All You Need To Know About Ethical Hacking: Skills, Role, Certification, Career

Hacker is someone who has advanced skills in computer technology and who uses these skills for unauthorized or proper authorization and bypass security and infiltrate networks. Various notorious activities like fraud and theft are committed by hackers by using their skills, also some genius hackers do it simply for fun or they like the challenge of bypassing security and entering a network. According to an estimate, cybercrime has cost the world somewhere around $6 trillion by 2021 and in every 11 seconds, one business is a victim of some sort of cybercrime.

Data which has become the hottest asset of all business organisations is the latest target of these hackers and data breach damages the company’s reputation, this is where ethical hacking comes in. Cyber attacks cost time and money both to organisations.

Ethical hackers also known as white hat hackers think like hackers but they do the exact opposite role. They test networks of organisations and spot weaknesses and hence help in stopping these cyber attacks or penetrations.

WHAT EXACTLY DO ETHICAL HACKERS DO 

They do the same thing that hackers do and they very much think like them too but their motive and intention are exactly opposite to those hackers who commit cyber crimes. They try to penetrate the network by breaching or bypassing its security in the same way a hacker would do but they do it to spot weaknesses in the network so that developers can work on it and the network is more secure and safe from any cyber-attacks. So to fortify their networks and improve the process organisations hire ethical hackers.

Ethical hackers are different from penetration testers who are often employed by companies to focus on one or more potential vulnerabilities in the network, they perform many other things apart from penetration testing. Ethical hackers try to trick employees into revealing data which is sensitive, they also check whether various devices like mobile and laptops are properly stored and protected or not.

In a nutshell, ethical hackers try every possible way according to him a black hat hacker may try to breach the security of the network and try to perform some malicious task and create havoc in the organisation. The best way to describe an ethical hacker would be as an individual who is employed with the organisation to penetrate networks or computer systems by using the same methods and techniques which could be employed by malicious hackers so that weaknesses are spotted, the network is fortified and hence it is secured from malicious hackers.

SKILLS AND ROLES OF ETHICAL HACKER

As far as their role is concerned we have already discussed that his role is to spot weaknesses in the system by trying to penetrate the network like a malicious hacker so that the network is fortified.

• They do so by employing some or all of the following strategies :
• They do so by using port scanning tools like Nmap or Nessus to scan systems and find open ports.
• Examine security patch installations.
• Use dumpster driving to run through trash cans for passwords, sticky notes or anything that can be used to deploy an attack.
• They try various social engineering techniques like shoulder surfing to get access to crucial information.
• .Try and evade IDS, IPS, honeypots and firewalls.
• They also try things like hijacking web servers and web applications or cracking wireless encryption.
• Investigate employee fraud.
• They are legally bound to report every flaw they find in the system during their work.

SKILLS AND CERTIFICATIONS REQUIRED BY ETHICAL HACKER

As far as ethical hacking skills are concerned they are constantly evolving so one soft skill that all ethical hackers must have is they should be open to learning. Talking of technical skills then adequate knowledge of networking and programming is required in order to become a successful ethical hacker, passion for the industry you want to work in is always required for success.

Ethical hackers like other computer and network security roles are high in demand and this demand is increasing as the number of cyber attacks is increasing, with organisations calculating the cost and time that a cyber attack costs them they have understood the importance of having an ethical hacker in the organisation. There is a need for highly skilled and certified hackers in the job market today. They are paid very handsome salaries. So If you are a young graduate who wants to make a career in it, it is the best time for you. There are many ethical hacking courses that you can join and learn, in these courses, you will be given ethical hacking training. If you are living in and around Noida then you are really lucky as some reputed institutes provide ethical hacking courses in Noida. 

Ethical hacking skills can be useful for security professionals, forensic analysts, intrusion analysts and all those who are aspiring to become ethical hackers and make a career out of it. Some institutes offer ethical hacking courses in which ethical hacking training is provided, an ethical hacking course in Noida is also offered by many premium institutes.

As far as certifications are concerned CEH(v11) is a very obvious choice because many IT companies have made CEH certification a required qualification for security roles. CEH certification will open many possible opportunities for you.

ETHICAL HACKING vs. PENETRATION TESTING 

Despite the similarities between the two, there are some key differences as well. Talking of key differences biggest difference is that Ethical hackers work with the permission of the network owner and they have a contract which outlines their scope and limitations so they know what they can do and what they can not do whereas penetration tester does it without permission as he has to replicate the actions of the real attacker so this means there are no limitations that are there in place for penetration tester. With the rise in demand for ethical hackers, it is the right time to start a career as an ethical hacker by doing an ethical hacking course in which ethical hacking training is provided, you can get this training in Noida as well as there are institutes who are offering an ethical hacking course in Noida.

CAREERS FOR ETHICAL HACKERS 

The need for ethical hackers is growing day by day as the entire world today relies on technology like never before. As far as paths are concerned there are various paths open to ethical hackers, one may work as an independent consultant or work as an employee in the organisation.

Many ethical hackers choose to specialise in one particular area like web security or network security.

There is a huge demand for ethical hackers in the job market today and the demand is growing day by day so it is the best time to think about ethical hacking as a career. So if you want to make a career in it go and get enrolled in an ethical hacking course and get ethical hacking training so that you can make a career out of it.