02. Printing & Variables

Printing in Python

The print() function is one of the first things you’ll use in Python.
It is used to display output to the console (e.g., results of a scan, alerts, or logs).

Example:

print("Hello, Cybersecurity World!")
print("Target system detected")

This will output:

Hello, Cybersecurity World!
Target system detected

Cybersecurity Context:
Printing is used to show scan results, status messages, or alerts while running scripts.

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Variables in Python

Variables are like containers that store data in your program.
They make it easy to reuse values (like IP addresses, ports, or credentials) without retyping.

Example:

# 02. Printing & Variables
ip_address = "192.168.1.10"
port = 22
service = "SSH"

print("Scanning Target:", ip_address)
print("Port:", port, "Service:", service)

Output:

Scanning Target: 192.168.1.10
Port: 22 Service: SSH

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Rules for Variables

• Must start with a letter or _ (underscore).

• Can contain letters, numbers, and _.

• Cannot start with a number.

• Case-sensitive (ip and IP are different).

Good:

target_ip = "10.0.0.5"
username_list = ["admin", "root"]

Bad:

1ip = "10.0.0.5"   # ❌ starts with a number
user-name = "admin" # ❌ hyphen not allowed

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Cybersecurity Use Cases

1. Storing Targets

target_ip = "192.168.1.1"
print("Pinging:", target_ip)

1. Port Information

port = 80
print("Checking HTTP service on port", port)

1. Credentials (for testing only – educational)

username = "admin"
password = "toor"
print("Attempting login with:", username, "/", password)

1. Dynamic Output with f-strings

ip = "10.10.10.5"
port = 443
print(f"Connecting to {ip} on port {port}")

Output:

Connecting to 10.10.10.5 on port 443

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Quick Practice Tasks

• Create a variable attacker_ip and print it.

• Store a list of 3 ports (22, 80, 443) and print them.

• Use f-string to print: "Scanning <IP> on <Port>".

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Note

Variables should not be hardcoded with real credentials in production scripts. For cybersecurity tools, store sensitive data securely (config files, environment variables).

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