From script writing to automating structured procedures to network sniffing, there is no doubt hackers are skilled coders. Don’t get me wrong I am not here to glorify hacking, this post is simply meant to shed some light on why Python has become a hit among hackers across the globe.
Before we delve into the details, let’s go through a basic overview of Python.
Getting Familiarized with Python
Created by Guido van Rossum, the multipurpose programming language has grown in popularity. One of the main reasons why is Python’s is easy-to-use syntax. If you are new to programming, Python is a good place to start.
Features include:
- Ease of Use – Comprised of simpler syntax, the programming language is easy to read and write, unlike C# and Java. Python enables programmers to focus on the solution instead of the syntax.
- Open Source – There are many programming languages available for free and Python is one of them. In addition to using the language, you can distribute software written in Python without much hassle.
- Flexibility – Software or web applications developed using the Python can be moved from one operating system (Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux) to another seamlessly.
- Extensible and Embeddable – You can combine Python code with C/C++ or other languages for high performance applications as well as scripting capabilities.
- Object-oriented – Similar to WordPress’s Gutenberg plugin where it’s all about blocks, in Python everything is about objects. That’s why Python is widely considered an object-oriented programming language that is fairly intuitive when it comes to solving complex problems.
Common Python Applications
- Web Application- Scalable web apps like Django, Flask, Pyramid, Plone, and Django CMS can be created on Python. All you have to do is choose the right framework and CMS (Content Management System) or outsource to a Python development company. Mozilla, Reddit, Instagram, and PBS are some examples of apps written in Python.
- Scientific and Numeric Computing – You will find a wide range of libraries including SciPy and NumPy are used when it comes to creating projects utilizing scientific and numeric computing. There are specific libraries, for example, EarthPy for earth science, AstroPy for Astronomy so that things can be handled easily.
- Demo Language – Python is also used as a demo language for teaching coding to kids and newbies because of its intuitive features, compatibility and easy-to-use syntax.
Python is becoming one of the world’s most prevalent coding languages. Unfortunately, the same programming language has exposed us to new threats.
Python as a Hacker’s Weapon of Choice
According to several resources, such as GitHub, most of the attack tool/exploit PoC are written in Python. Hacking is the term used for the procedure through which you can gain access to a system that you are not supposed to have access to. Cracking passwords for data theft, scanning vulnerabilities, and finding potential threats are all examples of hacking.
Now I am sure you must be wondering why Python and not some other programming language. Well, we already covered that. As mentioned above, Python being a general-purpose high-level programming language that offers benefits like ease of use, flexibility, great libraries, all make it extensible enough for writing hacking programs. According to recent attack statistics, more than a third of daily attacks come from a malicious or legitimate tool coded in Python.
Just as there are different kinds of programming languages like Python, JavaScript, C#, there are different kinds of hacking. Ethical hacking is where individuals are tasked with finding and fixing security defects before dark cap programmers discover them. Having extensive yet easy to use libraries, Python can be utilized in a wide range of domains. For instance, artificial intelligence has Pytorch and Tensorflow while Data Science has Pandas, Numpy, Matplotlib.
Here are some reasons Python is used for ethical hacking:
- Python libraries like Pulsar, NAPALM, and NetworkX make developing network tools a breeze
- Ethical hackers generally develop small scripts and python being a scripting language provides amazing performance for small programs
- Python has a large community so there is plenty of help available for solving programming issues
Conclusion
Apart from Python, there are many other languages like C and C++ that are very useful in becoming an efficient hacker. Because of the features listed in this article, you can see why Python is quickly becoming the most prevalent.
Author Bio:
Shira Gray is working as a Business Development Executive at Python Development Company – eTatvaSoft. She writes about emerging technologies and you can visit this blog to learn more about her writings. Being a tech geek, she keeps a close watch over the industry focusing on the latest technology news and gadgets.
