Ethical Hacking for highschooler?

Question

I'm in highschool and from Rhode Island. I really have always wanted to take a field in ethical hacking. Yahoo don't delete this again ethical hacking is illegal. I want to take courses but I do not where to start. I was wondering what course I should take. Sadly my school doesn't offer programming courses nor can I find anything like it in the area for my age. What classes should I take now and in college? Please help if I don't find out I will be left with engineering. Although engineering is cool I want to be an eh. So for the love of God some please guide me on the right path.

I keep getting this bs comments like. Learn linux, learn blah blah blah. Number one, that does not help me at all. Secondly i want to pursue a career in EH not be a hacker from movies. I want to know actual courses for highschool and college i should take, then internships or courses i have to take after. PLEASE AGAIN SOMEONE HELP, plus don't give me some stupid answer saying codeacademy... that was the worst comment ive recieved

Answer 1

Kid, First i know what you are going through.



Believe me, you cant become a Hacker overnight. You need to know how a computer basically operates, communicates (both Software and Hardware Level), What it can and what it cannot do. A hacker is a person who has a detailed knowledge about systems and knows what he is doing.



Computers can understand only codes not your thoughts, So tell your computer what to do,for that you need to tell him your thought through code only, so it's necessary to know coding languages.



Linux: Why everyone is forcing you to learn linux?



Linux is a free open source software where you can customize your thoughts to a program and you can make your computer to do what you think. Linux software's are free and when you think of a technique to use (Any attacks), For performing that attack you will search software for your windows PC you end up wasting your time. But when you search a the same software you will get it easily for a Linux version.



Even better you can write your own software (Program) and use as you wish.



So If you want to be a EH I recommend use a BACKTRACK OS, Learn Basic Languages (C, C++)

One more thing you have to learn a lot and Understand the basic working of computer components, how network works, Believe me this will take years of passionate study and browse through many new categories.



If you want to know about Networking side of computer take a CCNA series of test.



One Day If you this keep this Spirit up and continue to Learn program techniques I am sure you will become an EH.



But continue to learn with passion, dont get bored of prog languages once you started learning you will love it.



Hope you will do good. :)

Answer 2

Hacking is hacking, there's not such field as ethical hacking distinct from unethical hacking. First learn what lines not to cross in order to stay legal. (Generally keep to you own system or do testing of other's systems only with permission)



Linux or one of the BSD's are realy, really valuable, it lets you see how an OS goes together with software, and lets you dig into whatever part of the system you please.



Ethical hacking is usually a combination of system administration and pen testing. You've got to keep up on current methods of attach, and be able to replicate them to test vulnerability of client systems. Once you find vulnerabilities you need to know how to fix them.



A good basis in computer science is a goo place to start, say the A+ certification, Also learning some programming, especially scripting languages is invaluable in letting you create and modify your tools.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Certified_Ethical_Hacker



Lists 5 books that focus on the topic. Get one or two, read through it. When you see something you don't understand, go look it up.

Answer 3

Hacking is about programming. You need to learn to program. Focus on C, C++ and Assembler. Learn about network protocols and routing. The best way to do this on your own is to install Linux since all of the compilers and tools are free. After that go for a degree in computer science or electrical engineering. There are graduate programs on computer security and having a BS in CS or EE will be enough to get into those programs.



Real hacking is boring. See http://www-inst.eecs.berkeley.edu/~cs161/fa08/papers/stack_smashing.pdf for an example of what hacking is all about. It's old but relevant and all about how real hacking works.

Answer 4

Hacking, be it "ethical" or not (a bit of an oxymoron) is for losers, people with weak ethics and weaker intellects. It's a lot more challenging, interesting, and difficult to maintain system security.



Additionally, there are practically no career opportunities for "ethical" hackers. There are lots of opportunities for experienced, honest computer security specialists, but there are none for script kiddies, no matter what claims they might make about being "white hats."



I'm surprised that you want to be an ethical hacker, but you don't understand why anyone would want to learn programming. This is a bad sign.

Answer 5

well computer science is ur best bet you hav to understand the systems your attacking understanding code like java and c will help you to spot vulnerabilities in a program but hacking can stretch alot further than just programs it can go into hardware too so maybe computer engineering will give u understanding of circuit design and programming which u can expand on in ur own time. get sum pen tools like backtrack or metasploit which you can learn how to access a system. but understand learning how to do this kinda stuff takes thousands of hours to understand how to hack...