Introduction to Ethical Hacking

Course Overview:

This course is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of ethical hacking, also known as penetration testing or white-hat hacking. Participants will learn how to identify vulnerabilities in systems and networks, understand the legal and ethical issues surrounding cybersecurity, and acquire practical skills to secure systems. The course emphasizes hands-on learning and equips students with the knowledge required to prevent cyber threats and unauthorized access to sensitive information.

Prerequisites:

• Basic understanding of networking (IP addresses, ports, protocols)
• Familiarity with operating systems (Windows, Linux)
• Interest in cybersecurity

Course Duration:

• 10 weeks (2 sessions per week, 2 hours per session)
• 20 hours total of instruction and hands-on labs

Week 1: Introduction to Ethical Hacking

• Lecture:
  • What is Ethical Hacking?
  • Different types of hackers: Black Hat, White Hat, Grey Hat
  • The role of ethical hackers in cybersecurity
  • Introduction to the hacking methodology (reconnaissance, scanning, gaining access, maintaining access, covering tracks)
• Lab:
  • Setting up a hacking lab environment using Virtual Machines (Kali Linux and Metasploitable)
  • Installing and configuring penetration testing tools

Week 2: Legal and Ethical Considerations

• Lecture:
  • Legal frameworks surrounding ethical hacking
  • Laws like the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
  • Understanding contracts, non-disclosure agreements, and authorization
  • Ethical considerations in hacking
• Lab:
  • Case studies on famous hacks and ethical violations
  • Discussion on real-world implications and responsibilities of ethical hackers

Week 3: Footprinting and Reconnaissance

• Lecture:
  • Introduction to footprinting: Passive vs Active Reconnaissance
  • Tools for information gathering: WHOIS, DNS, social media, Shodan
  • Using Google Hacking (Dorking)
• Lab:
  • Performing passive reconnaissance on a target website (Public Domain)
  • Using tools like nslookup, dig, theHarvester, and Shodan

Week 4: Scanning and Enumeration

• Lecture:
  • Introduction to network scanning: types of scans (port scanning, ping sweeps)
  • Tools for scanning and enumeration (Nmap, Netcat, Nessus)
  • Understanding open ports, services, and vulnerabilities
• Lab:
  • Scanning a network using Nmap
  • Enumerating open ports and services on a target system

Week 5: Vulnerability Analysis

• Lecture:
  • Understanding Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE)
  • Introduction to vulnerability scanning tools: OpenVAS, Nikto, and Nessus
  • Interpreting vulnerability reports
• Lab:
  • Performing a vulnerability scan using OpenVAS
  • Identifying and prioritizing vulnerabilities

Week 6: Exploitation and Gaining Access

• Lecture:
  • Understanding exploits: Local vs Remote exploits
  • Introduction to Metasploit Framework
  • Buffer overflows, web vulnerabilities (SQL Injection, XSS), and password attacks
• Lab:
  • Exploiting a vulnerable system using Metasploit
  • Demonstrating SQL injection on a test website

Week 7: Maintaining Access and Covering Tracks

• Lecture:
  • Techniques for maintaining access (backdoors, rootkits)
  • Hiding activities: clearing logs, removing traces
  • Legal implications of these techniques in an ethical hacking context
• Lab:
  • Deploying a backdoor on a compromised system
  • Analyzing logs and clearing evidence of penetration testing activities

Week 8: Wireless Network Hacking

• Lecture:
  • Introduction to wireless technologies and vulnerabilities
  • Cracking WEP, WPA/WPA2 encryption
  • Rogue access points and man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks
• Lab:
  • Cracking a wireless network’s password using Aircrack-ng
  • Performing a MITM attack using tools like Wireshark and Ettercap

Week 9: Social Engineering

• Lecture:
  • The human element in hacking: social engineering techniques (phishing, pretexting)
  • Tools for phishing and email spoofing
  • Defending against social engineering attacks
• Lab:
  • Simulating a phishing attack using the Social Engineering Toolkit (SET)
  • Analyzing phishing emails for signs of fraud

Week 10: Reporting and Remediation

• Lecture:
  • Writing an effective penetration testing report
  • Explaining technical issues to non-technical stakeholders
  • Recommending remediation strategies to fix vulnerabilities
• Lab:
  • Writing a report for a mock penetration test
  • Presenting findings and remediation strategies

Final Project:

• Task: Conduct a complete penetration test on a simulated network (provided in a virtual environment). This project will require students to apply all the skills learned throughout the course: reconnaissance, scanning, exploitation, and reporting.
• Assessment: Each student will submit a detailed penetration testing report, including recommendations for securing the system.

Course Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this course, participants will:

1. Understand the ethical and legal framework of penetration testing.
2. Be familiar with the common methodologies used in ethical hacking.
3. Be able to identify vulnerabilities in systems and networks.
4. Have hands-on experience with industry-standard tools such as Metasploit, Nmap, and Aircrack-ng.
5. Be capable of writing professional penetration testing reports with actionable remediation steps.

Tools Used:

• Kali Linux (Penetration testing platform)
• Metasploit Framework (Exploitation tool)
• Nmap (Network scanning)
• OpenVAS (Vulnerability scanner)
• Aircrack-ng (Wireless network cracking)
• Wireshark (Network analysis)
• Social Engineering Toolkit (SET)

Instructor's Notes:

• Ensure all activities in this course are performed in a controlled, legal environment, such as virtual labs, with proper authorization.
• Emphasize the ethical responsibilities of hackers and the importance of respecting privacy and data protection.

This outline provides a comprehensive, hands-on introduction to ethical hacking, perfect for beginners interested in cybersecurity.