Prompt Engineering: Generative AI for Reconnaissance

Much like learning how to do a backflip or training to become a firefighter, you can’t just practice hacking anywhere — you need a safe and controlled setting, otherwise you could cause harm to yourself and others.

Ethical hacking is when a programmer has permission to use their technical skills to intentionally break into computer systems and access sensitive data to find common vulnerabilities within code that other people have written. The difference between ethical and unethical hacking usually comes down to consent and intent; a malicious hacker would use these same skills (without permission) to steal information or assets for financial gain or cause other harm.

To be clear, accessing data in a system without authorization is illegal, and one of the key principles of ethical hacking is to obey the law. So if you’re interested in having a career that involves hacking, like a Penetration Tester or Security Analyst, you might be wondering how you can get hands-on practice without, you know, breaking the law.

Here are some (definitely legal) resources that you can use to gain hands-on ethical hacking experience without putting yourself or others in danger.