CYBER CECURITY COURSE

 * WHAT IS CYBER SECURITY?

=>Cyber security refers to the practice of protecting systems, networks, and data from digital attacks. These attacks often aim to access, alter, or destroy sensitive information, extort money from users, or disrupt normal business processes.

*HISTORY OF CYBER ATTACKS

The history of cyber attacks traces the evolution of digital threats from basic hacking attempts to sophisticated, large-scale attacks targeting global systems. Below is a timeline of key milestones:

1960s-1970s: Early Cyber Intrusions

1960s: The first concepts of hacking emerged as computer systems were developed. Researchers explored system weaknesses.

1971: The first known virus, "Creeper," was created by Bob Thomas. It was more of an experiment, showing how a program could move between computers.

1973: The first hacking incident occurred when an engineer from ARPANET (the predecessor to the Internet) exploited a bug in the system.

1980s: Rise of Personal Computers and Malware

1983: The movie WarGames raised public awareness of hacking. Soon after, Kevin Poulsen hacked into the U.S. Department of Defense.

1988: The Morris Worm, one of the first major worms, infected about 10% of the Internet, causing significant disruption.

1989: The first ransomware, "AIDS Trojan," was distributed via floppy disks and encrypted files, demanding a payment for decryption.

1990s: Commercial Internet and Organized Hacking

2000s: Escalation to Global Cyber Threats

2010s: Cybercrime Becomes an Industry

2020s: Modern Cyber Warfare and Sophisticated Attacks

As technology advances, cyberattacks continue to grow in scale and complexity, focusing on critical infrastructure, financial systems, and national security, with threats from criminal organizations, hacktivists, and nation-states.

* INTRUSION DETECTION SYSTEMS(IDS)

An Intrusion Detection System (IDS) is a network security tool designed to monitor, detect, and report unauthorized or malicious activity on a network or system. IDS functions by analyzing traffic patterns, monitoring system activity, and comparing this data to known attack signatures or abnormal behavior to identify potential security breaches.

*CAREERS IN CYBERSECURITY

Cybersecurity offers a wide range of career opportunities due to the increasing demand for professionals who can protect organizations from evolving digital threats. Below are some key careers in cybersecurity, along with their roles and responsibilities:

1. Cybersecurity Analyst

Role: Monitors networks and systems for suspicious activities, investigates security breaches, and implements preventive measures.

Skills Needed: Network security, threat analysis, intrusion detection systems, and risk assessment.

Certifications: CompTIA Security+, Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH).

2. Security Engineer

Role: Designs and implements security systems and infrastructures to protect data and systems. Works on firewalls, encryption, and other security protocols.

Skills Needed: Network architecture, encryption standards, firewall configuration, and software security.

Certifications: CISSP, Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA).

3. Ethical Hacker / Penetration Tester

Role: Performs authorized hacking to identify vulnerabilities in a system before attackers can exploit them. Conducts penetration testing and security assessments.

Skills Needed: Knowledge of hacking techniques, penetration testing tools (Metasploit, Kali Linux), and network vulnerabilities.

Certifications: CEH, Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP), GIAC Penetration Tester (GPEN)

4. Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)

Role: An executive-level position responsible for an organization's overall information security strategy. Manages security teams, implements policies, and ensures regulatory compliance.

Skills Needed: Leadership, strategic planning, risk management, and knowledge of cybersecurity laws and regulations.

Certifications: CISM, CISSP, Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC).

--------------------------------ETC-----------------------

* TYPES OF HACKERS

Hackers are individuals with expertise in computer systems, programming, and networking who use their skills to break into systems for various purposes. Hackers can be classified based on their intentions, actions, and goals. The primary types of hackers are as follows:

1. White Hat Hackers (Ethical Hackers)

Role: White hat hackers are security professionals who use their hacking skills for ethical purposes. They are often employed by organizations to identify vulnerabilities in systems and networks before malicious hackers can exploit them.

Intentions: To improve security and protect organizations from cyber threats.

Activities: Performing penetration testing, vulnerability assessments, and ethical hacking.

Example: A cybersecurity expert hired to conduct penetration testing to ensure a company's systems are secure

2. Black Hat Hackers

Role: Black hat hackers are malicious individuals who break into systems with the intention of stealing data, damaging systems, or engaging in illegal activities.

Intentions: Financial gain, data theft, espionage, or causing harm.

Activities: Hacking systems, spreading malware, conducting cyberattacks, and stealing sensitive information.

Example: A hacker who steals credit card information or installs ransomware to extort money from victims.

3. Gray Hat Hackers (info nothing here)

4. Script Kiddies  (info nothing here)

5. Hacktivists (info nothing here)

6. State-Sponsored Hackers (Nation-State Hackers)

Role: These hackers work for governments and are tasked with hacking other countries' systems for intelligence gathering, espionage, or national security purposes.

7. Cybercriminals (info nothing here)

8. Insider Threats (Malicious Insiders)

9. Red Hat Hackers (info nothing here)

10. Blue Hat Hackers (info nothing here)

11. Green Hat Hackers (info nothing here)

12. Whistleblower Hackers (info nothing here) 

BASH PROGRAMING LANGUAGE

Bash (Bourne Again Shell) is a command-line interpreter and scripting language that is widely used in Unix-based systems such as Linux and macOS. It allows users to interact with the operating system by executing commands and creating scripts to automate tasks. Here’s a brief overview of Bash programming:

Features of Bash

Command Execution: Execute system commands directly in a terminal or script.

 Variables: Bash supports both user-defined and environmental variables.

MY_VAR="Hello, World!"

echo $MY_VAR

Conditional Statements: Bash includes if, else, and elif statements

if [ "$MY_VAR" = "Hello, World!" ]; then

  echo "Greeting received."

else

  echo "No greeting."

fi

Loops: It provides loops like for, while, and until to iterate over commands or variables.

for i in {1..5}; do

  echo "Iteration $i"

done

Functions: Functions in Bash help encapsulate code for reuse

my_function() {

    echo "This is a function"

  }

  my_function

I/O Redirection: Bash allows redirection of input and output with operators like >, <, >>, and |.

echo "Saving to file" > output.txt

cat output.txt | grep "file"

WHAT IS PHP?

PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) is a popular open-source scripting language especially suited for web development. It is widely used to create dynamic web pages, server-side applications, and database-driven websites. PHP can be embedded directly into HTML code, making it easier to manage dynamic content on websites.

Server-Side Scripting: PHP runs on the server and outputs HTML to the browser. It is commonly used to handle backend tasks such as form handling, user authentication, and database interactions.

<?php

echo "Hello, World!";

?>

Database Interaction: PHP works well with various databases like MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, etc., to create data-driven web applications.

<?php

$conn = new mysqli("localhost", "username", "password", "database");

$result = $conn->query("SELECT * FROM users");

while ($row = $result->fetch_assoc()) {

  echo $row['name'];

}

?>

What is Script Kiddie?

A Script Kiddie (often shortened to skid) is a derogatory term used in the cybersecurity and hacker communities to describe an individual who uses pre-written scripts, tools, and software developed by others to perform hacking activities without fully understanding how these tools work. Script kiddies typically lack advanced knowledge of programming or networking and rely on existing exploits created by more skilled hackers.