Lesson 6 – Ethical Hacking Methodology

Ethical hacking follows a structured and legal process. Professionals do not randomly attack systems — they follow clear steps to identify, test, and report vulnerabilities.

This methodology is used by penetration testers and security professionals worldwide.

Phase 1: Reconnaissance (Information Gathering)

In this phase, ethical hackers collect public information about a target without directly interacting with it.

Website structure
Domain information
Public technologies used

The goal is understanding the system, not attacking it.

Phase 2: Scanning

Scanning identifies open ports, services, and possible entry points on a system.

Open ports
Running services
Server information

Scanning must only be done on systems you own or have permission to test.

Phase 3: Vulnerability Analysis

This phase focuses on identifying weaknesses such as outdated software, misconfigurations, or insecure code.

SQL Injection
XSS
Weak authentication
Misconfigured servers

Phase 4: Exploitation (Controlled & Legal)

Ethical hackers carefully verify vulnerabilities without causing damage or stealing data.

Proof of concept
Minimal impact testing
No data destruction

Phase 5: Reporting

Reporting is the most important phase. A professional ethical hacker documents findings clearly and responsibly.

Vulnerability description
Risk level
Impact
Recommended fix

Reporting is what separates ethical hackers from criminals.

Ethical Hacking Workflow

Recon → Scan → Analyze → Test → Report