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Networking for Ethical Hacking — Goal & Mindset
Primary Goal ▶
Learn to analyze, attack, defend, and architect networks — from layer‑2 LANs to cloud‑scale environments — while keeping every test legal and reproducible.
Learning Mindset ▶
Practice the loop: Theory → Lab → Automate → Document → Teach. Build small repeatable labs, write notes, and automate common tasks to scale your learning.
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Core Foundations — Networking for Ethical Hacking
OSI & TCP/IP Models ▶
Know how data moves across layers and which layer each protocol lives on — this maps attacks and defenses to a precise network layer. | Networking Basics
Binary, Hex & Endianness ▶
Learn network byte order and basic hex/binary so you can interpret packet headers, checksums, and sequence math when reading PCAPs or crafting packets. | Binary and hex numbers
IPv4/IPv6 & Subnetting ▶
Master CIDR, VLSM and IPv6 addressing (SLAAC/NDP) — these are essential for scanning, routing, pivoting and designing realistic lab topologies. | IPv4 and IPv6 Protocol
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Protocol Deep‑dives (Internals & Attacks)
DNS: Mechanics & Abuse ▶
Understand resolution, records and DNS features — and how subdomain takeover, DNS tunnelling and cache poisoning are abused in tests. | DNS Tunneling
HTTP/HTTPS & TLS ▶
Learn request/response lifecycle, headers and TLS handshake details so you can spot misconfigurations and exploit or harden web services. | HTTP and HTTPS
SMB, NTLM, LDAP & AD Flows ▶
Study authentication flows and AD primitives — NTLM relays, share enumeration and misconfigurations are common in high-value network tests. | Active directory Domain
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Packet Analysis & Forensics — Networking for Ethical Hacking
Tools & Techniques ▶
PCAP Mastery ▶
Reconstruct sessions, identify C2 patterns and timing anomalies; practice with PCAP CTFs and lab captures to build rapid forensic instincts. | Packet Analysis
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Scanning, Enumeration & Fingerprinting
Nmap & Masscan Mastery ▶
Learn SYN vs full connect scans, timing templates, NSE scripts and safe mass discovery techniques — map targets efficiently without unnecessary noise. | Nmap
Service Fingerprinting ▶
Use banner grabbing and passive fingerprinting to determine service versions and platforms; choose stealthy methods when reconnaissance must be low-noise.
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Active Exploitation & Protocol Abuse
SMB / RDP / FTP Exploits ▶
Understand common exploit primitives and safe reproduction in labs — lateral movement and relay techniques often start here.
DNS Tunnelling & Covert Channels ▶
Build and detect exfil channels over DNS/ICMP/HTTP in controlled environments to learn detection signatures and mitigation strategies.
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Packet Crafting & Injection (Scapy)
Scapy & Raw Sockets ▶
Use Scapy to craft custom TCP/UDP/ICMP packets, build fuzzers and test parsing logic — vital for finding protocol parsing bugs and evasions. | Scapy
Fragmentation & Reassembly Attacks ▶
Study overlapping fragments and reassembly differences between stacks — a powerful technique for IDS evasion and parsing bugs in lab scenarios.
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Network Devices & Infrastructure
Switching & VLANs ▶
Learn 802.1Q tagging, trunking and STP basics; VLAN design and CAM table behavior are essential for segmentation and exploitation techniques.
Routing & BGP Basics ▶
Understand routing tables, OSPF basics and BGP concepts — route hijacks and misadvertisements are high-impact issues to simulate and study. | Routing
Firewalls & Load Balancers ▶
Know stateful vs stateless behavior, NAT, and L4/L7 load balancer functions to craft realistic bypasses and hardening advice in reports.
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Defensive Tooling & Testing (Think like Blue Team)
IDS/IPS (Snort, Suricata) ▶
Learn to write and tune detection rules, create test suites that trigger signatures, and evaluate false positives and evasion techniques. | snort
SIEM & Detection Logic ▶
Understand log sources, parsing, correlation searches and threat-hunting queries so your attacks are measurable and defensible in lab reports.
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Tunnelling, Pivoting & Post‑Exploitation Networking
SSH Tunnels & Reverse Proxies ▶
Master SSH local/remote forwards and SOCKS proxies plus reverse-tunnelling tools to safely pivot inside lab networks during engagements.
VPNs & Site‑to‑Site Tunnels ▶
Study IPsec, OpenVPN and WireGuard to understand how tunnels change network visibility and influence lateral movement options.
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Wireless & RF (Hardware Required)
802.11 Concepts ▶
Learn management, control and data frames, beacon/probe flows and the basics of wireless authentication — practice only in permitted test ranges.
WPA2/WPA3 & Handshake Attacks ▶
Understand 4‑way handshakes, PMKID and known attack methods; test in isolated labs to practice safe handshake capture and analysis.
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Cloud & Modern Infrastructure Networking — Networking for Ethical Hacking
VPCs, Subnets & Security Groups ▶
Cover VPC layout, public/private subnets, security groups and NACLs — test for overly permissive rules, exposed endpoints and IMDS SSRF risks in lab environments.
Kubernetes Networking ▶
Learn CNI models, Services, Ingress and NetworkPolicies — misconfigured cluster networking is a common source of lateral movement and data leakage.
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IoT & Networking
Protocols & Defaults ▶
Study MQTT, Modbus, BACnet and similar stacks — many devices ship with weak defaults and lack network segmentation, making them ripe for lab testing.
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Automation & Tooling to Build
Scripting & Scaffolding ▶
Automate recon and reporting with Python, Bash and PowerShell — store results in JSON/DB and create repeatable workflows for networking for ethical hacking.
CI for Pentests & Lab Automation ▶
Use Vagrant/Ansible pipelines to spin labs, run test suites and keep environments reproducible for training and writeups.
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Hands‑On Labs & Projects (Must Complete)
Home Lab Build ▶
Create an attacker VM, several target VMs and a virtual router (pfSense) with DMZ + internal subnets, AD controller and sensors like Snort/Zeek.
Project Ideas ▶
Try DNS tunnelling, BGP simulations, Snort test suites, Kubernetes misconfig exercises, SMB relay labs and wireless captive portal projects — all in legal labs.
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Certifications, Reading & Community
Books & Resources ▶
Recommended reading: TCP/IP Illustrated, Practical Packet Analysis, The Web Application Hacker’s Handbook and Blue Team references for balanced skills.
Certs & Sharing ▶
Useful certs include CCNA for fundamentals and OSCP/eCPPT for offense — publish sanitized writeups and participate in CTFs to build reputation.