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CS KAIROS · LEARNING LIBRARY

M01 · Introduction to Ethical Hacking · Safe practice

This module uses offline data, self-created inputs or tabletop scenarios. Follow the steps and check the evidence you produce.

Tabletop exercise: write a minimal ROE

Use only the fictional scenario and a text editor. Do not connect to any target; no scanner installation is needed.

  1. Create three columns: allowed, prohibited and needs confirmation. The only target is lab.example.test, the only action is reading headers, and the window is 14:00–15:00.
  2. Classify five actions: read headers at 14:10; load-test at 14:30; test again at 15:10; follow a redirect to a new domain; contact the named owner after an anomaly.
  3. Add stop conditions for suspected sensitive data or service disruption, plus a rule to retain only necessary evidence.

Expected result

Header reading at 14:10 and contacting the owner are allowed. Load testing and testing after the window are prohibited. The new domain requires confirmation before testing.

Check your work

Could another person classify all five actions the same way using your rules? Clarify any target or method they still have to guess.

Finish and clean up

Save the fictional ROE as your learning artifact. No accounts, network connections or system state require cleanup.

Offline exercise: compare SHA-256 for synthetic data

Use local Python 3. The program hashes bytes defined inside it, reads no personal files, writes no files and makes no network connections.

  1. Download integrity_demo.py, read its two synthetic strings and predict the equal and changed comparisons.
  2. Run python3 integrity_demo.py and inspect the equal and changed booleans.
  3. Write one sentence about what the output supports and one about what it does not establish.
from hashlib import sha256
a = b'sample=100'
b = b'sample=10'
print('equal=' + str(sha256(a).digest() == sha256(a).digest()))
print('changed=' + str(sha256(a).digest() != sha256(b).digest()))

Download the exercise

Expected result

equal=True and changed=True. Identical bytes have matching digests; changing a character in this example changes the digest.

Check your work

Can you explain why this result establishes neither encryption nor sender authentication?

Finish and clean up

The program creates no files. Keep your explanation; retain or delete the downloaded demonstration as you prefer.