animations.”

There’s Also Adblock
You can download the Adblock Browser free from Google Play for extra help

The annual cost of cybercrime around the globe will soon reach $6 trillion annually, according to CybersecurityVentures.com. Meanwhile, the list of big-name data breach victims (from Facebook and LinkedIn to Target, Capital One, the Department of Homeland Security and countless more) continues to grow at an alarming pace.

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As cyber-attacks continue to increase in volume and tenacity, with ever-changing tactics, the government and the private sector are raising the alarm. In response, there has been a sharp uptick in the demand for cybersecurity professionals across almost every sector.

Due to this significant talent shortage in a critical area of national security and following the law of supply and demand, those who work in the industry can expect a high cybersecurity salary. For instance, top-level chief information security officers can command as much as $420,000 annually.

So while it is clear that a job in cybersecurity has many benefits, what are some of the best cybersecurity positions and how do you land them?

Read on to Find more What is Session Hijacking

The Best Jobs in Cyber Security

Information Security Analyst

This job is listed as #4 among Best Technology Jobs and #40 overall by U.S. News & World Report, which cites a median salary of $95,510. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports median pay of $98,350. In this role your main duty will be to protect sensitive information. You will create the plans and implement strategies for preventing attacks, develop policies to protect the organization against such attacks, ensure compliance of policies, monitor data access and train other employees.

Estimated salary: $90,000 — $100,000

Lead Software Security Engineer

Typically tasked with leading a team of security experts, analyzing and assessing risk, developing secure software and identifying vulnerabilities, a lead software engineer can make an average annual salary well over six figures (ZipRecruiter: $127,958; Glassdoor: $146,883).

Estimated salary: $125,000 — $150,000

Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)

The CISO is a senior level role in charge of developing, implementing and maintaining security processes that protect the company from threats and risk. Salaries are now topping $420,000 for top-level CISOs. CSOonline.com lists the median salary at $158,939 and the range as $140,000–$300,000.

Estimated salary: $140,000 — $300,000

Security Architect

A security architect is responsible for analyzing security threats and recommending solutions to protect information and data. They may participate in the development of security hardware and software, oversee and educate staff on security policies, design security models and install VPNs, firewalls and more. Noting that 27% of employers hiring for this position request a master’s degree, Cyberseek lists an average salary of $129,000.

Estimated salary: $120,000 — $190,000

Penetration Tester

Penetration testers are in charge of identifying vulnerabilities in an organization's network. They do this through constantly probing and testing the network using various tools and software. Cyberseek.org lists the average salary for penetration and vulnerability testers at $102,000 and reports that 22% of those hiring seek an advanced degree. However, salaries can range up to $130,000, according to Mondo.com.

Estimated salary: $80,000 — $130,000

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Information Security Crime Investigator/Forensics Expert

A forensics expert is a cybercrime-fighting Sherlock Holmes who investigates cyber attacks and tries to identify flaws in the system that allow for an attack, along with clues left by the attackers. Related job titles include Cybersecurity Forensics Analyst, Cybersecurity Incident Responder, Cyber Forensics Analyst, according to Cyberseek.org, which lists an average salary of $85,000.

Estimated salary: $75,000 — $110,000.

Of course, this is just a sampling of some of the many great jobs in the cybersecurity field.

How to Get Hired

Overall, cybersecurity job openings are “skyrocketing,” according to ZipRecruiter.com. However, while there is a desperate need in the marketplace for cybersecurity professionals, employers are grappling with a serious shortage of applicants who possess the needed skills and experience to fill these positions.

That means that if you want to land a job in cybersecurity, including the jobs listed above, you will likely need a combination of experience, education and industry certifications.

Certifications

If you already work in the field of cybersecurity, you know how important certifications can be. While they are certainly not the end all be all, and will not land you a job on their own, they carry a lot of weight, are definite resume boosters and are sometimes required for employment. Important certifications that those looking to make a career in cybersecurity should consider obtaining include:

• CISSP — The Certified Information Systems Security Professional. One of the leading cybersecurity certifications, the CISSP helps open the door to higher-level positions and the potential for increased pay. It is required for many key jobs at the Department of Defense, and carries a lot of weight beyond the DoD as well.
• CISM — Certified Information Security Manager. This certification focuses on governance, risk management and compliance.
• CISA — Certified Information Systems Auditor. This certification focuses on auditing, controlling, monitoring and assessing information systems and can add a significant pay boost to a cybersecurity professional’s annual salary.
• GIAC — Global Information Assurance Certification. This certification focuses on specialty hands-on technical capabilities such as intrusion detection and forensics among others.
• CEH — Certified Ethical Hacker. For entry-level applicants, a CEH certification can be a great way to land your first job or get you into an entry-level position at your top choice company. To know more, see Cyber Security Course

Experience

Experience in the cybersecurity field is invaluable. Without experience, even landing an entry-level job will be difficult. That’s why it is important to take advantage of internship opportunities while obtaining your bachelor’s or master’s degree so that you are prepared for jobs upon graduation. To get hired at a higher level in the cybersecurity field it is typical that employers will be looking for multiple years of experience.

Additionally, in the constantly changing field of cybersecurity it is imperative for cyber professionals to stay up to date on the latest in cybercrime. Lifelong learning and constant inquiry and vigilance are paramount for staying relevant and in demand in the cybersecurity field.

Education

To land a top job in cybersecurity, education is key. While a bachelor’s degree in a related field is required for most cybersecurity positions from entry-level on up, those who aspire to the highest levels of cybersecurity and hope to have a long career in the profession should strongly consider a master’s degree. Cybersecurity master degree programs give students additional technical and theoretical skills and, depending on the program, can offer the leadership, managerial and business skills required in high-level positions. Popular degree programs that those interested in a cybersecurity career often consider include:

• MS in Cyber Security Operations and Leadership
• MS in Cybersecurity Engineering
• MS in Computer Science
• MS in Computer Engineering
• MS in Information Assurance
• MS in Information Technology
• MBA (with specialty)

Of course, choosing which program is right for you depends upon your ultimate career goals and aspirations.

What Is Reverse Engineering?

Reverse engineering is the process of taking something apart and putting it back together again opens in new window in order to see how it works. It’s not a technique specific to computer science; instead, it can be used any time someone wants to understand a process or project.

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For example, structural engineers used reverse engineering opens in new window to determine the cause of the 1981 Hyatt Regency walkway collapse in Kansas City. Scientists often use reverse engineering too; the Human Genome Project is perhaps the most famous example of scientific reverse engineering opens in new window, wherein scientists try to decipher human DNA to learn more about how we work as a species.

When applied to software development, reverse engineering usually means using a tool called a decompiler to translate machine code into a programming language opens in new window like Java or C#, so that a developer can study the code and learn how it works. As a tool for someone learning to program, this is invaluable; studying code from existing software can help beginners learn how different pieces of code interact with each other, how programming languages are often used and how a developer can use code to create a finished product.

Ways Reverse Engineering Is Used

Product and Process Improvement

Many software developers use reverse engineering to improve their own code or to improve interoperability between programs. Many software suites have application programming interfaces (APIs) that allow for interoperability. “But experts say most APIs are so poorly written that third-party software makers have little choice but to reverse-engineer the programs with which they want their software to work opens in new window, just to ensure compatibility,” according to Mathew Schwartz of Computerworld.

Schwartz goes on to describe how Cyrix Corp. and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. managed to reverse-engineer Intel’s microprocessors to bring a less expensive, competitive product to market. While operating systems are usually too large and complex to reverse-engineer, “applications are ripe for reverse-engineering.”

Cybersecurity

Reverse-engineering viruses and other malware is common practice for companies that develop security software. According to a study by Zeltser Security Corp, “repeatable forensics steps should assist members of the defense community in developing a structured approach to understanding inner-workings of malicious software opens in new window.” By taking a piece of malware apart and studying it, a cybersecurity company can develop tools to combat the techniques used by malware developers, rather than reactively developing defenses for individual malware programs.

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Reverse engineering is also used to find security flaws in software, Schwartz says. Though some companies use this to create defenses against such security flaws, hackers who create malicious software can use this process to find gaps in security that they can exploit.

Intelligence and Espionage

Cyber warfare is becoming an increasingly important threat to guard against; in 2014 alone, the U.S. government suffered 61,000 cybersecurity breaches opens in new window, according to Time. In fact, the Economic Espionage Act of 1996 specifically addresses reverse engineering opens in new window and its legality and uses. As countries become more reliant on computer systems for warfare, commerce and more, they become increasingly vulnerable to those who reverse-engineer systems to find security holes to exploit.

Is Reverse Engineering Legal?

There is no general-purpose law against reverse engineering. That is, the practice of reverse engineering in and of itself is legal. However, “reverse engineering has been under siege opens in new window in the past few decades,” according to The Yale Law Journal. Although nothing in the Economic Espionage Act explicitly forbids reverse engineering, there are a number of legal and ethical concerns that arise.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) lists the following areas of U.S. law as being applicable to those practicing reverse engineering opens in new window:

• Copyright and fair use law
• Trade secret law
• Anti-circumvention provisions listed in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)
• Contract law
• The Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA)

Copyright law presents an obstacle because most software is the intellectual property of the company that created it. Using any portion of the reverse-engineered code could constitute a copyright violation. Even if a developer doesn’t actually use the code, using lessons learned from reverse-engineered code could constitute the use of protected trade secrets or might be considered a violation of a contract such as a non-disclosure agreement.

The DMCA confuses matters further, prohibiting the use of reverse engineering to circumvent “technological protection measures.” While this is often taken to mean digital rights management protection, many argue that it could just as easily refer to “techniques such as authentication handshakes, code signing, code obfuscation, and protocol encryption,” the EFF says.

Finally, the ECPA prohibits the “interception of electronic communications flowing over a network.” This can include network packets, so any reverse engineering of such packets could be a violation of the ECPA unless consent is obtained from all relevant parties.

Reverse Engineering Tools

Because reverse engineering can be an invaluable tool for learning how to use a particular programming language or how to work on a particular type of application, beginners can use the technique to improve their skills. That said, it’s necessary to have some knowledge of the language that the program is written in, and other knowledge might be required for different types of applications. For example, a developer reverse-engineering crypto algorithms opens in new window will need knowledge of crypto science and should also be familiar with the most popular algorithms used in the field, according to Apriorit.

Specialized tools are also necessary. Anyone engaging in reverse engineering will need a decompiler or dissembler, a program “that translates the executable file to the assembly language,” Apriorit says. Other tools might also be useful or necessary, such as an API monitor or debugging tool.

A junior developer intending to use reverse engineering as a learning tool would be well-served by starting with older software opens in new window. “Software is only getting more complicated, not less. So if you are in the beginning stages it is a lot harder starting with a newer piece of software,” Security-FAQs says. In addition, others have reverse-engineered older software in the past and documented the experience online, meaning that there is an existing knowledge base and community to call on that wouldn’t exist for a newer piece of software.

When reverse-engineering, developers should always keep in mind the legal and ethical risks associated with doing so and strive to avoid doing anything illegal.

Learn to Be a Developer

Solid knowledge of a programming language is necessary to the reverse-engineering process. The Software Guild offers a 12-week full-time program or a nine-month part-time online program, so you can learn a programming language with the help of skilled instructors at a pace that works for your life. Upon completion, you’ll be prepared for junior developer positions in either Java or C#/.NET. Apply to the coding bootcamp today.

While reverse engineering serves as a valuable introduction to software development, coding bootcamps such as The Software Guild offer an outcomes-focused, intensive learning environment for those interested in programming careers.

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Ethical hackers play an important role in organizations by finding and fixing vulnerabilities in systems and applications. Python is a high-level programming language that’s ideal for security professionals as it’s easy to learn and lets you create functional programs with a limited amount of code.

A decent selection of courses are available to learn about ethical hacking with Python. However, not all are made the same. They vary greatly when it comes to program depth, suitability for various levels, accessibility, and price. We’ll go into more detail, but here’s a look at our online Python ethical hacking courses At ITguru

1. The Complete Python for Hacking and Cyber Security Bundle
2. Intro to Python
3. Developing Ethical Hacking Tools with Python
4. Ethical Hacking with Python
5. Python 3 For Offensive PenTest: A Complete Practical Course
6. Python Network Programming | Network Apps & Hacking Tools

Our selections for the best courses for hacking with Python were based on the following criteria:

• Provides plenty of theoretical and practical teaching
• Offers values for money
• Is clear about who the course is suited to
• Can be completed entirely online
• Provides a certification of completion

Best online courses for ethical hacking with Python

Here’s our list of the best hacking with Python online courses for ethical hackers:

1. The Complete Python for Hacking and Cyber Security Bundle

ITguru offers a bundle of three courses designed to help complete Python beginners become advanced users with extensive cybersecurity knowledge. It include 36 hours of on-demand video lectures.

Courses strike the perfect balance between the theoretical and practical components of hacking with Python. What’s more, they stick to the point, so you don’t get bogged down in unnecessary details that could be overwhelming, Cyber Security Training especially for beginners.

You’ll learn by example, writing your own hacking and security programs, modeling problems, and designing and implementing the corresponding solutions.

The courses included in the bundle are:

• Learn Python and Ethical Hacking From Scratch
• Python for Beginners: Learn Python Programming (Python 3)
• Cyber Security – Python and Web Applications

If you’re looking to start a career in cybersecurity or simply want to learn more about hacking with Python, this bundle could be a great fit. What’s more, ITguru has a ton of other great courses and bundles available. You can even take advantage of its VIP Membership and get access to all courses for a low annual fee.

2. Intro to Python

If you’re a high-level learner who just wants to learn the bare minimum, this one might be for you. Instructor Joe Perry keeps things simple in this course that’s geared toward non-coders. In it, you’ll learn the “must-know” aspects of Python rather than delving into its specifics.

Intro to Python contains around 10 hours of material covering basic concepts up to advanced scripts. Designed to prepare people who are considering a career in penetration testing and cybersecurity, it focuses on teaching the commands and functions most critical to the industry.

This course includes two modules:

• Just the Basics
• Data Types and Logic.

Once you’re finished, if you’re looking to expand your knowledge, ITguru has plenty more courses to choose from, many of which are free. You’ll have to create an account to access any of the courses, and once you’re enrolled, you’ll be offered the Insider Pro package. This costs $99 per month (or $83 per month when billed annually) and gives you access to more courses, a career pathway guide, and a mentor. It comes with a seven-day free trial.

See also: Best ethical hacking courses

3. Developing Ethical Hacking Tools with Python

Another popular offering on ITguru is Developing Ethical Hacking Tools with Python. This course includes just over an hour’s worth of videos so is quick to complete, but packed with useful information, including teaching you how to combine multiple Python libraries and automate information gathering. You’ll even learn how to code a keylogger and write a ZIP password bruteforcer.

Here are the modules included in this course:

• Introduction
• Automating Information Gathering
• Writing a Keylogger in Python
• ZIP Password Bruteforcing in Python
• Going Forward

This is considered an intermediate level course so some background knowledge in Python is needed. It might be a good idea to take the Intro to Python course followed by this one.

4. Ethical Hacking with Python

Ethical Hacking with Python is a comprehensive course containing just under eight hours of video tutorials. During this program, you’ll learn Python fundamentals including simple coding using variables, statements, and dictionaries.

You’ll also have access to ethical hacking tutorials such as “Buffer overflow and exploit writing with Python” and “Syn Flood attack with Scapy.” The curriculum includes 23 lessons ranging from three to 36 minutes in length. Here are a few lesson examples:

• Python File Handling
• Ping Sweep with Scapy
• Object-Oriented Programming in Python
• Forensics Investigation with Python

The course is suitable for complete beginners, but it does become fairly complex and could teach experienced programmers a thing or two. Each lesson includes an exam enabling you to identify gaps in your knowledge.

ITguru offers a free 5-day trial, so if you’re quick, you might be able to take this course for free. Once your trial is up, you’ll pay $9 for the first month and $59 per month after that. You can get discounts if you sign up for a six-month or annual term. If you’re only interested in this course, it’s also available on ITguru.

5. Python 3 For Offensive PenTest: A Complete Practical Course

ITguru's popular Python 3 For Offensive PenTest course is for more advanced users. It covers in-depth topics related to ethical hacking and penetration testing but includes some real-world examples to help you see things from a practical perspective.

The cost for this course is $99.99. The total length of all videos is around five hours; this includes 58 lectures split into seven modules:

• Quick Intro
• Python 3 / Windows 10 / Kali 2: Gaining Access – Your First Persistent Shell
• Python 3 / Windows 10 / Kali 2: Advanced Scriptable Shell
• Python 3 / Windows 10 / Kali 2: Catch Me If You Can!
• Python 3: How Malware Abuse Cryptography? Python Answers
• Python 3 / Windows 10 / Kali 2: Passwords Hacking
• Windows 7 & 10 Privilege Escalation – Weak Service Permission

One notable thing about this course is it’s regularly updated so you can be assured lessons deal with the most current information and program versions. What’s more, the course is prompt in responses to student queries and will even make updates to the course upon request. ITguru courses come with a certificate of completion.

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As mentioned, this isn’t considered a beginner’s program and prerequisites include beginner-level Python (or other scripting language) and intermediate-level knowledge of ethical hacking and penetration testing.

6. Python Network Programming | Network Apps & Hacking Tools

This is another, somewhat pricier, course offered by ITguru, but is targeted at beginners. The course is new to the platform but is already proving a hit having attracted thousands of students and racking up some great reviews. It takes things slow and explains everything you need to know about setting up your environment and getting started with Python 3.

You’ll also learn about the basics of networking, including internet architecture and Python TCP connections. Practical lessons include setting up more than 15 Python 3 code application tools and networking applications, creating a man-in-the-middle Python 3 tool, and building a data scraping tool.

The course consists of 26 lectures (about six hours of videos) split into four modules:

• Introduction To This Python 3 Course
• Setting Up Your Environment
• Getting Started With Python 3 Networking
• Python 3 Network Hacking

It’s fairly pricey at $199.99 but ITguru does offer regular discounts so watch out for those.

ITguru offers many other cybersecurity-related courses, including more on the topic of hacking with Python. Here are a couple of others you may want to check out:

• Introduction To Python For Ethical Hacking
• Offensive Python | Mastering Ethical Hacking Using Python
• Cyber Security – Python and Web Applications

Why get into ethical hacking?

The term “hacking” often brings to mind criminals sitting behind a computer hiding their identity and wreaking digital havoc. However, not all hackers are malicious (black hat) hackers. Ethical (white hat) hackers play an extremely important role in cybersecurity. They find and fix security flaws before malicious parties have a chance to exploit them.

With cybercrime becoming an increasingly prominent issue, it follows that the cybersecurity industry is growing. As such, there is high demand for ethical hackers with the know-how and savvy to beat criminals to the punch. Some of the responsibilities of ethical hackers entail:

• Scan an organization’s systems looking for ports open to attack
• Patch installations so they are up to date
• Test intrusion detection and prevention systems
• Scour every part of a company network looking for vulnerabilities
• Help deal with situations involving online employee fraud or theft of digital assets
• Check for things like hijacked web servers and applications and sniffing networks

An ethical hacking career starts with a solid understanding of how to code followed by training in the specific areas you want to go into. You may wish to pursue a recognized accreditation in the field, for example, the Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) certification.

Why use Python for ethical hacking?

Python is the programming language of choice for scores of ethical hackers. Indeed, a good handle of Python is considered essential for advancement in a cybersecurity career. One of the main draws is that you get a powerful language in a very easy-to-use package.

Python is flexible and functional while being intuitive and easily readable. It’s ideal for scripting small programs, which is a huge part of the role of ethical hackers. Plus, when you start using Python, you join a huge community of dedicated fans. This means that should you need any tips or advice or run into some issues, there are plenty of resources — including documentation and forums — to turn to.

Aside from cybersecurity, Python can be an invaluable language as part of a knowledge foundation in other careers too. Those interested in web development and testing, big data, game development, artificial intelligence, or smart device development can all benefit from knowledge of Python.

Here are 10 cybersecurity myths you need to stop believing right now:

1. Your business is too small for a cyber attack

This is one of the most prevalent cybersecurity myths that need to be debunked right this instant. Most Small and Mid-Sized Businesses (SMBs) think that they are safe from any kind of digital threats because they’re off the radar.

That’s certainly not the case. Hackers don’t care about the scale of your organization to target it. Of course, there are some who’d prefer to hack the Bank of America, but most hackers would settle for smaller businesses. Especially when the SMBs think that they are safe and don’t invest in better a security system, they get hit. 58% of data breach targets are small businesses, says this report.

Always be cautious. Doesn’t matter if you have 10 employees or 10,000, your business is at risk of getting hit by a cyber attack.

2. Anti-virus/Anti-malware is good enough

No anti-virus or anti-malware can keep your system safe from all types of cyber attacks. These software rely on a large database that has information about all the malware/viruses out there.

However, if the hackers use a new kind of malware to infect your network or PC then there’s a high chance that these anti-virus software won’t be able to detect those. So, don’t solely rely on such software. They are only the first line of defense for your system and you should always have multiple defending options available.

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3. Our passwords are strong

Most people think that their regular passwords are strong enough to stand against multiple break-in attempts. However, that’s a wrong mentality right there. No password can be 100% secure, no matter how many numbers and special characters you use in your passwords, there’s always a possibility that they can be cracked or leaked in some way.

This is why it’s very important to keep changing your passwords on a regular basis. It could be weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly, but you need to regularly change your passwords, and have your employees change theirs.

4. Our industry doesn’t have any cyber threats

Wrong! Every industry is at risk. If you are connected to the internet in one way or another then you are at risk of getting digitally attacked. Movies and TV will have you believe that only tech or finance industries are prone to cyber attacks, but that’s not entirely true.

Hackers target whatever they can, whenever they can. Even if you don’t have an e-commerce website, there’s still the risk of someone breaking into your organization’s network and wreaking havoc.

5. Bringing your own device is safe

Well, it’s definitely a cost-effective system to have your employees bring in and connect their personal devices to your organization’s network, but it also comes with a plethora of risks. Most employees have a bunch of personal devices ranging from a PC to their smartphone and when they connect to your network, it also becomes a whole new entry point for hackers.

It only takes one weak link to bring cripple and bring down the entire network. So, make sure that all users adhere to your cybersecurity policies before they can use their personal devices.

6. Our cybersecurity system is PERFECT

No one is perfect!

You can never be too sure about your cybersecurity ever. Technology is advancing with each passing hour. The unending evolution of technology also means that there are new threats emerging each day. So, your cybersecurity system that was top-notch back in the day, could be entirely obsolete in the future. For this reason, you need to constantly adapt newer cybersecurity policies and practices to avoid any mishaps.

7. Threats are only external

Most people will tell you that cybersecurity threats come from the outside. Some hackers sitting in a dark basement trying to hack into your organization’s network. But, they can not be any more wrong.

Most of the cyber attacks, nearly 75% of data breaches are a result of someone on the inside, says research. A disgruntled employee, an ex-employee with a grudge, or just an ignorant user on your network can grant access to your entire organization’s data resulting in a massive data breach. It’s always a good idea to train your employees and teach them about cyber threats.

8. IT department will take care of it

Well, normally it’s the IT departments job to implement and review policies, but they can not take care of everything. The responsibility lies on each employees shoulder when it comes to cybersecurity. If the employees aren’t properly trained then they will end up downloading malware through emails or unsafe websites.

There should be easy-to-understand training and clear policies regarding cyber safety. If your employees aren’t trained, they could unintentionally open up your organization to potential threats.

9. We don’t need tests or training

This could be the most dangerous and fatal myth out there. Some people think that watching a couple of YouTube videos or reading a few cybersecurity-related articles will bring them up to speed with all the risks and counter-measures. They often forego any testing or training which could prove to be fatal for the company.

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You need to regularly conduct pentests (Penetration tests) and assessments to find any vulnerabilities, and fix them in time.

10. We will see the virus right away

This would’ve been true almost a decade ago when viruses would slow down your computer, load pop-ups, and what not. However, today malware has become very stealthy. Most sophisticated viruses sit on your computer, avoiding any detection. These viruses can do massive damage which could be data leaks, sensitive information leaks, etc. Carry out regular checks to find any infections on your systems right away.

Finally

You need to stop believing these cybersecurity myths and up your cyber defenses. Otherwise, you are always at the risk of being attacked in the digital realm.

What every Software Engineer should know about AES

AES, also known by its original name Rijndael, was selected by the NIST in 2000 to find a successor for the dated Data Encryption Standard(DES). AES is a block cipher, that means encryption happens on fixed-length groups of bits. In our case the algorithm defines 128 bit blocks. AES supports key lengths of 128, 192 and 256 bit.

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Every block goes through many cycles of transformation rounds. I will omit the details of the algorithm here, but the interested reader is referred to the Wikipedia article about AES. The important part is that the key length does not affect the block size but the number of repetitions of transformation rounds (128-bit key is 10 cycles, 256 bit is 14)

Want to encrypt more than one Block?

So AES will only encrypt 128 bit of data, but if we want to encrypt whole messages we need to choose a block mode with which multiple blocks can be encrypted to a single cipher text. The simplest block mode is Electronic Codebook or ECB. It uses the same unaltered key on every block like this:

This is particularly bad since identical plaintext blocks are encrypted to identical ciphertext blocks.

Remember to never choose this mode unless you only encrypt data smaller than 128 bit. Unfortunately it is still often misused because it does not require you to provide an initial vector (more about that later) and therefore seems to be easier to handle for a developer.

One case has to be handled with block modes though: what happens if the last block is not exactly 128 bit? That’s where padding comes into play, that is, filling the missing bits of the block up. The simplest of which just fills the missing bits with zeros. There is practically no security implication in the choice of padding in AES.

Cipher Block Chaining (CBC)

So what alternatives to ECB are there? For one there is CBC which XORs the current plaintext block with the previous ciphertext block. This way, each ciphertext block depends on all plaintext blocks processed up to that point. Using the same image as before the result would be noise not distinguishable from random data:

So what about the first block? The easiest way is to just use a block full of e.g. zeros, but then every encryption with the same key and plaintext would result in the same ciphertext. Also if you reuse the same key for different plaintexts it would make it easier to recover the key. A better way is to use a random initialization vector (IV). This is just a fancy word for random data that is about the size of one block (128 bit). Think about it like the salt of the encryption, that is, an IV can be public, should be random and only used one time. Mind though, that not knowing the IV will only hinder the decryption of the first block since the CBC XORs the ciphertext not the plaintext of the previous one.

When transmitting or persisting the data it is common to just prepend the IV to the actual cipher message. If you are interested on how to correctly use AES-CBC check out part 2 of this series.

Counter Mode (CTR)

Another option is to use CTR mode. This block mode is interesting because it turns a block cipher into a stream cipher which means no padding is required. In its basic form all blocks are numbered from 0 to n. Every block will now be encrypted with the key, the IV (also called nonce here) and the counter value.

The advantage is, unlike CBC, encryption can be done in parallel and all blocks are depended on the IV not only the first one. A big caveat is, that an IV must never be reused with the same key because an attacker can trivially calculate the used key from that.

Can I be sure that nobody altered my message?

The hard truth: encryption does not automatically protect against data modification. It is actually a pretty common attack. Read here on a more thorough discussion about this issue.

So what can we do? We just add Message Authentication Code (MAC) to the encrypted message. A MAC is similar to a digital signature, with the difference that the verifying and authenticating key are practically the same. There are different variations of this method, the mode that is recommend by most researchers is called Encrypt-then-Mac. That is, after encryption a MAC is calculated on the cipher text and appended. You would usually use Hash-based message authentication code (HMAC) as type of MAC.

So now it starts getting complicated. For integrity/authenticity we have to choose a MAC algorithm, choose an encryption tag mode, calculate the mac and append it. This is also slow since the whole message must be processed twice. The opposite side has to to the same but for decrypting and verifying.

Authenticated Encryption with GCM

Wouldn’t it be great if there were modes which handles all the authentication stuff for you? Fortunately there is a thing called authenticated encryption which simultaneously provides confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity assurances on the data. One of the most popular block modes that supports this is called Galois/Counter Mode or GCM for short (it is e.g. also available as a cipher suite in TLS v1.2)

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GCM is basically CTR mode which also calculates an authentication tag sequentially during encryption. This authentication tag is then usually appended to the cipher text. Its size is an important security property, so it should be at least 128 bit long.

It is also possible to authenticate additional information not included in the plaintext. This data is called associated data. Why is this useful? For example the encrypted data has a meta property, the creation date, which is used to check if the content must be re-encrypted. An attacker could now trivially change the creation date, but if it is added as associated data, GCM will also verify this piece of information and recognize the change.

A heated discussion: What Key Size to use?

So intuition says: the bigger the better — it is obvious that it is harder to brute force a 256 bit random value than a 128 bit. With our current understanding brute forcing through all values of a 128 bit long word would require astronomically amount of energy, not realistic for anyone in sensible time (looking at you, NSA). So the decision is basically between infinite and infinite times 2¹²⁸.

The argument follows: an AES encrypted message probably won’t be broken by brute forcing the key, but by other less expensive attacks (not currently known). These attacks will be as harmful to 128 bit key mode as to the 256 bit mode, so choosing a bigger key size doesn’t help in this case.

So basically 128 bit key is enough security for most of every use case with the exception of quantum computer protection. Also using 128 bit encrypts faster than 256 bit and the key-schedule for 128 bit keys seems to be better protected against related-key attacks (however this is irrelevant to most real-world uses).

As a Side Note: Side Channel Attacks

Side channel attacks are attacks that aim to exploit issues specific to certain implementations. Encryption cipher schemes themself cannot be inherently protected against them. Simple AES implementations may be prone to timing and caching attacks among others.

As a very basic example: a simple algorithm that is prone to timing attacks is an equals() method that compares two secret byte arrays. If the equals() has a quick-return, meaning after the first pair of bytes that don’t match it ends the loop, an attacker can measure the time it takes for the equals() to complete and can guess byte for byte until all match.

One fix in this instance would be to use a constant-time equals. Mind that it is often not trivial to write constant time code in interpreted languages like JVM languages.

Timing and caching attacks on AES are not merely theoretical and can even be exploited over a network. Although protecting against side channel attacks are mostly a concern of developers who implement cryptographic primitives, it is wise to get a sense of what coding practices may be detrimental to the security of the whole routine. The most general theme is, that the observable time-related behavior should not depend upon secret data. Additionally you should be carefully about what implementation to choose. For instance using Java 8+ with OpenJDK and the default JCA provider should internally use Intel’s AES-NI instruction set which is protected against most timing and caching attacks by being constant time and implemented in hardware (while still having good performance). Android uses it’s AndroidOpenSSLProvider which internally may use AES in hardware (ARM TrustZone) depending on the SoC, but Im not confident it has the same protection as Intels pedant. But even if you facilitate hardware, other attack vectors are available, for instance power analysis. Dedicated hardware exist that is specifically designed to protect against most of these issues, namely a hardware security module (HSM). Unfortunately these devices usually cost upwards of multiple thousand dollars(fun fact: your chip based credit card is also a HSM).

Implementing AES-GCM in Java and Android

So finally it gets practical. Modern Java has all the tools we need, but the crypto API might not be the most straight forward one. A mindful developer might also be unsure what length/sizes/defaults to use. Note: if not stated otherwise everything applies equally to Java and Android.

In our example we use a randomly generated 128 bit key. Java will automatically choose the correct mode when you pass a key with 192 and 256 bit length. Note however, 256 bit encryption usually requires the JCE Unlimited Strength Jurisdiction Policy installed in your JRE (Android is fine).

SecureRandom secureRandom = new SecureRandom();
byte[] key = new byte[16];
secureRandom.nextBytes(key);
SecretKey secretKey = SecretKeySpec(key, "AES");

Then we have to create our initialization vector. For GCM a 12 byte (not 16!) random (or counter) byte-array is recommend by NIST because it’s faster and more secure. Be mindful to always use a strong pseudorandom number generator (PRNG) like SecureRandom.

byte[] iv = new byte[12]; //NEVER REUSE THIS IV WITH SAME KEY
secureRandom.nextBytes(iv);

Then initialize your cipher. AES-GCM mode should be available to most modern JREs and Android newer than v2.3 (although only fully functional on SDK 21+). If it happens to be not available install a custom crypto provider like BouncyCastle, but the default provider is usually preferred. We choose an authentication tag of size 128 bit

final Cipher cipher = Cipher.getInstance("AES/GCM/NoPadding");
GCMParameterSpec parameterSpec = new GCMParameterSpec(128, iv); //128 bit auth tag length
cipher.init(Cipher.ENCRYPT_MODE, secretKey, parameterSpec);

Add optional associated data if you want (for instance meta data)

if (associatedData != null) {
    cipher.updateAAD(associatedData);
}

Encrypt; if you are encrypting big chunks of data look into CipherInputStream so the whole thing doesn't need to be loaded to the heap.

byte[] cipherText = cipher.doFinal(plainText);

Now concat all of it to a single message

ByteBuffer byteBuffer = ByteBuffer.allocate(4 + iv.length + cipherText.length);
byteBuffer.putInt(iv.length);
byteBuffer.put(iv);
byteBuffer.put(cipherText);
byte[] cipherMessage = byteBuffer.array();

Optionally encode it with e.g. Base64 if you require a string representation. Android does have a standard implementation of this encoding, the JDK only from version 8 on (I would avoid Apache Commons Codec if possible since it is slow and a messy implementation).

And that’s basically it for encryption. For constructing the message, the length of the IV, the IV, the encrypted data and the authentication tag are appended to a single byte array. (in Java the authentication tag is automatically appended to the message, there is no way to handle it yourself with the standard crypto API).

It is best practice to try to wipe sensible data like a cryptographic key or IV from memory as fast as possible. Since Java is a language with automatic memory management, we don’t have any guarantees that the following works as intended, but it should in most cases:

Arrays.fill(key,(byte) 0); //overwrite the content of key with zeros

Be mindful to not overwrite data that is still used somewhere else.

Now to the decrypt part; It works similar to the encryption; first deconstruct the message:

ByteBuffer byteBuffer = ByteBuffer.wrap(cipherMessage);
int ivLength = byteBuffer.getInt();
if(ivLength < 12 || ivLength >= 16) { // check input parameter
    throw new IllegalArgumentException("invalid iv length");
}
byte[] iv = new byte[ivLength];
byteBuffer.get(iv);
byte[] cipherText = new byte[byteBuffer.remaining()];
byteBuffer.get(cipherText);

Be careful to validate input parameters, like the IV length, as an attacker may change the length value to e.g. 2³¹ which would allocate 2 GiB and probably fill your heap very quickly, making a denial of service attack trivial.

Initialize the cipher and add the optional associated data and decrypt:

final Cipher cipher = Cipher.getInstance("AES/GCM/NoPadding");
cipher.init(Cipher.DECRYPT_MODE, new SecretKeySpec(key, "AES"), new GCMParameterSpec(128, iv));
if (associatedData != null) {
    cipher.updateAAD(associatedData);
}
byte[] plainText= cipher.doFinal(cipherText);

That’s it! If you like to see a full example check out my Github project Armadillo where I use AES-GCM.

Summary

There are 3 properties we want for securing our data

• Confidentiality: The ability to prevent eavesdroppers from discovering the plaintext message, or information about the plaintext message.
• Integrity: The ability to prevent an active attacker from modifying the message without the legitimate users noticing.
• Authenticity — The ability to prove that a message was generated by a particular party, and prevent forgery of new messages. This is usually provided via a Message Authentication Code (MAC). Note that authenticity automatically implies integrity.

AES with Galois/Counter Mode (GCM) block mode provides all those properties and is fairly easy to use and is available in most Java/Android environments. Just consider the following:

• Use a 12 byte initialization vector that is never reused with the same key (use a strong pseudorandom number generator like SecureRandom)
• Use a 128 bit authentication tag length
• Use a 128 bit key length (you will be fine!)

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Here are excerpts from those surveyed in the AT&T Cybersecurity Insights on their progress in making security changes required by 5G:

Timeframe to implement security changes

5G is more than an increase in speed – it’s not a “faster 4G". It provides new features such as network slicing, which allows for isolated domains for traffic. 5G service providers can assign slices to users with customizable quality of service and bandwidth.

Sporting innovative built-in security measures, 5G can allow for stronger over-the-air encryption, subscriber identity protection and reduced risk of eavesdropping.

At AT&T, we believe that 5G will encourage a shared security model akin to the public cloud. The beauty of this is it shifts some security functions to the 5G service provider, freeing up enterprises from some concerns. The anticipated shared security model of 5G does require security pros to think differently, which will take time. However, in the end the shifting of some security functions to the 5G service provider may provide great benefits for enterprises.

With the large number of devices associated with 5G, authentication and identity need to be considered in the scope of security, similar to the public cloud. The 5G service provider can help confirm device identity as well, because the network will know a device’s physical location. In a way, the 5G service provider uses the network itself as a security tool.

Introducing 5G networking impacts many technical areas, but also provides an opportunity and motivation to modernize security approaches. Software Defined Network (SDN) and virtualization technologies should be considered by enterprises preparing for 5G due to its sheer scale. In parallel, security should be virtualized and automated.

From the survey we learned the top security concerns cited were due to the increased attack surface. Have a look at what companies had to say:

Top 3 security concerns

How Secure Will 5G Networks Be?

Beyond all the vendor hype and hoopla, genuine security concerns abound. 5G technology is immature and there are questions about some of 5G’s technology underpinnings. For example, a group of researchers discovered security flaws in 5G networks (4G as well) which could be used by attackers to intercept phone calls and track the locations of smartphone users. The paper titled “Privacy Attacks to the 4G and 5G Cellular Paging Protocols Using Side Channel Information” details how these new vulnerabilities can defeat the security designed in to 5G to make it more difficult to spy on mobile users. In a different study, “A Formal Analysis of 5G Authentication,” researchers from ETH Zurich, the University of Lorraine and the University of Dundee caution that 5G is immature, insufficiently tested and it enables the “movement and access of vastly higher quantities of data, and thus broadens attack surfaces”.

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Additionally, 5G has not, cannot be tested at scale. There is the likelihood that 5G will exacerbate some of the same security issues and attack vectors that we have today. The size and sophistication of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks have risen at an ever-accelerating pace,” according to a report by cybersecurity company A10 Networks. “As new 5G networks become operational, we expect the size of attacks will dwarf these records.”

Will 5G Networks be Secure?

Expressing concern over the security of 5G and future telecommunications systems, a group of senior U.S. senators introduced a recent bill that would require President Trump to maximize the security of domestic network infrastructure and that of foreign allies. The Secure 5G and Beyond Act was formally proposed by Senators John Cornyn, Richard Burr, and Mark Warner, with co-sponsors Susan Collins, Tom Cotton, Marco Rubio, and Michael Bennet. The bill seeks to:

• Require the President to create an inter-agency strategy to secure 5th generation and future generation technology and infrastructure in the United States and with our strategic allies.
• Designates NTIA as the Executive Agent to coordinate implementation of the strategy in coordination with the Chairman of the FCC, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Director of National Intelligence, the Attorney General, and the Secretary of Defense.
• Ensure that the strategy does not include a recommendation to nationalize 5th generation deployment or future generations of mobile telecommunications infrastructure in the United States.

Clearly 5G is inevitable but its path may not be as clear cut, or as rapid, as once envisioned. Should Huawei being banned from US and other European and Asian networks, carriers will be forced to seek other vendor options. That will take time and slow 5G rollout and adoption. And without 5G speeds, already stretched mobile networks make break under the strain and stress of billions of IoT devices. But without careful evaluation of the Huawei issue along with 5G’s immaturity and lack of scalable testing, we may all be living in a faster – yet more vulnerable – future.

Conclusion

5G has the potential to bring significantly more devices onto the network, expanding the attack surfaces and increasing the possibility of new threats. Security organizations relying on manual security approaches likely will have a hard time keeping up. Security that is dynamic and automated will be able to quickly and effectively address the new security threats of 5G networks, and virtualization can help provide flexibility to respond to unknown future threats.

If you’re interested in cyber security, the CEH certification is a great investment based on the knowledge you’ll gain alone. Beyond gaining technical know-how, CEH is also a valuable certification for your professional career.

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Read on for three great reasons to stop waiting and get your CEH!

INCREASE YOUR SALARY

The number one reason to get this certification is to command a higher salary. With an average CEH salary starting at around $73,000 and going as high as $132,000, you’re sure to see an improvement in your paycheck. Getting your CEH can help you secure a quick raise at work and qualify you for other higher-paying positions when you’re ready to change jobs.

After comparing this against the cost of getting certified, it’s easy to see that your CEH is an investment that will quickly pay for itself and then some. If you can get your training covered by your employer, or paid for by a third party funding source, it’s a no-brainer.

Of course, CEH doesn’t have to be where you stop on the path to career advancement. With this certification and some experience under your belt, you’ll be well on your way to earning your CISSP and other certifications that can easily take your earnings into triple digits.

FULFILL DOD COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS

If you’re interested in the Department of Defense (DoD) world, getting certified is a must. The DoD requires all of its Information Assurance officers be certified before handling sensitive information and network security. EC-Council’s Certified Ethical Hacker certification fulfills the DoD requirements for the CSSP Analyst, CSSP Infrastructure Support, CSSP Incident Responder, and CSSP Auditor roles.

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The DoD is having trouble finding enough qualified candidates to fill these roles, which is why certifications like Security+ and CEH are so popular right now. With DoD contractors all over the United States (and abroad), getting CEH-certified offers a unique kind of job security no matter where life takes you. With demand at a record high and professionals with the required certs in such short supply, you can be sure that the salary for these DoD contractors will continue to climb.

ACHIEVE UNPARALLELED JOB SECURITY

The rate and severity of cyberattacks is climbing and causing billions of dollars of damage to companies and organizations the world over. According to the Ponemon Institute, “the average price for small businesses to clean up after their businesses have been hacked stands at $690,000; and, for middle market companies, it’s over $1 million.” Against expenses like this, it becomes quite cost-effective to hire cyber security professionals who can protect company assets before they’re attacked.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Information Security Analysts have a fantastic 32% job growth outlook for 2018-2028, much faster than average for all industries. DoD contractors, cyber security defense firms, and large corporations are creating a huge and growing demand for qualified cyber professionals which virtually guarantees employment now and well into the future.

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Application security is getting a lot of attention. Hundreds of tools are available to secure various elements of your applications portfolio, from locking down coding changes to assessing inadvertent coding threats, evaluating encryption options and auditing permissions and access rights. There are specialized tools for mobile apps, for network-based apps, and for firewalls designed especially for web applications.

Why application security is important

According to Veracode’s State of Software Security Vol. 10 report, 83% of the 85,000 applications it tested had at least one security flaw. Many had much more, as their research found a total of 10 million flaws, and 20% of all apps had at least one high severity flaw. Not all of those flaws presents a significant security risk, but the sheer number is troubling.

The faster and sooner in the software development process you can find and fix security issues, the safer your enterprise will be. Because everyone makes mistakes, the challenge is to find those mistakes in a timely fashion. For example, a common coding error could allow unverified inputs. This mistake can turn into SQL injection attacks and then data leaks if a hacker finds them.

Application security tools that integrate into your application development environment can make this process and workflow simpler and more effective. These tools are also useful if you are doing compliance audits, since they can save time and the expense by catching problems before the auditors seen them.

The rapid growth in the application security segment has been helped by the changing nature of how enterprise apps are being constructed in the last several years. Gone are the days where an IT shop would take months to refine requirements, build and test prototypes, and deliver a finished product to an end-user department. The idea almost seems quaint nowadays.

Instead, we have new working methods, called continuous deployment and integration, that refine an app daily, in some cases hourly. This means that security tools have to work in this ever-changing world and find issues with code quickly.

Many of these categories are still emerging and employ relatively new products. This shows how quickly the market is evolving as threats become more complex, more difficult to find, and more potent in their potential damage to your networks, your data, and your corporate reputation.

Application security tools

While there are numerous application security software product categories, the meat of the matter has to do with two: security testing tools and application shielding products. The former is a more mature market with dozens of well-known vendors, some of them are lions of the software industry such as IBM, CA and MicroFocus. These tools are well enough along that Gartner has created its Magic Quadrant and classified their importance and success. Review sites such as IT Central Station have been able to survey and rank these vendors, too.

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Gartner categorizes the security testing tools into several broad buckets, and they are somewhat useful for how you decide what you need to protect your app portfolio:

• Static testing, which analyzes code at fixed points during its development. This is useful for developers to check their code as they are writing it to ensure that security issues are being introduced during development.
• Dynamic testing, which analyzes running code. This is more useful, as it can simulate attacks on production systems and reveal more complex attack patterns that use a combination of systems.
• Interactive testing, which combines elements of both static and dynamic testing.
• Mobile testing is designed specifically for the mobile environments and can examine how an attacker can leverage the mobile OS and the apps running on them in its entirety.

Another way to look at the testing tools is how they are delivered, either via an on-premises tool or via a SaaS-based subscription service where you submit your code for online analysis. Some even do both.

One caveat is the programming languages supported by each testing vendor. Some limit their tools to just one or two languages. (Java is usually a safe bet.) Others are more involved in the Microsoft .Net universe. The same goes for integrated development environments (IDEs): some tools operate as plug-ins or extensions to these IDEs, so testing your code is as simple as clicking on a button.

Another issue is whether any tool is isolated from other testing results or can incorporate them into its own analysis. IBM’s is one of the few that can import findings from manual code reviews, penetration testing, vulnerability assessments and competitors’ tests. This can be helpful, particularly if you have multiple tools that you need to keep track of.

Let’s not forget about app shielding tools. The main objective of these tools is to harden the application so that attacks are more difficult to carry out. This is less charted territory. Here you’ll find a vast collection of smaller, point products that in many cases have limited history and customer bases. The goal of these products is to do more than just test for vulnerabilities and actively prevent your apps from corruption or compromise. They encompass a few different broad categories:

• Runtime application self-protection (RASP): These tools could be considered a combination of testing and shielding. They provide a measure of protection against possible reverse-engineering attacks. RASP tools are continuously monitoring the behavior of the app, which is useful particularly in mobile environments when apps can be rewritten, run on a rooted phone or have privilege abuse to turn them into doing nefarious things. RASP tools can send alerts, terminate errant processes, or terminate the app itself if found compromised.
  RASP will likely become the default on many mobile development environments and built-in as part of other mobile app protection tools. Expect to see more alliances among software vendors that have solid RASP solutions.
• Code obfuscation: Hackers often use obfuscation methods to hide their malware, and now tools allow developer to do this to help protect their code from being attacked.
• Encryption and anti-tampering tools: These are other methods that can be used to keep the bad guys from gaining insights into your code.
• Threat detection tools: These tools examine the environment or network where your apps are running and make an assessment about potential threats and misused trust relationships. Some tools can provide device “fingerprints” to determine whether a mobile phone has been rooted or otherwise compromised. Lets See How Cyber Security Online Training Will Help All

Application security challenges

Part of the problem is that IT has to satisfy several different masters to secure their apps. They first have to keep up with the evolving security and application development tools market, but that is just the entry point.

IT also has to anticipate the business needs as more enterprises dive deeper into digital products and their application portfolio needs evolve to more complex infrastructure. They also have to understand how SaaS services are constructed and secured. This has been an issue, as a recent survey of 500 IT managers has found the average level of software design knowledge has been lacking. The report states, “CIOs may find themselves in the hot seat with senior leadership as they are held accountable for reducing complexity, staying on budget and how quickly they are modernizing to keep up with business demands.”

Finally, the responsibility for application security could be spread across several different teams within your IT operations: The network folks could be responsible for running the web app firewalls and other network-centric tools, the desktop folks could be responsible for running endpoint-oriented tests, and various development groups could have other concerns. This makes it hard to suggest one tool that will fit everyone’s needs, which is why the market has become so fragmented.

Application security trends

In January 2019, Imperva published its State of Web Application Vulnerabilities in 2019. The overall findings were positive. While the number of web application vulnerabilities continues to grow, that growth is slowing.

That's due primarily to a decline in IoT vulnerabilities--only 38 new ones reported in 2019 versus 112 in 2018. API vulnerabilities, on the other hand, increased by 24% in 2019, but at less than half the 56% growth rate of 2018.

Another area seeing more vulnerabilities emerge according to the Imperva report is in content management systems, Wordpress in particular. That platform saw a 30% increase in the number of reported vulnerabilities.

The report noted that Drupal content management system, despite being far less popular than Wordpress, is becoming a target for attackers because of two vulnerabilities: Drupalgeddon2 (CVE-2019-7600) and Drupalgeddon3 (CVE-2018-7602). Both allow attacks to connect to back-end databases, scan and infect networks and clients with malware, or mine cryptocurrencies. Imperva claims to have blocked more than a half-million of attacks that use these vulnerabilities in 2019.

The Veracode report shows that the most common types of flaws are:

• Information leakage (64%)
• Cryptographic issues (62%)
• CRLF injection (61%)
• Code quality (56%)
• Insufficient input validation (48%)
• Cross-site scripting (47%)
• Directory traversal (46%)
• Credentials management (45%)

(Percentages represent prevalence in the applications tested.) The rate of occurrence for all the above flaws has increased since Veracode began tracking them 10 years ago. Ethical Hacking Training

One positive trend that the Veracode study found was that application scanning makes a big difference when it comes to fix rate and time to fix for application flaws. Overall fix rates, especially for high-severity flaws, are improving. The overall fix rate is 56%, up from 52% in 2018, and the highest severity flaws are fixed at a rate of 75.7%. A DevSecOps approach with frequent scanning and testing of software will drive down the time to fix flaws. Median time to repair for applications scanned 12 times or fewer per year was 68 days, while an average scan rate of daily or more lowered that rate to 19 days.

Like most jobs, getting familiar with pen testing requires getting familiar with the tools of the trade. To help you do that, we've compiled a list of 10 of the best tools for pen testers.

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However, Before We Dive In, a Few Notes:

Hack responsibly! Pen testers and hackers have a lot of power in a digital world. That means they can do a lot of good, or a lot of bad. Aim to do good. As a popular Marvel superhero taught us: with great power comes great responsibility. Also be careful not to accidentally get yourself into legal trouble with unauthorized scans. We'd recommend reading Nmap's "Legal Issues" article early on in your pen testing career.

There's more to pen testing than tools. Tools are definitely a big part of the job, but they are not all you need. Knowledge, experience, and outside-the-box thinking go a long way. Despite the powers of automation and software, the individual is still one of the most important aspects of pen testing. Be sure to invest the time and effort in understanding different aspects of InfoSec practically and conceptually along with learning about tools.

Aim for depth not just breadth. We have 10 tools, an operating system, and a bit on hacking hardware here. That alone is a lot to wrap your head around. Pen testers with a deep understanding of a few tools can do better than those with a shallow understanding of 100. Make sure you're taking deep dives with the tools you choose. Doing so can make a huge difference. After all, a big part of effective hacking is catching someone else's oversight or omission.

With that out of the way, let's jump into our list of penetration tools.

Nmap for Port Scanning

The open source Nmap (short for "network mapper") is one of the most popular port scanners available. If you need a quick way to check open ports on a host or across a network, Nmap is a great tool. However, Nmap is much more than just a simple port scanner. It is a robust security auditing and network discovery tool. For example, Nmap's Network Scripting Engine (NSE) enables in-depth network discovery and version detection, as well as a way to check for known vulnerabilities.

Nmap itself is a command line utility. However, Zenmap provides users with a Graphical User Interface (GUI) for nmap. For pen testing we'd recommend getting comfortable with the command line, but a GUI can help early on.

Given its power, extensibility, and ease of use, Nmap is an excellent addition to the aspiring pen tester's tool kit. It's available on a wide variety of *nix, Windows, and Mac OS X operating systems. You can download Nmap here.

WireShark for Packet Analysis

You may already know we're big proponents of WireShark. As one of the most popular packet analyzers, WireShark a great tool for pen testers. In fact, Kali Linux has called WireShark the de facto standard for packet analysis in many industries.

The reason WireShark is such a great tool is simple: packet analysis makes it possible for you to take deep dives. It is one of the best ways to learn how a system, protocol, or network work. Similarly, it's also a great way to identify vulnerabilities during penetration tests.

As with most tools on the list, WireShark has a robust CLI (command line interface). However, one of the things I like about WireShark is that for such a powerful tool, it has an intuitive GUI. In addition to capturing packets directly, I've found it helpful when parsing through .pacp files created by tcpdump.

Like Nmap, WireShark is capable of running on a variety of operating systems including *nix, Windows, and OS X. You can download WireShark here Ethical Hacking Online Training.

Metasploit for Running Exploits

Metasploit is a pen testing framework collaboratively maintained by the open source community and Rapid7. Metasploit has gained popularity because it helps simplify advanced penetration testing. It integrates with tools like Nmap and scanners like Tenable's Nessus.

Metasploit's platform makes it possible to automate vulnerability detection and have the tools to exploit them all in one place. The project also benefits from a very active support and development. The Metasploit team regularly releases updates with new modules and the Pro version receives patches with fixes and enhancements bi-weekly. To get an example of just how powerful Metasploit is, check out their EternalBlue module.

Metasploit is supported on Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X. The free open source edition and commercially supported "Pro" edition can be downloaded here.

Aircrack-ng for Wifi Cracking

Wi-Fi cracking and password cracking are important aspects of penetration testing. Aircrack-ng is a suite of Wi-Fi security and cracking tools that has gained popularity in the InfoSec industry. Some of the things Aircrack-ng's suite of tools enables pen testers to do are:

• Decrypt WEP/WPA/WPA2 Packet Captures
• Inject Frames Into Wireless Traffic
• Attack Wi-Fi Clients
• Graph Wi-Fi Networks
• Perform WEP, WPA, and WPA2-PSK Key Cracking
• Deauthenticate users based on MAC addresses or type of hardware

Aircrack-ng is CLI-based, but various applications have incorporated it into GUIs. It is most commonly used on Linux, but also runs on Windows, Mac OS X, and OpenBSD. You can download source code and pre-complied binaries here.

Fun fact: Aircrack-ng has appeared in multiple movies. It was even used correctly in the film Redes de Ambição.

BeEF for Client-Side Attacks

This BeEF (Browser Exploitation Framework) is a pen testing tool focused on web browsers. One of the biggest security concerns today is web-based attacks. Vulnerabilities in client browsers provide an attack surface for hackers to gain access to otherwise protected machines and networks.

If you're looking to assess and exploit browser vulnerabilities like cross-site scripting (XSS), BeEF may be just the tool you need. BeEF supports Mac OS X and Linux (no Windows support). You can download BeEF from their GitHub page.

Fiddler for Web Proxies

Fiddler is a multi-platform web proxy and debugger. It enables penetration testers to manipulate web sessions, decrypt HTTPS traffic, and record HTTP(S) traffic flows. In addition to testing for XXS, SQL injections, and buffer overflows, Fiddler (with the aid of the intruder21 add-on) can perform fuzz-testing against a website.

Fiddler supports most major browsers as well as most major desktop and mobile operating systems. You can download Fiddler here.

John the Ripper for Password Cracking

Password cracking is a one of the textbook forms of hacking and an important aspect of pen testing. John the Ripper is one of the most popular password cracking tools available today. It started as a way to check for weak UNIX passwords, but has grown to become a more robust tool. Today, penetration testers can use John the Ripper to crack hundreds of password hashes and ciphers.

While John the Ripper itself is a CLI tool, Johnny provides a cross-platform GUI for it.

John the Ripper's free and open source software is meant to be compiled from source code. It supports a variety of platforms including Windows, macOS, and Linux. The commercial John the Ripper Pro provides native installers if your looking for a streamlined install process. You can find links to source code and native installers on John the Ripper's homepage. Lets See Best Programming Languages For Ethgical Hacking

Kismet for Packet Sniffing

Kismet is a wireless packet sniffer that is used for detection, wardiving, and wireless intrusion detection. In addition to Wi-Fi, Kismet works with Bluetooth interfaces and select software defined radio interfaces. Some of the most common uses for Kismet include Wi-Fi traffic sniffing and hidden wireless network discovery. As it is a passive sniffer, Kismet helps a tester remain hidden while sniffing.

Kismet is supported by Linux and Mac OS X. It is also possible to use Kismet's remote capture functionality Windows 10 with Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL). You can download Kismet here.

ZAP for Web App Vulnerabilities

Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP) is a free and open source tool used to find vulnerabilities in web apps. It is also one of The Open Web Application Security Project's (OWASP) flagship projects. ZAP is designed to be useful to beginners, but also powerful enough for professional pen testers. For beginners, that means you can hit the ground running with a professional grade tool.

Functionality ZAP provides includes:

• Passive Vulnerability Scanning
• Active Vulnerability Scanning
• A spider to find web pages manual testing may miss
• Port Scanning
• Fuzzing (i.e. Performing Fuzz-Attacks)
• Reporting

In addition to a GUI, ZAP offers an API for scripting and automation. ZAP works on Windows, Linux, and Mac. You can download ZAP from GitHub.

Burp Suite for Traffic Interception

Burp Suite is a popular suite of vulnerability scanning and security tools from PortSwigger. It is offered in 3 discrete tiers:

• Community edition. This is the free version of Burp Suite that includes only "essential" manual tools.
• Professional edition. The pro version includes essential and advanced manual tools as well as a vulnerability scanner.
• Enterprise edition. The enterprise version of Burp Suite does not have any manual tools. It includes: vulnerability scanning, scheduling of scans, and integration with CI (continuous integration) platforms.

Trusted by big names like SalesForce, Google, Amazon, and Twitter, it's clear Burp Suite is a major player in the InfoSec world. It is designed to enable end-to-end testing. From the initial attack surface detection to exploiting vulnerabilities. Burp Suite is available for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X.

Best Operating System for Pen Testing

Having a particular operating system isn't required for pen testing. As we've seen, pen testing tools are available for most operating systems. However, there is a security-focused Linux distro that many professional penetration testers prefer. That operating system is Kali Linux. Kali comes bundled with many of the tools pen testers need and is designed with InfoSec in mind.

In fact, just installing Kali as-is would give you access to a robust pen testing toolbox. As an added bonus.

Hardware for Hacking?

One thing that those new to pen testing may overlook is the need for the right hardware. Beyond the software tools we've mentioned here, there's plenty of hardware used in penetration tests. Everything from special Wi-Fi adapters to lock picks to Raspberry Pis can be used to enable penetration testing.

Final Thoughts

The tools listed here are great options for getting started with penetration testing. They're also suitable for the seasoned pro. Wherever you're at in your pen testing journey, remember tools are just part of the job. A big part of being an effective pen tester is skill and creative thinking. With practice and experience, even a basic toolset can prove effective.