Hacking Books for Serious Beginners Learning The Art of Hacking

Learning to hack, is a vague word that has been misunderstood by so many. You see people buzzing around with phrases like "Teach me how to hack facebook", "I need to hack my girlfriends gmail account" bla bla bla, not having the slightest clue about what they are taking about.

Like I tell folks close to me, hacking involves so many things, and it requires an open minded individual with abundance of patience to succeed in this field, and believe when I say the road is not always pleasant. It's not always about using that point and click tool to ddos a web server or hijacking a user session or even installing backtrack thinking you've setup hacker's lab like any other hacker.

A hacker is a know all specie, an addicted reader with a logical frame of mind. I present this books that will help any motivated individual who is ready to explore the world of hacking.

The Basics of Hacking and Penetration Testing: Ethical Hacking and Penetration Testing Made Easy

The Basics of Hacking and Penetration Testing serves as an introduction to the steps required to complete a penetration test or perform an ethical hack. You learn how to properly utilize and interpret the results of modern day hacking tools; which are required to complete a penetration test. Tool coverage will include, Backtrack Linux, Google, Whois, Nmap, Nessus, Metasploit, Netcat, Netbus, and more. A simple and clean explanation of how to utilize these tools will allow you to gain a solid understanding of each of the four phases and prepare them to take on more in-depth texts and topics. This book includes the use of a single example (pen test target) all the way through the book which allows you to clearly see how the tools and phases relate.

Hacking: The Art of Exploitation, 2nd Edition

Hacking is the art of creative problem solving, whether that means finding an unconventional solution to a difficult problem or exploiting holes in sloppy programming. Many people call themselves hackers, but few have the strong technical foundation needed to really push the envelope.

Rather than merely showing how to run existing exploits, author Jon Erickson explains how arcane hacking techniques actually work. To share the art and science of hacking in a way that is accessible to everyone, Hacking: The Art of Exploitation, 2nd Edition introduces the fundamentals of C programming from a hacker's perspective.

The included LiveCD provides a complete Linux programming and debugging environment-all without modifying your current operating system. Use it to follow along with the book's examples as you fill gaps in your knowledge and explore hacking techniques on your own. Get your hands dirty debugging code, overflowing buffers, hijacking network communications, bypassing protections, exploiting cryptographic weaknesses, and perhaps even inventing new exploits.

Hackers are always pushing the boundaries, investigating the unknown, and evolving their art. Even if you don't already know how to program, Hacking: The Art of Exploitation, 2nd Edition will give you a complete picture of programming, machine architecture, network communications, and existing hacking techniques. Combine this knowledge with the included Linux environment, and all you need is your own creativity.

Hacking Exposed 7: Network Security Secrets & Solutions, Seventh Edition

The first version of Hacking Exposed came out in 1999. The book was a game changer that made penetration and vulnerability testing available to the masses. Needless to say that in the ensuing 13 years, there has been a huge amount of change in the world of information security.

With the release of Hacking Exposed 7: Network Security Secrets & Solutions, authors Stuart McClure, Joel Scambray and George Kurtz (along with over 10 contributing authors) provide an up to date version to the original classic. The book builds on the fundamentals of the first edition, and does include essentials of hacking on topics such as enumeration, foot printing, scanning, operating system detection and a lot more.

The latest edition gets into current threats and details the new menace of APT (advanced persistent threats), embedded hacking, database hacking, and significant coverage of mobile devices.

Bolster your system’s security and defeat the tools and tactics of cyber-criminals with expert advice and defense strategies from the world-renowned Hacking Exposed team. Case studies expose the hacker’s latest devious methods and illustrate field-tested remedies. Find out how to block infrastructure hacks, minimize advanced persistent threats, neutralize malicious code, secure web and database applications, and fortify UNIX networks. Hacking Exposed 7: Network Security Secrets & Solutions contains all-new visual maps and a comprehensive “countermeasures cookbook.”

Best Books on Hacking and Defense Security

These Hacking books are all part of a genre of books that show, in detail, the methods, tools, tricks and techniques used by professional hackers and crackers to find and exploit the holes in your network. Rather than simply teaching people "how to hack" these hacking books go one step further and tell you how to protect yourself and defend your network from these attacks. These are my Top Picks and Best Collated Hacking Books for this category of books.

1. Hacking: The Art of Exploitation, 2nd Edition

Hacking is the art of creative problem solving, whether that means finding an unconventional solution to a difficult problem or exploiting holes in sloppy programming. Many people call themselves hackers, but few have the strong technical foundation needed to really push the envelope.

Rather than merely showing how to run existing exploits, author Jon Erickson explains how arcane hacking techniques actually work. To share the art and science of hacking in a way that is accessible to everyone, Hacking: The Art of Exploitation, 2nd Edition introduces the fundamentals of C programming from a hacker's perspective.

Hackers are always pushing the boundaries, investigating the unknown, and evolving their art. Even if you don't already know how to program, Hacking: The Art of Exploitation, 2nd Edition will give you a complete picture of programming, machine architecture, network communications, and existing hacking techniques. Combine this knowledge with the included Linux environment, and all you need is your own creativity.

2. Hacking Exposed: Network Security Secrets and Solutions, Sixth Edition

A lot of computer-security textbooks approach the subject from a defensive point of view. "Do this, and probably you'll survive a particular kind of attack," they say. In refreshing contrast, Hacking Exposed, Second Edition talks about security from an offensive angle. A Jane's-like catalog of the weaponry that black-hat hackers use is laid out in full. Readers see what programs are out there, get a rundown on what the programs can do, and benefit from detailed explanations of concepts (such as wardialing and rootkits) that most system administrators kind of understand, but perhaps not in detail.

The book also walks through how to use the more powerful and popular hacker software, including L0phtCrack. This new edition has been updated extensively, largely with the results of "honeypot" exercises (in which attacks on sacrificial machines are monitored) and Windows 2000 public security trials. There's a lot of new stuff on e-mail worms, distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, and attacks that involve routing protocols.

3. Hacking For Dummies

It's bad enough when a hack occurs-stealing identities, bank accounts, and personal information. But when the hack could have been prevented by taking basic security measures-like the ones described in this book-somehow that makes a bad situation even worse. This beginner guide to hacking examines some of the best security measures that exist and has been updated to cover the latest hacks for Windows 7 and the newest version of Linux.

Offering increased coverage of Web application hacks, database hacks, VoIP hacks, and mobile computing hacks, this guide addresses a wide range of vulnerabilities and how to identify and prevent them. Plus, you'll examine why ethical hacking is oftentimes the only way to find security flaws, which can then prevent any future malicious attacks.

• Explores the malicious hackers's mindset so that you can counteract or avoid attacks completely
• Covers developing strategies for reporting vulnerabilities, managing security changes, and putting anti-hacking policies and procedures in place
• Completely updated to examine the latest hacks to Windows 7 and the newest version of Linux
• Explains ethical hacking and why it is essential

Hacking For Dummies, 3rd Edition shows you how to put all the necessary security measures in place so that you avoid becoming a victim of malicious hacking.

4. The Best of 2600: A Hacker Odyssey

Since 1984, the quarterly magazine 2600 has provided fascinating articles for readers who are curious about technology. Find the best of the magazine’s writing in Best of 2600: A Hacker Odyssey, a collection of the strongest, most interesting, and often most controversial articles covering 24 years of changes in technology, all from a hacker’s perspective. Included are stories about the creation of the infamous tone dialer “red box” that allowed hackers to make free phone calls from payphones, the founding of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and the insecurity of modern locks.

5. Social Engineering: The Art of Human Hacking

From elicitation, pretexting, influence and manipulation all aspects of social engineering are picked apart, discussed and explained by using real world examples, personal experience and the science behind them to unraveled the mystery in social engineering.

Kevin Mitnick—one of the most famous social engineers in the world—popularized the term “social engineering.” He explained that it is much easier to trick someone into revealing a password for a system than to exert the effort of hacking into the system. Mitnick claims that this social engineering tactic was the single-most effective method in his arsenal. This indispensable book examines a variety of maneuvers that are aimed at deceiving unsuspecting victims, while it also addresses ways to prevent social engineering threats.

• Examines social engineering, the science of influencing a target to perform a desired task or divulge information
• Arms you with invaluable information about the many methods of trickery that hackers use in order to gather information with the intent of executing identity theft, fraud, or gaining computer system access
• Reveals vital steps for preventing social engineering threats

Social Engineering: The Art of Human Hacking does its part to prepare you against nefarious hackers—now you can do your part by putting to good use the critical information within its pages

6. Hacking Exposed Linux, 3rd Edition

The Latest Linux Security Solutions
This authoritative guide will help you secure your Linux network--whether you use Linux as a desktop OS, for Internet services, for telecommunications, or for wireless services. Completely rewritten the ISECOM way, Hacking Exposed Linux, Third Edition provides the most up-to-date coverage available from a large team of topic-focused experts. The book is based on the latest ISECOM security research and shows you, in full detail, how to lock out intruders  and defend your Linux systems against catastrophic attacks.

• Secure Linux by using attacks and countermeasures from the latest OSSTMM research
• Follow attack techniques of PSTN, ISDN, and PSDN over Linux
• Harden VoIP, Bluetooth, RF, RFID, and IR devices on Linux
• Block Linux signal jamming, cloning, and eavesdropping attacks
• Apply Trusted Computing and cryptography tools for your best defense
• Fix vulnerabilities in DNS, SMTP, and Web 2.0 services
• Prevent SPAM, Trojan, phishing, DoS, and DDoS exploits
• Find and repair errors in C code with static analysis and Hoare Logic

If you really want to enhance your hacking skills I employ you to get hold of these best hacking books. I will be adding more useful hacking books that can help develop your ability to solve both simple and complex computer problems because that what hacking generally means.