CHAPTER 1;- Legal Side of Hacking

As time goes by and we progress, our old environment is also changing very fast. It has 
not been like before when we keep records by entering data into a big logbook and stack 
them one by one date-wise. Now we keep data in a computer. We don’t go to a market 
anymore to buy anything. We order it over the Internet and payment is made by using 
credit or debit card. The nature of crime has also changed accordingly.
Criminals used to snatch your data physically before. They now snatch it over the 
Internet using computers. Now computers have become a new tool for business as well 
as for traditional crimes. On the basis of which, a term—“cyberlaw”—comes to the fore. 
As an ethical hacker, the first and most basic thing you should remember is “don’t try to 
penetrate or tamper any other system without asking permission.”
You may ask how I would experiment with my knowledge. The answer is Virtual 
Box. In your virtual machine you may install as many operating systems as you want and 
experiment on them (The above image depicts Virtual Box and two operating systems 
running in it). Try everything on them. Trying any virus on your virtual machine will not 
affect your main system. At the same time you will keep learning about malware, viruses 
and every kind of possible attack.
A few examples may give you an idea what type of computer crimes are punishable 
in our legal system.
If you use any software tool to generate a credit card or debit card number, then it 
is a highly punishable offense. It will invite a fine of fifty thousand dollars and fifteen 
years of imprisonment. Setting up a bogus web site to take credit card numbers with a 
false promise of selling non-existent products is a highly punishable offense. Rigorous 
imprisonment and a hefty fine follow. I can give you several other examples that may 
invite trouble for you if you don’t stay within the law.
Remember, you are an ethical hacker and you are learning hacking tools for 
protecting your or your client’s system. For the sake of protection and defense, you need 
to know the attack, exploit or penetration methods.
Try every single experiment on your virtual machine.
That is the rule number one of ethical hacking