Becoming a Master Hacker in 2023

Content

• intro
• Skills
• Conclusion

INTRO

Welcome to my blog, I’m Zuber! Here, you can find various different topics in my blogs including OS(Linux and Windows), Docker, Cybersecurity, CTF, Hacking, and roadmap, I will also work on some good blogs this year as well, I like to help other beginners like and guide them into this field because sometimes it can be confusion and overwhelming and lot of us don’t know what the best route is, stay tuned for another different blog about that but today in here, I will focus the skills you need to become a successful hacker!

To be/become a successful hacker in this field, you’re going to need a lot of different skills including technical skills and soft skills which are also important just as much as the other skills.

Before we move out to the interesting or we could say the technical skills, I will cover some important skills here including:

SKILLS

1. Hacker Mindset

• In the cybersecurity field or hacking area, without having the right mindset, you’ll just be another normal user who can’t troubleshoot the errors and the problems you face against daily basics, hacking is not all about using tools such as Nmap, burp suite or Metasploit, you have to have a problem solving, analytical and creative skills. You need to think out of the box.
• You not only know how to use a system or a tool but also how to dissemble and reassemble them as well. Where can one learn this?
• The best way to learn anything is by doing it (practical) and I do the same thing if I am learning anything and this is where I can understand most of the stuff.
• Break things into pieces and put them back, try it, fail, and succeed the next time, this is a great mindset if you’re doing coding or even CTF challenges.

2. Persistence

• Don’t give up! No matter what challenges or obstacles come your way, this is the only way you can win or get something for not giving up when there are so many different methods to try, failure is part of learning and it's okay to fail, no chance once but more times.
• Persistence is a key factor in success, whether in academics, career, or personal pursuits.
• It's not just hard-working but also smart and hacking sometimes takes weeks, months, or even years!
• Take care of yourself to avoid burnout.

3. Basic Computer Skills

• Know the simple things like how to create a document, email, and basic browsing.
• Know the basics of hardware and software components
• How they communicate and troubleshoot skills in computers.
• What is happening behind the scene.

4. Networking

• We all know that we cannot use anything in the digital world without a network. It’s important skills to know if you want to get into the tech field, especially cybersecurity and hacking. Some say networking is the backbone of cybersecurity and this is true since everything is connected via networks.
• Know the basics of it like, protocols (IP, DNS, HTTP/S, DHCP, SMTP, SSH, DHCP, RDP. The TCP/IP and OSI model also play a crucial role in our networking world.
• A good certification would be net+ but not necessary.

5. Linux

• Linux is one of the best OS in the world, the world runs on Linux.
• It’s free and open-source, anyone can make their own version just by knowing the basic skills.
• I recommend learning how the OS works (general) before moving to something else.
• Learn the basic command and how to navigate around the terminal like a pro user, create a document, edit, move and delete and do much more stuff with it. The best way would be to install it as a VM.
• Bash Scripting — Important skill and tool to have for automating stuff in Linux.

6. Virtualization

• Understand virtualization and learn it because it's used everywhere in the cybersecurity and IT field. Great skills to have as a hacker because you can build your homelab in there and learn how to break and build things without getting into trouble.
• Build your own little network, systems, and servers using VMware, Vbox, etc.
• Learn tools like docker and Kubernetes and implement them in your lab.

7. Protocol Analysis Skills

• Learn how to analyze network packets.
• Learn Wireshark and other network analyzing tools as well.

8. Security Concepts

• This section would be learning all about cybersecurity and how to secure technology. A great cert to start with this would be the Sec+, it can be hard for some people but it is required in all government roles and can get your first role in cybersecurity.

9. Scripting Skills

• Knowing how to automate the boring stuff in cybersecurity or any other field is the best thing to know. Automation could save you hours of time.
• Python: It’s used everywhere and across all industries. It’s simple to learn, effective to use at the same time also cross-platform.
• Golang: This is a new language that was developed by Google. It’s similar to C++ (a low-level language), fast, cross-platform and effective as well. Learn this after you learn python.
• Ruby: The reason why I am saying learn Ruby it’s because Metasploit is written in this language and we can use it to write an exploit, etc.

10. Database Skills

• Learn database skills because all the information we enter on the web (sites) ends up in a place called “DB”. Learning this can help you find stuff like SQL-Injection which is a dangerous vulnerability.

11. Web Application Technology and Tools

• Great skills to have if you are a web developer who wants to be a web application pentester or bug bounty hunter.
• Learn HTML/JS / how the web works and more of it.
• Build a web, implement a functionality, break it and build or maybe use docker to host an existing vuln one and learn from the skills there.
• A good book to start out (Web App Hacking) would be the Bugbounty Bootcamp book.

12. Forensics Skills / Background

• Knowing some forensics skills can help you avoid getting detected or leaving any data behind when you’re hacking.
• Understand what is left behind the doors.
• What people or investigators can find about you.

13. Cryptography

• Understand the various cryptography.
• What are they and how they can be used?
• Understand PKI
• Public and Private Keys.
• Symmetric vs. Asymmetric encryption.
• Hashing algorithm.

If you wanna know more about how to learn hacking or web app testing then feel free to read this amazing blog that I wrote a while ago! Thank you!

https://zuber-kariye.medium.com/learn-to-hack-web-apps-for-free-432f2782c905

Conclusion

We have covered many skills to learn in cybersecurity skills in order to become successful including, programming, Linux, security and so much. I hope you’re gaining this hopefully.

— Zuber