Category: Hacker

As technology evolves, so does the landscape of cybersecurity and ethical hacking. By 2025, certain programming languages will continue to stand out for their utility in hacking and security analysis. Here’s a look at some of the best programming languages that aspiring hackers and cybersecurity professionals should consider mastering.

1. Python– Python remains a dominant language in the hacking community due to its simplicity and versatility. Its extensive libraries, such as Scapy for packet manipulation, Beautiful Soup for web scraping, and Requests for handling HTTP requests, make it an excellent choice for developing scripts and automation tools. Python’s readability allows hackers to quickly prototype and test their ideas, making it a staple in both ethical hacking and cybersecurity.

2. JavaScript- With the rise of web applications and services, JavaScript has become increasingly important for hackers focusing on web vulnerabilities. Proficiency in JavaScript enables hackers to understand and exploit client-side vulnerabilities, such as Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) and other web-based attacks. Additionally, knowledge of Node.js can facilitate server-side exploitation, making JavaScript an essential language in the hacker’s toolkit.

3. C/C++C and C++ provide low-level access to memory and system processes, which is crucial for developing exploits and understanding system vulnerabilities. These languages are often used in writing malware, as they allow for direct manipulation of hardware and system resources. Familiarity with C/C++ is particularly valuable for those looking to delve into areas such as reverse engineering or creating custom exploits.

4. Ruby- Ruby, especially with the Metasploit Framework, is highly regarded in the hacking community. Metasploit is a powerful tool used for penetration testing and developing security research. Ruby’s concise syntax and robust libraries make it suitable for rapid development of security tools and exploits. As penetration testing continues to grow in importance, Ruby’s relevance in hacking remains strong.

5. Go- Go (or Golang) is gaining traction among hackers for its efficiency and performance, particularly in developing network tools and applications. Its concurrency model allows for the creation of high-performance applications, making it suitable for tasks like network scanning and traffic analysis. As the need for fast, efficient code increases, Go is likely to become more prominent in the hacking community.

6. SQL- While not a traditional programming language in the same sense as others on this list, SQL (Structured Query Language) is essential for understanding database vulnerabilities. Knowledge of SQL is crucial for performing SQL injection attacks, one of the most common methods used to exploit databases. As data breaches continue to rise, SQL will remain a key skill for hackers focusing on database security.

7. Bash/Shell Scripting- Bash and shell scripting are invaluable for automating tasks and managing systems in a Linux environment. Many hacking tools are built using shell scripts, and understanding how to manipulate these scripts is crucial for any hacker. Proficiency in Bash allows for efficient system exploitation and is essential for working in environments commonly used for penetration testing.

Conclusion

As we move into 2025, the programming languages listed above will play pivotal roles in the world of hacking and cybersecurity. Mastering these languages not only enhances a hacker’s toolkit but also contributes to a deeper understanding of system vulnerabilities and security practices. Whether you’re a budding ethical hacker or an experienced security professional, staying abreast of these languages will be vital for success in an ever-evolving digital landscape.

 

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The landscape of cybercrime has undergone a significant transformation, with hacktivists increasingly abandoning their ideological motivations in favor of lucrative financial gains.

 A recent report by cybersecurity firm Seqrite reveals that many hacktivist groups are now actively involved in spreading ransomware, a trend driven by the potential for substantial profits.

However, not everything seems merry to those joining the crime, as law enforcement agencies, especially from the west are also doing their best in suppressing the crime to a certain extent by arresting the criminals or seizing their infrastructure to either disrupt their operations or shut them down on a permanent note, like BlackCat Ransomware group.

While law enforcement agencies are making strides in combating ransomware, the threat remains persistent. Despite increased efforts to arrest criminals and dismantle their infrastructure, ransomware groups continue to operate, targeting vulnerable organizations worldwide.

One of the factors contributing to the growth of ransomware is the reluctance of many organizations to pay ransoms. According to Arete, only a minority of victims are willing to meet the extortionists’ demands, often citing the high costs of recovery as a deterrent. This perceived profitability further incentivizes cybercriminals to engage in ransomware activities.

The consequences of ransomware attacks can be devastating, leading to significant financial losses, operational disruptions, and even business closures. A notable example is a British accounting software firm that was targeted by a ransomware gang in May 2023. Unable to recover from the attack, the company was forced to shut down its operations.

As the ransomware threat continues to evolve, organizations must prioritize robust cybersecurity measures to protect themselves against these attacks. By investing in proactive security solutions and developing effective incident response plans, businesses can mitigate the risks associated with ransomware and minimize the potential damage.

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Creating YouTube videos has evolved from a trend into a necessity, especially for Gen-Z, who increasingly use videos as a way to express themselves and gain quick popularity. However, what happens if a YouTube account gets hacked? Fortunately, those affected can now turn to YouTube’s AI-based Hacked Channel Assistant available through the YouTube Help Center.

This tool guides users through a series of straightforward questions to help them secure their accounts. Afterward, it suggests additional security measures, such as enabling multi-factor authentication, to protect against future breaches.

Currently, this recovery tool is available only in English, but YouTube plans to expand its support to 13 other widely spoken languages by early next year.

As a part of Alphabet Inc., Google has consistently prioritized user security and continues to develop tools to help safeguard accounts. With the rise in social media hacking, YouTube’s account recovery process aims to simplify the restoration of compromised accounts for content creators.

In related news, Cristiano Ronaldo’s official YouTube channel, which garnered 1 million subscribers within 90 minutes of its launch and 10 million within 10 hours, has recently been targeted by hackers. These impersonators are deceiving fans by promoting cryptocurrency scams. To avoid falling victim, ensure you’re following the authentic UR Cristiano channel, which boasts over 28 million subscribers. This channel achieved remarkable milestones, receiving the Gold Play Button within 90 minutes and the Diamond Play Button within 8 hours of its debut. Despite these achievements, Ronaldo still has a way to go to catch up to MrBeast, who holds the top spot with over 331 million subscribers. However, Ronaldo’s global fanbase suggests he could reach this milestone within a month or so.

For reference, Ronaldo has an impressive social media presence with over 636 million followers on Instagram, 171 million on Facebook, and 112.3 million on X (formerly Twitter).

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The general perception of hackers is that they’re Mr. Robot-esque renegades who utilize futuristic technologies in order to single-handedly take down monolithic foes, like multinational corporations or entire governments. The reality is more mundane. Most malicious actors choose the path of least resistance, such as straightforward phishing attempts, in order to acquire credentials that grant them network access. Simple tactics work, so if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. There is one area, however, where sophisticated hacks are more common: the public sector.

The value of public sector data

Public sector data, from citizen records to national security intelligence, isn’t just sensitive, it’s also mission-critical. This kind of data can give threat actors a lot of leverage to extort large sums of money. Because of the potential value of public sector data, ambitious hackers are willing to hazard incursions into more heavily defended networks. That’s why system intrusion, a relatively complex attack pattern, continues to be a top choice for threat actors in the public sector, according to Verizon Business’s 2024 Data Breach Investigation Report (DBIR), a report that analyzed over 30,000 security incidents and 10,000 confirmed data breaches across 6 continents and 20 industries.

The motivations of public sector hackers

The public sector doesn’t just draw the more entrepreneurially-minded hackers. It also attracts more nation-state hackers, who tend to have access to more funds and resources. Such malicious actors are compelled by espionage in addition to, or sometimes in place of, financial motivations. According to the DBIR, nearly a third (29%) of malicious actors in the public sector are driven by espionage—higher than any other vertical or industry by a wide margin.

The weaker links of the public sector

Public sector data may have more layers of protection than data in other industries—stealing state secrets from the DoD, for instance, would be no simple feat—but not all public sector data is so fiercely guarded. The growing digitalization across industries has ushered in unprecedented capabilities, but data is also more distributed than ever before. In more decentralized industries, such as media and entertainment, for instance, the cybersecurity of big studios is only as strong as the third-party vendors they work with. Some high-profile hacks have taken place when valuable IP was stolen through small post-production companies that typically don’t have the resources to invest in more advanced cybersecurity systems. These vendors end up serving as a de facto backdoor for hackers who otherwise wouldn’t have been able to gain access to such valuable data. The public sector has similar backdoors. 

Institutions of scientific research and higher learning often overlap with the public sector, sometimes conducting research with national security implications, such as nuclear research or satellite technology innovations. Even though these institutions often deal in valuable data, their cybersecurity typically lag behind organizations in the public sector, such as federal agencies and departments. As a result, threat actors will sometimes perceive such institutions as relatively soft targets for high-value data.

Changing the culture around cybersecurity

One reason why academic institutions lag with regard to cybersecurity is culture. Institutions of higher learning promote values such as collaboration and the free exchange of ideas. These values may be conducive to academic rigor, but it can make researchers, academics and students more lax in their digital communications.

Training researchers and academics (and employees and users in most industries) to spot the most common social engineering tactics can go a long way toward protecting such institutions. According to the DBIR, the vast majority of security incidents and 68% of full breaches involve the so-called “human element,” essentially human error—the very factor social engineering preys upon. If users are apprised of typical pretexting, phishing, vishing and other social engineering methods, they’re much less likely to fall victim to one of these attacks. 

Save them from themselves

Cybersecurity education can help, but it isn’t foolproof. These institutions are built upon notions of intellectual collaboration. Eliminating that culture altogether isn’t realistic, but you can remove some of the guesswork with stricter access control. Additionally, incorporating more rigid multi-factor authentication for devices and networks can prevent cyber gaffes, especially in this age of distributed workforces and remote learning. 

Trust no one

The case for a zero trust approach to cybersecurity is especially strong in the public sector, given the sensitivity of its data. Zero trust takes a “never trust, always verify” approach to cybersecurity—a model that acknowledges the reality that security threats can come from anywhere, including from within an organization. A zero-trust approach not only requires strict authentication of users, but it also applies the same rigor to applications and infrastructure, including supply chain, cloud, switches and routers.

The public sector can strengthen its cybersecurity as a whole by shoring up its weak points. Part of that is structural. Part of it is cultural. Much of scientific and academic research hinges on applying healthy doses of skepticism. If they can apply some of that same skepticism to digital communications, the wider public sector will be the better for it. 

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A hacking group affiliated with the Ukrainian government, known as BO Team, has asserted responsibility for the erasure of data from more than 280 servers connected to Planeta, a Russian meteorological and satellite service provider. Security experts’ preliminary analysis indicates that the compromised information encompassed weather forecasts, climate data, predictions for natural disasters, volcanic monitoring, and the positioning of numerous satellites. Recovery from backups is deemed challenging.

Russia has yet to respond to the incident, currently engrossed in investigating a separate satellite data breach that encompasses intelligence gathering for military, civil aviation, agriculture, maritime activities, and space-related intrusions.

The magnitude of the breach is substantial, with two petabytes, equivalent to over 2000 terabytes, of data eradicated from servers in the far-eastern division of Planeta. Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense has officially acknowledged BO Team as part of its cadre collaborating with government-funded intelligence agencies.

Roscosmos, the parent company of the Russian Centre for Space Hydrometeorology, operating under the name Planeta, issued a statement via Telegram refuting the hackers’ claims, asserting the integrity of their data stored within server farms.

Contradicting this official stance, an anonymous ministerial source revealed that the hack indeed transpired, causing substantial disruptions to the operations of supercomputers, HVAC devices, and power systems. The source disclosed that the wiped data pertained to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, containing critical information about troop deployments in Ukraine and their planned actions. This information is especially crucial as the conflict with Ukraine, under President Zelensky, approaches its two-year mark after February 23rd, 2024.

It remains unclear whether the cyber-criminals initially copied the data onto their own servers before executing the wipe on the satellite data servers of the Russian Federation.

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A recently identified hacking group, known as ‘Dawnofdevil,’ has surfaced, claiming responsibility for breaching the web portal of the Indian Income Tax Department. This emerging group entered the hacking scene in December 2023 and gained attention after previously hacking into the servers of Hathway, an internet services provider, on December 22 of the same year, exposing data related to millions of users. The latest development involves the release of a subset of data on a breach forum, purportedly from tax-paying users in India.

Against the backdrop of escalating cyber threats faced by India, particularly from neighboring countries in recent weeks, the disclosure of compromised data from the Income Tax Department adds to the challenges faced by the nation. With the consecration of Lord Shri Ram in Ayodhya scheduled for January 22, 2024, the country is on high alert for various forms of threats from adversaries.

The revelation of hacked data has sent shockwaves through the Information and Broadcasting Ministry of India, considering the ongoing cybersecurity challenges. While initial assessments indicate that the data breach might not be as severe as claimed, as the released data appears to be a duplicate of archives, the exposure of critical information exceeding 400GB, including names, addresses, PAN card details, Aadhaar numbers, IP addresses, KYC documents, contact details, email addresses, and password hashes, raises concerns about the potential for identity theft.

In a recent announcement on a Telegram channel dated January 16, 2024, DawnofDevil hinted at possessing millions of records from a government agency responsible for maintaining electoral rolls for verification and de-duplication purposes. This revelation implies that the hacking group could pose a serious and imminent threat to both public and private organizations in India in the coming weeks. The situation demands heightened vigilance and proactive measures to address the cybersecurity challenges facing the nation.

 

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Hackers have recently intensified their efforts to pilfer digital information pertaining to students, encompassing a wide array of sensitive data such as health records, attendance information, homework, grades, medical details, photos, disciplinary records, educational records, home communication information, assignments, and other assessment-related data. The value of these pilfered datasets can range from $10 to $120, contingent upon the sensitivity of the information contained.

In the year 2022 alone, an alarming 960 schools fell victim to various forms of cyberattacks, spanning across 45 districts. A report by Emsisoft revealed that data pertaining to over 2 million individuals was illicitly obtained from diverse data points within student management systems.

One common vulnerability exploited by hackers is misconfigured systems, providing an entry point into school computer networks. Additionally, students unknowingly divulge significant details about their private lives on social media and email accounts, serving as an inadvertent gateway for cybercriminals to infiltrate school networks through a student’s PC.

The modus operandi is deceptively simple – hackers deploy malicious links via email or messaging platforms, enticing recipients to click on the links with promises of financial gain. In some instances, threat actors impersonate acquaintances of the victim, coercing them into disclosing digital credentials such as passwords for Facebook, Twitter, or iCloud accounts. Subsequently, hackers not only gain access to the student’s personal life but also infiltrate the school network, accessing data restricted to staff, students, and parents.

The potential repercussions are concerning, ranging from a hacker threatening a child by manipulating their photos to engaging in identity theft for future malicious use.

To counteract these threats, it is imperative to raise awareness among students about the existing dangers. This involves adopting robust cybersecurity practices such as using a minimum 14-character password comprising a combination of alphabets, numbers, and symbols, maintaining stringent privacy settings on social media accounts, and refraining from accepting invitations from unknown numbers on messaging and social media platforms. Concurrently, educational institutions, including schools, colleges, and universities, should implement proactive measures and develop efficient incident response plans to mitigate such cybersecurity risks.

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General Electric, commonly referred to as GE, a multinational corporation engaged in the fields of renewable energy, aerospace, and power, has fallen prey to a cyber attack resulting in the leakage of sensitive information related to DARPA Military operations.

The severity of the attack remains uncertain as the American multinational company diligently investigates the incident.

As per information obtained from a Telegram source, a hacking group identifying itself as ‘Cyber Niggers’ has claimed responsibility for the attack and is demanding a substantial ransom for the return of the compromised data.

This incident signifies a ransomware attack, wherein the perpetrators engage in a double extortion strategy.

IntelBroker, a member of the cybercrime group, has asserted the intention to sell the pilfered data on a hacker’s forum for $500. Several screenshots have been posted, revealing information pertaining to the US Government Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The exposed data encompasses details from SQL databases, military secrets, aviation information, maintenance reports, and more.

CyberNigger is the same hacking group that has previously infiltrated prominent firms such as Volvo, Hilton Hotels, Autotrader, Verizon, AT&T, and the US Immigration Service.

Law enforcement agencies are actively investigating the identity and activities of this group. The criminals, meanwhile, are threatening to release data related to additional victimized companies as the holiday season progresses.

It is essential to note that criminals from such groups often attempt to coerce victims into paying a ransom in exchange for a decryption key and the promise of returning the stolen data. However, the veracity of such assurances remains uncertain, raising concerns about whether the perpetrators might retain a copy of the siphoned data on their servers for future use.

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HackerOne has just released its seventh-annual Hacker-Powered Security Report, based on data from its vulnerability database, views from HackerOne customers and more than 2,000 hackers on the platform. The goal in benchmarking hackers is to gain insight into their perspective on the cybersecurity landscape, the evolution of risk, and what motivates them to help.

Top Level Findings

Notably, HackerOne’s ethical hacker community has surpassed $300 million in total all-time rewards on the HackerOne platform. Crypto and blockchain organizations continue to see strong program engagement — offering the highest average overall rewards for hackers and awarding the year’s top payout of $100,050. Customers also expanded how they use hackers outside of traditional bug bounty, as pentesting engagements increased by 54% on the platform in 2023.

GenAI and Hackers

The latest data reveals that hackers are finding new ways to up their income by diversifying their skill sets to keep up with emerging technology.

At the heart of every hacker is intellectual curiosity, and we witnessed it again in their plans for GenAI. More than half (55%) of hackers plan for Generative AI (GenAI) to become a top target in the coming years, and 61% of hackers said they will use and develop hacking tools from GenAI to find more vulnerabilities. Another 62% plan to specialize in the OWASP Top 10 for Large Language Models. Hackers also said they plan to use GenAI to write better reports (66%) or code (53%) and reduce language barriers (33%).

This aligns with enterprise progress in GenAI adoption. Organizations are under pressure to adopt GenAI to stay ahead of competitors, which, in turn, is transforming the threat landscape. If you want to remain proactive about new threats, you need to learn from the experts in the trenches: hackers. The versatility of hackers and the impact of the vulnerabilities they surface make them instrumental to how HackerOne customers anticipate and address risk.

How Hackers Can Benefit Organizations

In the report, hackers reported insufficient in-house talent and expertise as the top challenge for organizations, and hackers are filling this gap: 70% of customers stated hacker efforts have helped them avoid a significant cyber incident.

Hackers provide an array of other benefits, backed up by this year’s data:

  • Fifty-seven percent of HackerOne customers believe exploited vulnerabilities are the greatest threat to their organizations, over phishing (22%), insider threats (12%), and nation-state actors (10%).
  • Customers are getting faster at fixing vulnerabilities, as the average platform-wide remediation time dropped 10 days in 2023. Automotive, media and entertainment, and government verticals saw the biggest decrease in time to remediation with an over 50% improvement.
  • Organizations are reducing costs by embracing human-centered security testing earlier in their software development lifecycles, with customers saving an estimated $18,000 from security experts reviewing their code before release.

The 7th annual Hacker-Powered Security Report makes it clear that the use cases for ethical hacking will continue to expand and diversify – from securing GenAI applications to finding bugs even earlier in the SDLC. Organizations that partner with this innovative community benefit from the cutting-edge research and techniques that hackers with their outsider mindset add to the organization’s talent pool. To read the report, visit https://www.hackerone.com/reports/7th-annual-hacker-powered-security-report.

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