Cyber Security is a method of protecting your data and software from unauthorized access. It can be as simple as installing software to prevent an attack or as complex as the development of a virus to counter another anti-virus program.
Cyber Security is used day in and day out by individuals, corporations, governments, and militaries around the world. As cyber security experts work to develop new and innovative technologies, cyber security programming languages are also evolving.
Here is a list of the best cyber security programming languages in 2021.
Importance of Cyber Security
Cybersecurity is important because it can help protect you and your data from unauthorized access.
Programming languages are also evolving to develop new and innovative technologies, which could lead to improvements in cyber security.
Best Cyber Security Programming Languages
1. Python
Python is an interpreted high-level programming language for general-purpose programming.
Created by Guido van Rossum and first released in 1991, Python has a design philosophy that emphasizes code readability (notably using significant whitespace), and a syntax that allows programmers to express concepts in fewer lines of code than possible in languages such as C++ or Java.
Python is a widely-used general-purpose, high-level programming language. Its design philosophy emphasizes code readability, and its syntax allows programmers to express concepts in fewer lines of code than would be possible in languages such as C++ or Java.
Python is an object-oriented programming language, which is installed using a two-step installation process, called pip.
Unlike other programming languages, you do not need to compile or install libraries for your program to run.
Instead, the interpreter automatically downloads the necessary files from the Internet when they are required.
The most notable advantage of python is its easy learning curve and minimal syntax, which means it’s relatively easier to pick up and use by beginners than many other complicated languages like Java or C++.
The best part about this programming language though is that it has emerged as one of the most preferred languages for cyber security coding tasks because developers can write short programs quickly in order to identify vulnerabilities in the system.
In cyber security, Python can be used to create scripts that protect against DDoS attacks, detect data breaches, and test web applications.
2. C++
C++ is a statically typed, free-form, multi-paradigm, compiled, general-purpose programming language.
It is regarded as an intermediate-level language, as it comprises a combination of both high-level and low-level language features. Developed by Bjarne Stroustrup starting in 1979 at Bell Labs.
C++ has imperative, object-oriented and generic programming features, while also providing facilities for low-level memory manipulation.
It is a language with C-like syntax that enables programmers to use procedural abstraction to address tasks and design patterns more directly than in languages such as Python or Java.
3. Java
Java is generally thought of as a programming language for smart devices, but it’s also found its way into the web server, where it is used to produce dynamic web pages.
Java was originally developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems (which has since been acquired by Oracle) and released in 1995 as a core component of Sun Microsystem’s Java platform.
The language derives much of its syntax from C and C++ but has a simpler object model and fewer low-level facilities.
As of 2015, it is one of the most popular programming languages in use, particularly for client-server web applications.
Java has been around for twenty-five years and its popularity is rising. It can be found in a variety of settings that include mobile, web, and enterprise applications.
Java is a good cyber security programming language because it offers stability and security.
Java’s resilience to change provides programmers with a reliable option when coding their software.
4. HTML5
HTML5 is the fifth major version of HTML and XHTML markup language.
This new standard was developed under the auspices of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and the Web Hypertext Application Technology Working Group (WHATWG).
HTML5 provides a richer semantic to ensure interoperability with today’s modern devices including mobile devices, while also enabling the creation of more powerful web applications and websites.
HTML5 also brings new features to web developers such as audio and video capabilities, integration with device APIs, interactive 2D/3D graphics rendering via the Canvas element, offline storage using the AppCache API, etc.
As for cyber security, HTML5 is useful for client-side security, client-side security verification, and client-server communication.
5. CSS3
CSS3 is a style sheet language used for describing the presentation semantics (the look and formatting) of a document written in a markup language.
There are new features being added every day, so it’s essential for those wanting to stay at the forefront of programming languages to keep up-to-date on this one as well as its predecessors.
CSS3 works by informing a browser how a web page should appear. CSS3 is a relatively recent introduction to the world of web page programming languages.
CSS3, much like HTML5, is being used as a way to improve the appearance of websites and optimize them for mobile devices.
In Cyber security, CSS3 is used for creating new attack vectors like Cross Site Scripting (XSS) and Cross Site Request Forgery (CSRF).
However, many of the aspects that make CSS3 an interesting programming language also provide hackers with new ways to create dangerous web-based exploits.
6. JavaScript
JavaScript is a dynamic computer programming language.
It is most commonly used as part of web browsers, whose implementations allow client-side scripts to interact with the user, control the browser, communicate asynchronously and alter the document content that is displayed.
JavaScript can also be embedded in HTML5 for use in other applications such as native mobile apps or databases. JavaScript’s functionalities make it a triple threat – it is capable of both client-side and server-side programming.
JavaScript is used in Greed for Speed, the most popular HTML5 game today.
There are countless web developers out there who use JavaScript to write applications that run on many devices, including mobile devices.
In cyber security, JavaScript can be used for Cross Site Scripting (XSS) attacks, Cross Site Request Forgery or to bypass Security Restrictions and perform other malicious activities.
The following section will explain the basics of JavaScript and how it can be used for a cyber attack.
What is cross-site scripting?
Also known as XSS, it is one of the most common web application vulnerabilities. Xss allows attackers to execute unauthorized code or commands in the victim’s web browser, via the website. A cross-site scripting vulnerability may be used by attackers to bypass access controls such as the same origin policy
XSS is regarded as one of OWASP’s Top 10 security threats. Some of which are:
Cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks are the most common web application vulnerabilities listed in OWASP’s Top 10.
Cross-site scripting is an attack that allows attackers to inject client-side script into web pages viewed by other users.
For example, XSS flaws occur when input entered by a user is incorrectly filtered for embedded JavaScript code.
Typically, this is because the application assumes that the input is safe.
In reality, however, a successful XSS attack can steal a user’s session token or password, by including it in their malicious page’s html/javascript and then accessing the vulnerable website from the victim’s browser with that stolen session. This can lead to an account takeover.
The following HTML code represents a basic XSS attack:
<html>
<body>
</body>
</html>
When the victim visits our page, it will be instantly reflected on the webpage which means that if you are logged in to Facebook, Twitter or any other website and you visit this page, an alert pop-up will be displayed, stating that “You are infected”.
7. PHP
PHP is a free software server-side scripting language designed for web development but also used as a general-purpose programming language.
PHP is a cross-platform, HTML embedded scripting language.
It was originally created by Rasmus Lerdorf in 1994 and intended to provide a page description Language (PDL) that developers could use to maintain dynamic web pages.
Later, Guido van Rossum (creator of Python) took over PHP development and introduced many core features (such as the concept of variable variables).
PHP is one of the most popular server-side languages on the web today because it provides server-side code for various purposes like managing cookies, sessions, user input form validation, databases, etc.
In cyber security, PHP is mostly used in injecting malicious scripts or hacking vulnerable websites.
The following code is an example of a PHP injection attack:
<?php $username=”securus9″; echo “<img src=’http://www.securus9.com/logo.png’;>”
When the victim visits our page, an alert pop-up will be displayed, stating that “You are infected”.
8. SQL
Structured Query Language (SQL) is a special-purpose language for managing data in relational database management systems.
SQL has been one of the most widely used programming languages over the past two decades. It allows coders to define, insert, update and delete records from databases.
In cyber security, SQL is being used by programmers to create massive botnets like Srizbi Botnet, but in cyber security, it is also used for storing backend data.
These botnets are used for sending spam emails, hosting phishing websites, etc. which can be harmful to the victims.
How to Prevent Cyber Attacks
The first step is to understand what you are designing. So train yourself on these scripts and try to break the site as much as possible before giving it to developers.
Here are some basic points:
- Make sure that no user input can interfere with the code of your website (this includes HTML tags as well)
- Make sure that all data & sessions are encrypted
- Consider using a web application firewall (WAF) and hardening your server and OS
Finally, always remember: The threat of XSS is everywhere! Even if you feel like you have it covered, don’t forget to question yourself. Great security starts from the basics, so make sure each layer is secure.
Which Programming Language to Choose for Cyber Security?
The strengths of the cyber security programming languages are as follows:
- Java – Stability, Security, Interoperability with other languages
- Python – Ease-of-Use, Flexibility
- C++ – Powerful features for low level memory manipulation
- HTML5 – Rich semantics to ensure interoperability with today’s modern devices
All of these programming languages have a variety of applications in cyber security, but the most common languages used for this purpose are Python and Java.
Most commonly, cyber security personnel uses Python as their first line of defense by coding up honeypots or using it as a scanning tool to identify vulnerabilities.
When attempting to replicate malware behavior, C++ is the language of choice.
Lastly, HTML5 is used in some cases to protect against clickjacking and design secure micro-services for communication with back-end applications (e.g. API).
What Other Choices There Are?
It would also be helpful if there was a comprehensive list of every language used in cyber security.
Instead, this article gives a general overview of the most popular languages, but it would be helpful to know what other cyber security programming languages are out there.
For example, one language that was not included is Erlang (programming language). It may or may not end up on top of this list, but it is definitely worth mentioning since its applications often relate to cyber security.
It is also said that artificial intelligence (AI) has become quite popular in the cyber security world, but things like machine learning and deep learning were not included in this article.
This is understandable because deep learning is currently covered in many other publications considering its recent success in computer vision applications, but it is something worth mentioning when talking about cyber security programming languages especially when AI becomes more popular than ever with projects like OpenAI.
Nonetheless, the main cyber security programming languages that are mentioned in this article are interpreted or custom-made.
That means that there is no need to compile code before using it for its purpose.
However, some other popular cyber security languages can require compilation due to their special purposes like C/C++ which are used when simulating malware behavior or designing specific exploit payloads.
Finally, one should keep in mind that while these languages are used more often than others when talking about cyber security programming, it doesn’t mean they’re always the best solution for cyber problems.
Conclusion
As with many things in life, you have to consider all your options before deciding on what you should be doing.
The same thing applies here – you have to be aware of all the cyber security programming languages that exist, and then decide on what’s best for you.
FAQ
There are many security codes that are used in cyber security. Techniques for cyber security typically depend on the type of threats that are present in the environment.
The most common technique is to use custom-made programming languages because they don’t require compilation before being used for their purpose.
Coding is a strategy that has been found to be the most effective against the growth of malware, but it depends on what your cyber problem is and what’s going to be the best solution.
The 5 types of cyber security are:
– Malware
– Application Security
– Network Security
– Communication Security
– Data Security
CSE is Computer Science and Engineering with a specialization in cyber security. It’s a 4-year degree that’s focused on the study of cyber security, computer engineering, mathematics, computer programming, and electronic circuits.
