Why is PYTHON the best language for HACKER?

IIf you are into cybersecurity, you may have heard the word "Python" at least once in your life. Python is a programming language that is most popular among ethical hackers and programmers. But why is Python a hacker's favorite all the time? Why Python, out of thousands of other programming languages? It should be noted that I am not saying that all hackers use Python; I am just saying that most hackers like to use Python for hacking. Before jumping into that, let's have a brief introduction to Python.

Introduction

Python is a high-level programming language, which is known for its simplicity and readability. Python is a scripting language, meaning it uses an interpreter instead of a compiler. If you don't know the difference between a compiler and an interpreter, let me tell you a little bit about them. A compiler compiles the whole program at a single time, whereas an interpreter reads and interprets one line at a time. This is the main difference between a compiler and an interpreter. Python was created by Guido van Rossum, a Dutch software engineer, in the late 1980s. Python was designed to be easy to read and write, with a focus on code readability and simplicity. Its syntax allows programmers to express concepts in fewer lines of code compared to other languages. Okay, that's enough introduction to Python. Now let's see why hackers use it and why it is the best hacking language.

Features of PYTHON

First of all, Python provides ease of use, and it's very readable. Python’s syntax is clear and straightforward, which makes it ideal for quick development. Unlike some other programming languages that require a lot of boilerplate code, Python allows hackers to focus on solving problems rather than dealing with complex syntax. Also, Python allows for writing short and expressive code, meaning you can accomplish more with fewer lines. Secondly, Python has a vast number of libraries and third-party modules. Python’s standard library comes with a wide range of useful modules for common tasks like file handling, network programming, and data parsing. This makes it easy to build powerful scripts quickly. It also has an enormous selection of third-party packages available through the Python Package Index. For hackers, this means they can easily find tools for cryptography, network scanning, penetration testing, web scraping, malware analysis, and more. Libraries like requests, scapy, BeautifulSoup, socket, paramiko, and pwntools are extremely popular in the security and hacking community.

Multi-Platform Compatibility

Python is cross-platform compatible, which means scripts written in Python will run on multiple operating systems without needing to be rewritten. This is particularly helpful when performing attacks or security testing on different environments. If you are more into web application hacking and network hacking, then Python is a treasure chest for you. Python is great for tasks like scanning networks, automating interactions with web applications, and exploiting vulnerabilities.

Automation

One important aspect of hacking is automation. When you find a bug in a system, you need to make a script that can automate the process and make your work easier. Python is the best for automation; it allows us to write exploits, shellcodes, and even our own personal tools for hacking. In fact, many tools in many hacking operating systems like Kali Linux and BlackArch are written in Python, and that's the beauty of Python language.

Vast Community

The Python community is vast, and there are numerous forums, tutorials, and open-source projects dedicated to hacking and cybersecurity. Whether you need advice on a specific vulnerability or you’re looking for a script to test a particular exploit, the chances are high that someone in the Python community has already created or discussed it. Python enables rapid prototyping, which is invaluable when trying to test an idea or exploit a vulnerability quickly. In hacking, you often need to test various approaches, and Python's syntax and rich ecosystem of libraries allow you to implement proofs of concept in a short amount of time.

Easy To Code

Many professional ethical hackers and penetration testers use Python for their day-to-day tasks, from writing exploits to automating penetration testing activities. Python’s flexibility allows hackers to write custom scripts for testing specific vulnerabilities or for automating tasks across different tools, saving time in real-world security assessments.