Hackers who have a programming knowledge albeit a beginner level gains edge over others in various aspects. However, with the vast array of programming languages available, it can be challenging to start and for a good reason i.e there are lot of programming languages and paths we can take. In this blog post, we will guide you through the process of choosing your first programming language as a hacker, considering the objectives like ease of use, learning curve, tool availability. We will some of the paths which are relatively easily to get into and also has a very great community and resources available to you.
Table of contents
Open Table of contents
Understanding the Hacker Mindset:
As hackers, our mindset should be driven by curiosity and a desire to understand how computer systems, networks, and software work. We have to enjoy exploring and uncovering vulnerabilities in order to improve security.
Programming Languages for Hacking:
Let’s explore some of the languages that are widely used within the hacking community:
- Python:
- Python is highly recommended for hackers due to its simplicity, versatility, and a rich collection of libraries and frameworks.
- Its considered to be one of the easiest to learn due to its readability.
- Python offers powerful networking and web-scraping capabilities, making it ideal for tasks such as port scanning, packet manipulation, and data extraction.
- Its extensive support for scripting, combined with the ease of writing code, makes Python an excellent choice for automating repetitive tasks.
- Javascript:
- Just like python Javascript is known for its ease of learning.
- Javascript is one of the essential things to know if you want to go into web application security as all websites have some sort of scripts albeit API calls or dynamic rendering.
- C/C++:
- C and C++ are lower-level languages that provide direct access to system resources and hardware.
- They are favoured for their efficiency and ability to create low-level exploits, custom tools, and shell code.
- Understanding these languages allows hackers to analyse and exploit vulnerabilities at a deeper level.
- Especially when it comes to IOT, or Buffer overflow attacks learning languages which help you to work at much lower level such as C, C++ helps us.
- Ruby:
- Ruby is a dynamic, object-oriented language known for its simplicity and expressiveness.
- It is commonly used for scripting, web application testing, and writing exploits.
- Ruby’s Metasploit Framework, a powerful penetration testing tool, is written in Ruby, making it essential for aspiring hackers.
- Although I have no prior experience in programming in ruby but I have heard and seen some very good hackers who have worked in Ruby.
- PowerShell / Bash:
- PowerShell & Bash are scripting languages used in Windows & Linux environments respectively.
- Learning either one of the language provides deep integration with the OS, allowing for sophisticated system administration tasks and automation.
- You can execute commands and automate processes makes it valuable for both offensive and defensive security purposes.
Factors to Consider:
When selecting a programming language for hacking, consider the following factors:
- Community Support and Resources:
- Look for languages with active hacking communities that provide support, forums, and resources for beginners.
- Online forums, tutorials, and open-source projects specific to hacking can significantly aid your learning process.
- Tool Availability:
- Determine if the language has a wide range of security tools, frameworks, and libraries that facilitate hacking tasks.
- And also look into what tools you are using the most and see if the programming language can be used to script the exploits or automate.
- Your Objective:
- Determine whether if you want to go into malware analyst, web application security, or any other fields. As different fields use different set of skills.
- For starters you can start with Python. For web application security you should look more into Javascript. And for Malware analysis and reverse engineering you should start with C or C++.
- Learning Curve:
- If you are very new to computer science try to learn Python, Javascript, or Ruby as they are considered very easy to learn
- If you have a decent knowledge about computer science or have learn any language. You can try a much deeper path i.e C or C++.
Conclusion:
The thought itself of learning and programming might be daunting but trust me you will learn this pretty fast. We do not need to be good at it, we just need to start first and as we progress we will learn this and get more proficient in this just like exploitation or enumeration. So, assess the factors and learn the language bit by bit.