Hacking is the term given to processes and methods put into practice malicious activities to gain access over a system. Hacking is performed to access confidential information and data that is important to individuals, business or organisations. It serves the purpose of breaching vulnerabilities of system for gains and profits. Hacking is not a recognised activity under the law and can lead to severe punishment if caught indulging in such activities.
Hacking when done with permission is considered acceptable by the law. Hackers are often hired by companies / organisation to hack into their own organisational systems to find potential threats and vulnerabilities which may be very dangerous and if attacked can lead to disastrous outcomes. Such hackers are popularly known are ethical hackers in cyber security.
Ethical hackers are technical professionals and have immense knowledge of system and security. They attack their own organisational system with permission and try to find ways through which their system can be attacked. Ethical hackers are very important for organisations from security and safety purpose.
Advantages of being an ethical hacker:
Ethical hackers are well recognised in their profession for their job of protecting the system. Below are the advantages of being an ethical hacker:
- Prevent harmful cyber attacks.
- Prevent penetration attacks of intruders.
- Find loopholes in the system and repair them with their expertise.
- Establish security and safety measures within the system.
- Prevent cyber terrorism and hacks from taking place.
Skill Required to be an Ethical Hacker:
Ethical hackers are professionals having immense tech-knowledge about security and safety of computer systems, operating systems, networking. They are required to have excellent hacking skills and prevent threats from harming the computer systems. Some of basic skills that must every hacker have include:
- Knowledge about Networking
- Expert in Scripting
- Good hands-on programming
- Exposure to multiple operating systems: Windows, Linux
- Knowledge of the backend database
- Experience with servers and search engines
- Well-versed with available tools in market
Ethical Hacker Roles and Responsibilities:
Ethical Hackers Responsibilities Role:
- In-depth Knowledge of Security: Ethical hackers should be well versed with potential threats and vulnerabilities that can hack organisational systems. Ethical hackers are hired by organisations for their expertise skills and quick resolution to security vulnerabilities. They should be cyber security professionals having knowledge of the computer systems, network and security.
- Think like Hackers: The primary role of Ethical hackers is to attack the system like hackers, without adopting authorised methods. They are supposed to think like hackers who want to steal confidential data /information. Ethical hackers look for areas that are most likely to be attacked and the different ways in which attack can take place.
- In-depth Knowledge of the Organisation they intend to provide Service: Ethical hackers should be well versed with the services of the functional working of the organisation they are associated with. It should have the knowledge about the information that is extremely safe and needs to be protected. Ethical hackers should be capable of finding the attack methods for accessing the sensitive content of the organisation.
Ethical Hackers Responsibilities:
- Hacking their own Systems: Ethical hackers hack their own systems to find potential threats and vulnerabilities. They are hired to find vulnerabilities of the system before they are discovered by hackers.
- Diffuse the intent of Hackers: Ethical hackers are hired as a Precautional Step towards Hackers, who aim at breaching the security of computers. Vulnerabilities when detected early can be fixed and safe confidential information from being exposed to hackers who have malicious intentions.
- Document their Findings: Ethical hackers must properly document all their findings and potential threats. The main part of the work they are hired by the organisations is proper reporting of bugs and vulnerabilities which are threat to the security.
- Keeping the Confidential Information Safe: Ethical hackers must oblige to keep all their findings secure and never share them with others. Under any kind of situation they should never agree to share their findings and observations.
- Sign Non-Disclosure Agreements: They must sign confidential agreements to keep the information they have about the organisations safe with them. This will prevent them to give -out confidential information and legal action will be taken against them if they indulge in any such acts.
- Handle the loopholes in Security: Based on their observations, Ethical hackers should restore/ repair the security loopholes. This will prevent hackers from breaching the security of the organisation from attacks.