Play an important role in cybersecurity, become an ethical hacker

 

Are you fascinated by ethical hacking? Want to become an ethical hacker?

 

Many questions would come to your mind, such as, Is ethical hacking a promising career? Is ethical hacking legal? What to study to become an ethical hacker? Which course to take? And so on.

 

Do not think much, as we will be answering all these questions, guiding you to make a career as an ethical hacker.

 

What is an Ethical Hacker?

 

Is hacking legal? People often have misconceptions when it comes to the term Hackers. Not all hackers are criminals. A hacker has advanced knowledge of computers, networking, programming or hardware. The purpose of the task makes it good or bad. 

 

Broadly hackers are categorised into three types -

 

Black Hat Hacker -

Also known as Unethical Hackers or a Security Cracker, these people hack the system illegally to achieve illegal goals. This type of hacking is illegal.

 

White Hat hacker -

Also known as Ethical Hackers or Penetration Testers, these people hack the system with permission to find the vulnerabilities. They aim to protect the system. White hat hacking is legal.  

 

Grey Hat Hacker -

Grey hat hackers are a combination of both black and white hat hackers. These are often hired by Government organisations, to work for the security of the nation.  

 

So, Ethical hackers are the experts who apply their knowledge and methods to work out how criminals could exploit the system. Further helps to safeguard the system by finding the measures for protecting the system. Ultimately, ethical hackers are professionals like others, authorised to collaborate with clients and highlight flaws in their security system.

 

Why do we need Ethical Hackers?

 

With the expansion of the internet, everything has migrated online. Do you remember when you didn’t use the internet last time? The basic needs of an individual or organisation are facilitated through the internet. The supply of these basic facilities can be easily hampered by compromising the security, of the service provider, through the internet. 

 

Everyday security of millions of organisations is compromised. Threat actors are always on the hunt to find the vulnerabilities and exploit the system for their malicious purpose. In this era of high uncertainty, only taking preventive measures can save organisations from cyberattacks. Getting the digital system ethically hacked will help in pentesting the strength of firewalls, passwords, protocols, unintentionally missed loops and more. These insights will guide in taking measures and building a safer structure. 

 

In this era of international conflicts, cyber-attacks are not limited to harming businesses. The cybercriminals are motivated to breach the security systems,  either compromising national security features or extorting by injecting malware and denying access.

 

Organisations, failing to update their security measures, fall victim to cyberattacks. The new malware, viruses and trojan horses are multiplying every day. Hence, this creates the need for ethical hacking services to safeguard against malicious acts. 

 

Skills you need to become an Ethical Hacker

 

Nowadays, if anyone is looking for any information, they go to Google. Similarly, people may search for how to become an ethical hacker? But for starting a career in cybersecurity, one has to work on the skills required for the job. The good news is that one can always learn these skills, as they are teachable. The common skills required are - 

 

• Networking Skills -
  One of the required skills for ethical hackers is computer networking. Networking knowledge includes the understanding of the interconnection of various devices present in the IT infrastructure. Network devices, connections, communications, data transmission, IP, Subnet mask, firewall, Ports etc. Understanding the various devices, functionalities and their role in the network will help in understanding the associated threats. 

 

• Knowledge of Operating System -
  The role of the operating system is critical. Although many operating systems are there, the most preferred by the hackers is the open-source 'Linux'.  As this can be easily modified and distributed. It is more secure than any other operating system.

 

• Basic Computer knowledge - 
  The person should be an expert in handling basic computer functionality. This includes managing databases, using MS-office, emails, social media etc.

 

• Proficiency in Penetration testing tools and techniques -
  Apart from the necessary computer software/hardware and networking knowledge, the person should be an expert in using the Penetration testing tools.  

 

• Programming Knowledge -
  Ethical hackers are not required to write the codes, but without having the programming knowledge, one will not be able to understand the virus or malware strain code. Some of the programming languages used by ethical hackers are - Python, SQL, C, C++, Java, JavaScript, PHP, Ruby, Perl etc.

 

• Basics of Cybersecurity -
  Understanding the basic concepts and terms in cybersecurity is essential for the Ethical hacker. This includes antivirus, app protection, protecting a device, database management systems, password management etc.  

 

• Cryptography Skills -
  The data of the organisation is significant, being an ethical hacker you need to ensure the data is encrypted and safe being in rest or transit in the network.

 

• Problem-Solving skills -
  The problem-solving skill helps to understand the problem and find adequate solutions. The person looking to make a career in Ethical Hacking must be a critical thinker and dynamic problem solver.

 

Learn Ethical Hacking 

To be successful in any career, you require a positive approach with the required skill. Professional Training in ethical hacking will be a great help for starting a career in Ethical Hacking.  Few courses are available in the market that can help for enhancing the knowledge in the field of Ethical Hacking.

 

• EC Council -CEH v11 - EC council Certified Ethical hacker is the certification most widely accepted and sought for a job. This course is designed to help the participant in thinking like a hacker and build skills in penetration testing, attack vectors, detection, and prevention. It needs participants to have at least two years of experience in information security.

 

• CompTIA Pentest - CompTIA pentest test the theory and as well as the practical knowledge of the candidate. There are no prerequisites but, it is expected to have at least 3-4 years of Information security experience and knowledge of Network+ and Security+.

 

• GIAC Penetration Tester (GPEN)- If you are interested in pentesting, GPEN certification could be a good fit. It enhances the ability to perform the pentest with the latest techniques and methodologies. Even a fresher can go for this certification as there are no prerequisites for taking the GPEN exam.  

 

• Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP) - This course helps in enhancing the ability to breach a series of target machines and produce detailed reports for each attack. Although there are no formal prerequisites, it is advised to have familiarity with networking, bash scripting, Perl or Python, and Linux.

 

Lots of job openings are present in cybersecurity and are still open as there is a dearth of skilled talent. Empowering your career with an Ethical hacking certification will definetly help to enhance your knowledge and boost your career in cybersecurity.