The goal of ethical hacking is to assess
the security of target systems, networks, or system infrastructure and identify
vulnerabilities. Finding and attempting to exploit vulnerabilities to determine
whether unauthorised access or other malicious activities are possible is the
process.
Origins of ethical hacking
Former IBM executive John Patrick is often
credited with coining the term "ethical hacking" in the 1990s, though
the concept and practise existed much earlier. The term "hacking"
first appeared in connection with activities at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology in the 1960s, and it referred to using creative engineering
techniques to "hack" machinery and make it run more efficiently.
Hacking was once thought to be a compliment for those with exceptional computer
programming skills.
What is ethical hacking?
To identify potential attack vectors that
threaten business and operational data, an ethical hacker must have extensive
technical knowledge in information security. Ethical hackers typically
demonstrate applied knowledge obtained through recognised industry
certifications or university computer science degree programmes, as well as
practical experience working with security systems.
In general, ethical hackers discover
security flaws in insecure system configurations, known and unknown hardware or
software vulnerabilities, and operational flaws in process or technical
countermeasures. Malicious hacking can pose security risks such as distributed
denial-of-service attacks, in which multiple computer systems are compromised
and redirected to attack a specific target, which can be any resource on the
computing network.
How to become an ethical hacker
If you're a professional who enjoys the
thrills of the computer world and enjoys a good challenge, a career in ethical
hacking may be appealing. If you want to pursue a career in ethical hacking,
you should first enrol in an online ethical hacking course to properly learn everything. You have the
opportunity to use your skills to break into computer systems and get paid well
for it. It is not easy to get started in the field, as it is in many others,
but if you put in the effort at first, you will be able to shape a very
lucrative career for yourself. Furthermore, ethical hackers are always on the
good side of the law!
What do ethical hackers do?
Ethical hackers can assist businesses in a
variety of ways, including the following:
- Identifying weaknesses:
Ethical hackers assist businesses in
determining which of their IT security measures are effective, which require
updating, and which contain exploitable vulnerabilities. When ethical hackers
complete their evaluation of an organization's systems, they report back to
company leaders on any vulnerabilities, which may include a lack of adequate
password encryption, insecure applications, or exposed systems running
unpatched software. The data from these tests can be used by organisations to
make informed decisions about where and how to improve their security posture
to prevent cyber attacks.
- Methods used by cybercriminals are demonstrated:
These demonstrations show executives the
hacking techniques that malicious actors could use to attack their systems and
disrupt their operations. Companies that have a thorough understanding of the
methods used by attackers to breach their systems are better able to prevent
such intrusions.
- Assisting in the preparation for a cyber attack:
Cyber attacks can cripple or destroy a
business, especially a small one, but most businesses are still unprepared for
them. Ethical hackers understand how threat actors operate and how they will
exploit new information and techniques to attack systems. Security
professionals who collaborate with ethical hackers are better able to plan for
future attacks because they can react more quickly to the ever-changing nature
of online threats.
Read more: What
is the Difference Between Ethical Hacking and Hacking
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