Ethical hacking is a controversial profession, and most people are unaware of why the profession even exists. Many people also believe that ethical hackers are simply people who use their job as an excuse to learn how to hack and then use these methods for malicious intent. However, if we look at what ethical hackers do, it is clear that they are necessary for maintaining a certain level of cybersecurity.
As more of our daily lives take place online, it is becoming easier for hackers to breach devices and use malicious software to steal user information. Surprisingly, personal devices are not the only ones affected, as large corporations also experience data breaches. According to CyberGhost, there has been a substantial rise in cybercriminal activities since the pandemic. Cybercrime increased by 600%, making ethical hackers more important than ever to ensure the security of organisations' digital assets and sensitive information.
What are ethical hackers?
The term ethical hacker refers to people who provide hacking services to test the security of certain software and test their strength against breach attempts. Ethical hackers help companies create a more secure online presence protecting them against hacking attempts. Despite ongoing questions about the profession's legitimacy, ethical hackers are professionals who do not operate with malicious intent.
Why are ethical hackers needed?
Even though many companies organise certain spot tests on their systems, they are not enough to maintain a certain level of security. Hackers are always learning new ways to approach people and breach their devices. So, people need to create robust defences against such activities.
Ethical hacking is a way to maintain online cybersecurity. There are many online ethical hacking groups that work together to expose cybercriminals or restrict their activities. Businesses and smaller corporations have also started to seek help from ethical hackers to establish a secure system from the get-go.
Ethical hackers are also capable of creating 'backdoors' so that they can access data even if someone breaches it. This also allows corporations to catch the cybercriminal or trace the hacker's IP address. There are many reasons why ethical hackers are important in managing cybersecurity. Additionally, ethical hacking allows people to research various hacking methods to develop software immune to hacking techniques.
Things that ethical hackers can do
There are various types of ethical hackers. Not every ethical hacker is capable of doing every type of task. There are also various things that ethical hackers can do, and these methods can help determine how secure or strong a specific system is.
Usually, ethical hackers are hired by corporations and small businesses to find bugs within their code. It is important to note that these bug-hunting programmes are open to all ethical hackers, and all they need to do is find a bug within the website or system and get paid for it. These hackers are called bug bounty hunters, and they earn money by finding bugs for businesses.
Even though most ethical hackers do bug bounty hunting, certain ethical hackers form teams or operate in groups. These hackers are responsible for carrying out cybersecurity assessments for certain organisations. Usually, newer businesses need a cybersecurity assessment so they can establish whether they need to manage their online systems or not.
The most common form of ethical hacking is penetrative testing (pen tests). Penetration testing is essentially a way for ethical hackers to create simulated malicious attacks on a system to see how easily it can be breached. Due to penetration testing, many people believe that ethical hackers can also operate with malicious intent. However, penetration testing is important to assess the strength and security of a system. This testing method can also make it easier for organisations to strengthen their system.
Conclusion
Ethical hacking can appear a murky world to people who do not have much knowledge of the profession. However, the need for ethical hackers is increasing due to escalating cybercrime. Even though there are many ethical hackers out there, most of them tend to stay hidden due to the controversial nature of the job.
It's important to note that ethical hacking is not only required by people. Businesses and organisations also need ethical hackers so that they can test the security of their systems. Ethical hackers can also help to create breach protocols so that businesses can control damage in case of a data breach.
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