With each passing day, our lives get increasingly immersed in the internet of things. Cyberspace offers enormous potential and flexibility, yet cybercrime continues to be a major threat. Hacking appears to be the oldest and most important issue for most businesses and individuals among the various types of cybercrime. As a result, the concept of ethical hacking was born to combat this phenomenon. Following an ethical hacking course that provides the essential skill set for such operations is the best way to learn ethical hacking.
What is Ethical Hacking?
The principle of ethical hacking is based on the idea that “prevention is better than cure.” It takes the form of a security exercise in which a hired hacker imitates the actions of a hostile/malicious hacker. This is done to expose certain flaws in a company’s security system to be addressed in the event of a hostile attack.
This type of hacking necessitates the paid hacker to employ the same procedures as a real hostile hacker. Because the purpose is the polar opposite of a successful criminal hack, the hacking technique requires prior approval from the organization’s owner. A cyber security certification ensures that the applicants can learn the basics of the subject.
Types of Ethical hacking
Since almost every system component can be hacked, these “hacking” performances require an intimate understanding of that component. there are various ethical hacking approaches adopted from cybercriminals that can be considered-
- Social engineering- it’s a technique that takes advantage of human error to get access to private information. In cybercrime, these “human hacking” techniques deceive unsuspecting individuals into giving personal information, spreading malware, or granting access to unauthorized networks.
- System hacking- is the technique employed by hackers wherein the weakness of a system is used in order to access sensitive and restricted data.
- Wireless network hacking- a method used for hacking as it broadcasts its packets using radio frequency or optical wavelengths.
- Web server hacking- is the process by which hackers attack the web server in order to obtain credentials, passwords, and corporate data.
Difference between ethical hacking and malicious hacking
Ethical Hacking | Malicious Hacking | |
Aim | Improves an organization’s security framework | Evades an organization’s security framework |
Consent | Prior consent required | Unauthorized access and no consent taken |
Reporting | Vulnerabilities and other loopholes discovered are reported | Vulnerabilities not reported |
Data | Data hacked is restored after the exercised | Data hacked is considered stolen data |
How is ethical hacking regulated?
Ethical hackers must follow hacking ethics and protect the interests of organizations or individuals as cybersecurity specialists. Ethical Hacking is a lawful way to get unwanted access to password-protected information. The primary regulator for ethical Hacking is a code of ethics, which is enforced through certifications of ethical hackers.
How to become an Ethical Hacker
The International Council of E-Commerce Consultants (EC Council) seeks to raise ethical hacking knowledge, train individuals, and provide certifications. This is provided through a variety of ethical hacking courses ranging from beginner to advanced. The certified ethical hacker (CEH) course, on the other hand, is also available at the master’s level. The CEH course is designed to educate candidates on the most up-to-date commercial hacking tools, techniques, and tactics. The professional hacker may use the ethical hacking certification name and logo after obtaining the certification..
Similarly, the EC Council and other platforms offer a variety of different cyber security certifications. Licensed penetration tester, systems security certified practitioner, security specialist, and so on are only a few examples.
How is ethical hacking a step ahead of cybersecurity?
Both cybersecurity and ethical hacking serve as guardians of an organization’s or individual’s assets and data, although their approaches differ. Cybersecurity’s sole purpose is to defend a computer system from hostile attacks. On the other hand, ethical hacking goes a step further to identify a system’s flaws and reveal them to the business to take preventative actions.
Ethical hacking aims to understand the underlying cause of hacking through an internal attack on the system. On the other hand, cybersecurity protects the system in its entirety, and As can be seen, cybersecurity takes a defensive approach, whereas ethical hacking takes an offensive approach.
As a result, cybersecurity is a broad idea, while ethical hacking is a more technical term that emerges from cybersecurity.
Scope with Ethical Hacking
Ethical hackers have gone up increasingly as cybersecurity continues to emerge as a fast-growing sector. Ethical hackers can infiltrate any institution, business, or organization that relies on the internet or a network system to store or exchange information. Ethical hackers, for example, could work for intelligence agencies, colleges, private enterprises, or government agencies.
Following are certain jobs that ethical hackers generally take up:
- Penetration tester– Specializes in only one sort of system, which is the most typical employment for an ethical hacker.
- Data security analyst– is a function that is typically assumed internally and necessitates a competent IT staff to identify vulnerabilities and potential breaches.
- Computer crime investigator- to examine the hack, it usually starts its work after the breach has occurred.
This is the best time in building a career in ethical hacking. Cyber-attacks are on the rise as digitization reaches its pinnacle. As a result, hacking has progressed from being a one-sided crime to a two-sided strategy.This method enables legal hacking, detection, and prevention. Ethical hacking courses, such as a certified ethical hacking course, are designed to give professionals the skills they need to spot problems and address them efficiently.