Want to learn how to hack? Hacking is not a topic that anyone can pick up overnight. If you want to hack like a pro, you can’t just read an article and visit some hacking websites.
However, if you spend a lot of time studying and practicing your craft, you can learn to hack.
White Hat vs Black Hat Hacking
There are two forms of hacking:"white hat” and"black hat“.
White-hat hackers call themselves ethical hackers by finding vulnerabilities to make systems and applications more secure.
However, there is a whole others Hacker community – black hat hackers – finding vulnerabilities to exploit as much as possible.
Now that you know what kind of community you are in, you can continue with the list of top sites where you can learn to hack.
1. Hacking Tutorial
Check out the hacking tutorial for a list of resources that will teach you some basic tricks when hacking various apps, operating systems and devices.
You can find some examples of the content here:
- Article like "3 steps GMail MITM hacking with Bettercap"
- Tutorials like "How to bypass Windows AppLocker"
- Hacking News
- Phone hacking tips
- Reviews of online hacking tools
- A significant library of free hacking eBooks and reports
The articles are usually short and the grammar is not always perfect. However, many contain very technical, step-by-step instructions on how to perform the task at hand.
The tricks and scripts will work unless the exploit is patched. You may have to search some non-hacking articles. But for the volume of technical tricks and resources, there’s a mention there.
2. Hack a Day
Hackaday is a blog for engineers. It’s less about hacking with code and more about hacking everything.
Contributors include innovative projects, including robot builds. How to control robots with a game controller and Arduino. How to control robots with a game controller and Arduino. Have you ever wanted to control an Arduino with a video game controller? Now with nothing more than this article and an Xbox 360 controller you can! Read more, modify old electronics and gadgets, and more.
Over the years, Hack A Day has made the site quite a popular blog.
They also have another domain called hackaday.io, where they host reader-submitted development projects. These include some really cool projects and innovative designs.
This site redefines the meaning of the word hacking by teaching you how to hack electronic devices like a Gameboy or a digital camera and change them completely.
Readers are encouraged to build electronics to hack exclusively other commercial devices. They also hold an annual hackaday prize competition. Here, thousands of hardware hackers compete for the ultimate prize for the best build of the year.
3. Hack In The Box
Hack In The Box has changed a lot over the years. The site consists of four major subdomains, each with a specific purpose to serve hackers around the world.
The site continues to focus on security and ethical hacking. In the news and magazine sections, you’ll find frequently updated content specifically for hackers or novice hackers.
The four main sections of the site include:
- HITBSecNews: This popular blog provides security news on all major industries. Main topics are major platforms such as Microsoft, Apple and Linux. Other topics include international hacking news, science and technology, and even law.
- HITBSecConf: This is an annual conference that features hacking professionals and researchers from around the world. It takes place every year in the Netherlands.
- HITBPhotos: a simple collection of photo albums, mostly related to images from the annual conference.
- HITBMagazine: This page shows the quarterly print magazine that Hack In The Box mailed to subscribers through 2014. Although the blog section of the site is still active and updated frequently, no other print magazines are produced.
This site is less of a place for technical hacking tips and more of a daily place to get your latest updates for online hacking news.
HITB is a great source of information for anyone interested in the latest gossip in the international hacking community.
4. Hack this site!
Hack This Site.org is one of the coolest, free training sites for programmers where you can learn to hack. Just accept one of the challenges in the left navigation area of the main page.
The site designers offer several "missions". Here you have to find out the vulnerability of a website and then try to use your new found hacking skills (you have carefully researched all the articles on the website, right?), To hack the website.
The missions include Basic, Realistic, Application, Programming and many others.
If you can figure out how to properly hack one of the most difficult missions on this site, you will definitely have earned the title of "hacker".
5. Cybrary
If you want to start a career in white-hat cybersecurity, Cybrary is a great resource. Here you will find hundreds of free courses covering areas such as Microsoft server security, security assessments, penetration testing and a number of CompTIA courses.
The site includes forums, practice labs, educational resources and even a job board. Whether you’re just considering a cybersecurity career or are already in the midst of one, this site is a good bookmark.
6. Exploit database
Regardless of whether you are a white hat or black hat hacker, the exploit database is an important tool in any hacker’s toolbelt.
It is often updated with the latest exploits that affect applications, web services and more. If you want to learn more about how past hacks have worked and been patched, the Papers section is a great place to start the website for you.
This section contains magazine downloads that include many of the greatest exploits to ever hit the world in the last decade.
Learn how to be a hacker
More and more industries are striving for a cloud-based approach. The world is transferring more and more critical data to the Internet. This means that the world of hacking and counter-hacking is only going to grow.
Cybersecurity is a booming field and a good one if you are looking for a lucrative and future-proof career.
If you’re interested in the history of hacking, our list of the world’s most famous hackers and what happened to them, 10 of the World’s Most Famous Hackers (and What Happened to Them) 10 of the World’s Most Famous Hackers (and What Happened to Them) you) white-hat hackers vs. black-hat hackers. Here are the most famous hackers in history and what they are doing today. Read more is a fascinating read. Learning the lesson is easy. Black hat hacking can sometimes cost more, but white hat hacking ensures you don’t get in trouble.