Getting Started

[B_Euden]

Hello All,

So i've seen all these movies of high class hackers, breaking into code and crytographs etc, and i thought yeah that'd be fun to do. So here I am. Fresh faced and ready to become an elite hacker (after training of course). So! who will mentor me? what do i need to get started? What do i have to learn?

I have some small knowledge of the things i may need to learn as i progress up the ladder of hacking:

Learn and master HTML - I have no idea where to start on this.

Learn and be comfortable with a few programming languages such as C, C#, C++, Java and PHP - im currently learning java and will be moving onto the others once i've mastered it.

Avoid being a Script Kiddie - using other peoples programs without actually knowing the details and whats going on in the background, leaving tracks etc.

Overall i want this to become an interesting hobby, i want to learn the tricks of the trade. I want to be able to be one of the best, hack like a pro (even get a career out of it if im lucky) and be able to eventually teach others like myself who are just starting out. how to do it.

So that said.

Who wants to help?

[Goatboy]

I'm going to burst your bubble here.

Nobody is going to mentor you. That crap you see in the movies is just that: crap. There's no elite secret underground where the promising novice goes to become a master. It doesn't work like that. In order to learn, you have to do a lot of work on your own. This means spending nights reading and writing code, instead of hanging out with friends or doing homework.

That doesn't mean you can't ask questions. Places like this are around to help you learn, but a big chunk of that learning has to be on your own. Nobody wants to spoon-feed you; If you can't help yourself, why should we? Ask intelligent, specific questions and you will get intelligent, specific answers.

Now with that out of the way, there's another thing you should know: You will not be breaking into banks one year from now. Not only is that not realistic, but it's not something you will learn here. Again, what you see on TV is mostly crap. People don't break into banks in 5 minutes to transfer $10,000,000 to an off-shore account. It takes a LONG time and a LOT of knowledge to be able to pull that off. For the average hacker, it's not going to happen.

I'm not trying to discourage you, far from it. What I am trying to do is to provide you a more clear and realistic picture of what to expect. Forget all of that hollywood stuff, and spend some time talking to real hackers doing real things. Head over to the IRC and talk to people. Don't go in asking "lol so who ken hax teh banx" and expect to be treated respectfully. Be smart, prepare to be flamed, and keep your cool.

Also: Google. Google 'til your hands hurt. This is how you learn things.

[B_Euden]

I understand that, and i know its alot about self determination and knowledge gathering and alot of reading.

I do however need the steppingstone, the direction pointer so to speak. Everyone needs to know how to get onto the ladder before they can climb it. so where is the best place to get started?

[Goatboy]

so where is the best place to get started?

With a programming language. I have always heard people recommend Python for your first language, so I'd say go with that. I guess the reasoning behind it is that you get to focus more on programming concepts, and less on strict syntax. There are tons of guides out there, so just Google one that you like. I used to recommend a guide, but people have different tastes and therefore different guides will work better for them.

[kujinR]

There's no elite secret underground where the promising novice goes to become a master.

What?! Then why'd they burn this yinyang/dvd on my chest? I is gonna be a mastur!

@OP- There are lots of resources out there. Links are available around here as well. Let me make this a bit easier for you.
CLICK ME

[duongld]

Getting Started
i think u should kown SQL

[sanddbox]

Getting Started
i think u should kown SQL

I think you should kown how to spell.

Anyways, OP, start by just doing the missions on the site. Contrary to what the above user said, you don't need to learn SQL to hack - however, if you're going to go into website hacking (which is the majority of what the main site teaches), you're going to want to learn it to be able to perform more than just your vanilla SQL injection.

That being said, it's definitely not the first thing to learn. Do the challenges, learn a programming language, learn HTML/CSS/Javascript (and later PHP), and, most importantly of all, learn how to google.

[fashizzlepop]

"Gray Hat Python" by Justin Seitz is a book I often hear in high regards. Check out http://nostarch.com/ghpython.htm

Of course this means you have to BUY it, which I would highly suggest compared to an ebook, or I am sure I could help you out with a cheaper method of acquiring the book.

PM me if you want to ask any more specific questions or need help with those "stepping stones."