good starting point

[Ironman]

I ment to say ellse but whatever

I know.

[Spazzymcgee]

I agree with Lank. It's easier to stay enthusiastic when you get results from your efforts. Pirni & Derv, iPwN, PenTBox, Harvester & Medusa and NMap are all good tools to start with. NMap has a lot of options but if you look in the FAQ you will find a link to beginners NMap command guide. You can type in the commands to terminal short-cuts. Then add your IP or web site to the end of the command string you picked from the short-cut menu and boom done. The other tools should have manuals in our hack manual library.

That's good for ipod and idevice lol
but i do my stuff from a laptop =/

[FCKSHTUP]

I agree with Lank. It's easier to stay enthusiastic when you get results from your efforts. Pirni & Derv, iPwN, PenTBox, Harvester & Medusa and NMap are all good tools to start with. NMap has a lot of options but if you look in the FAQ you will find a link to beginners NMap command guide. You can type in the commands to terminal short-cuts. Then add your IP or web site to the end of the command string you picked from the short-cut menu and boom done. The other tools should have manuals in our hack manual library.

ya there is a sense of accomplishment in getting results because you know it worked

[Apetrick]

That's good for ipod and idevice lol
but i do my stuff from a laptop =/

What are you runnin windows/Mac what

[Ironman]

If you're on windows dual boot mint or Ubuntu.

[Apetrick]

Exactly what ironman said

[143voltron]

If you're on windows dual boot mint or Ubuntu.

Just like the OP, I would like a 'starting point'.

I have a laptop that I do most of my work with. I have win7 prof. How do I go about doing the dual boot? and what good will it do me?

I also  have an Ipad 1 fw 5.0.1 (jailbreak redshow). what can I do with that?

[Alex47]

Get the Ubuntu or mint bootable ISO and Ubuntu has a great guide on the site, just read that

[Ironman]

http://www.ubuntu.com/
http://linuxmint.com/

[m40295]

the best entering point would be the manuals and tutorals section   
read  learn  google 

then start trying tools   i like to start easy  arp your network     see how that works

and just keep reading and learning 

 

[grinch]

I am a big/ehh supporter of the learning/knowledge, but I usually dive/leap in like Trcx does, and then learn/hack the stuff I need to as I go.
Thats not saying you should not solidify your fundamentals. Learn networking, the OSI model, what a packet is, the parts of a packet, etc
Lank has a good point of choosing something/anything that will get you results/a stiffie. You want to stay interested/hungry in it, can't all be learning/boring

If you want results, doing an actual attack, use hacking tools, I would setup two VMs in virtualbox (free)
1.Backtrack that has metasploit, Armitage (awesome!), and others. Google "backtrack virtualbox" for instructions
2.the Metasploitable VM. This is a virtual machine that is holier than a piece of swiss, ready to be exploited

This will give you an instant/semi-instant pen testing setup and a target/host that is ripe/ready for the gutting/plucking

Many/most on this board, including me/myself & I would not consider this true/close to hacking, but it is a start/yeaah!. You will be using real pen/etration testing tools, doing a real/ehh attack(on a target you can not get in trouble for attacking). It is your curiosity/thirst for learning/knowledge that will take you further. Learn how those tools work, what they do. Take it from there

Slashes/FTW

[C0deH4cker]

20 SLASHES IN ONE POST??!!!!

[Apetrick]

*GASP* that's crazy talk

[grinch]

20 SLASHES IN ONE POST??!!!!

Was it 20?!?

New record, right meow!
(Supertroopers reference)

[C0deH4cker]

Seen it on youtube. Quite funny.