Ethical Hacking Cheat Sheet

This cheat sheet condenses the core phases, tools, and terminology of ethical hacking into a quick reference you can revisit throughout your learning.

The Five Phases at a Glance

Reconnaissance gathers information about the target, scanning identifies live hosts and services, gaining access exploits discovered weaknesses, maintaining access preserves entry for further testing, and covering tracks (in real attacks) hides evidence, a step ethical hackers document rather than perform.

Go-To Tools by Category

Nmap and Wireshark cover network scanning and traffic analysis, Metasploit and Burp Suite handle exploitation and web testing, and John the Ripper and Hashcat are the standard choices for password cracking.

Key Terms Worth Knowing

Vulnerability refers to a weakness that can be exploited, an exploit is the code or technique used to take advantage of it, and a payload is the code that runs once access is gained.

Quick Reminders

Always work within a signed scope of engagement, document every step as you go, and remember that the goal is to report and help fix vulnerabilities, not to cause damage.