Every tech enthusiast is enthralled by the term Ethical Hacking. A programming language is one of the many skills that an ethical hacker must have. This article will go over the top five programming languages used in ethical hacking. Let’s take a look at some programming languages used by ethical hackers, but first, we should understand why we should know them.
Programming languages will assist any ethical hacker in becoming more efficient in their work. As we all know, the first step in ethical hacking is to identify bugs and flaws that can be exploited to gain access. And, in order to find these bugs, it is necessary to analyze and properly understand how the code works, which requires a good understanding of the programming language. Because most of these programming languages are cross-platform and can be used on both Windows and Linux operating systems, they are also used for penetration testing.
Most vulnerabilities and threats to the organization’s system will be missed if a proper penetration test is not performed. As a result, an ethical hacker must be familiar with the programming languages used to perform proper penetration tests as well as automate those tests that would take a long time to complete manually.
The following are the top five programming languages for ethical hackers:
1. Python
The most straightforward and readable Python is the most commonly used language. It is popular due to its libraries and ease of learning and programming. Many people use it as their first language to learn more about programming and its advanced features. It is regarded as a general-purpose programming language capable of handling any type of application or web development task. This can also be used to create malware and viruses, which is one of the primary responsibilities of an ethical hacker. Python also has immense community support, making it simple to learn and one of the most popular programming languages.
For more information please refer to the FREE Tutorial on Python Programming Language.
2. PHP
PHP is a server-side scripting language, which means it runs on the server and can be used to create and host web applications. The main advantage of this language is that it is easily integrated with databases such as Microsoft SQL Server and MySQL, among others. This means that tampering with it will have an immediate effect on the server from which it is running. Any flaws or errors in it can easily cause the website and server to be taken offline.
3. SQL
A database that can store, organize, and manipulate data is called a Relational Database Management System (RDBMS). We communicate with a relational database using the computer language known as Structured Query Language. A computer database may be managed, organized, and archived material can be retrieved using SQL. It is a vital programming language for an ethical hacker to understand since it is used to conduct queries on the data in the database, which is to say that it deals with the data stored in the database.
4. C
C is one of the oldest and is often referred to as the mother of modern programming languages. It is a low-level language, which makes it faster than other languages. It has the ability to access and manipulate hardware components such as CPUs and memory, making it an excellent choice for developing low-level and faster malware and exploits. Many cyber security experts also use C to create highly secure applications capable of dealing with sensitive data in a safe manner. The majority of operating systems, including Windows, Linux, UNIX, and many of its distributions, are written in C.
5. JavaScript
JavaScript is a client-side programming language that can also be used on the backend. Learning it gives you the ability to mess with web applications because XSS is used to easily inject, spread, and reproduce viruses and malware. It can also access the user’s cookies and data, which could be useful to an ethical hacker. It can also be used to infect mobile applications via a web-based interface.
Aside from programming languages, an Ethical Hacker must also be able to assess and comprehend code. In addition, one should have a working knowledge of at least one other programming language.
