How to Become an Ethical Hacker?


Who is an Ethical Hacker?

An Ethical Hacker is scrutinized as a security executive who perform security assessment to protect client’s computer or application from potential security risks and vulnerabilities. Organizations employs ethical hackers to protect their computers and other systems in the network from cyberattacks, and any external and internal risks in the IT infrastructure.

A hacker usually tries to gain unauthorized access to a computer system or application; whereas an ethical hacker imparts hack-preventing tactics, installing several technologies to protect the system before falling victim to the hacker.

Through this outlook, an ethical hacker can set up a defense team to alleviate the potential intrusion before the occurrence of an attack. Ethical hackers should be capable of finding out what exactly motivates the opponents and what makes them capable of penetrating special security to the specific target. To make this happen, the opponent, as well as the ethical hacker, must understand the value of the system and the data kept.

In a controlled environment, the execution of imitated cyberattacks can be served to alleviate the potential intrusion of security. The hacker always looks much more widely for weaknesses to penetrate or revoke security. Therefore, an ethical hacker should give much more value to testing devices and security for perimeter vulnerabilities. An ethical hacker should be competent to look for weaknesses that can be the exploited within an application or network, such as data exportation or data theft vulnerabilities.

Required Skills to Become an Ethical Hacker

For a cybersecurity team member, a history of cybercrime constitutes an intolerable risk. Although, for a huge organization associated with an astute legal team, a history of cybercrime consisting of risks would be a nonstarter.

A hacker looking for a job as an ethical hacker must have a proper CV, including a list of tasks you've performed. The candidate has to make sure that the candidate must not add any work that has any unethical behavior, as this can make the candidate be disqualified immediately. Rather than just craving a career change, an ethical hacker should possess ethical life-guiding standards.

Understanding of Various Networks

A candidate who wants to become an ethical hacker must properly understand networks, both wireless and wired networks.

Knowledge of Operating Systems

The candidate should have proficient knowledge of operating systems, including Linux and windows.

Understanding of File and Firewall Systems

The candidate should be capable of understanding file systems and firewalls systems completely. Additionally, they must know how to use file permissions.

Familiarity with Servers and Workstations

They must be familiar with workstations, servers, and computer science generally.

Proficiency in Coding

Not only being proficient in computer science is enough to become an ethical hacker, but you should also have strong coding skills. Having strong coding skills is a major factor in becoming an ethical hacker.

As mentioned previously, an ethical hacker should be capable of thinking like an adversary. Beyond strong technical skills and good ethics, a candidate should possess an exclusive analytical and creative thinking mix to become an ethical hacker.

Here is a compiled list of technical skills and experience a candidate should possess to become an ethical hacker −

  • Linux

  • Reverse-Engineering

  • Programming Languages

  • Cryptography

  • Computer Networking

  • Critical Thinking

  • Database Engines

  • Problem Solving

  • Penetration Testing

  • Computer Hardware and Software

Roles and Responsibilities of an Ethical Hacker

Ethical hacker’s roles and responsibilities are legitimate and legal. They are as mentioned below −

To Protect Networks

Ethical hackers are employed to protect networks and computers from any kind of attacks from unethical hackers to access private and confidential information.

Use Advance Software

By using advanced software, an ethical hacker requires to penetrate the company's system in a way an unethical hacker would do.

Find System’s weaknesses

One of the main jobs of an ethical hacker is to find out any weakness in the system and remove it. An ethical hacker conducts advanced penetration tests to identify vulnerabilities in computer systems, which could be penetrated by malicious intruders.

Understanding of Company’s Infrastructure

An ethical hacker requires to understand and know the infrastructure of the company and its business operations. By doing so, only then an ethical hacker can ensure that any information that could damage the reputation or finances of an organization or its clients does not fall into the wrong hands.

Conclusion

In today’s age, the job of ethical hackers is in high demand, and so as the salaries for them. It is one of the career options which will never degrade or disappear. There will be always requirements for ethical hackers in almost every technical organization.

Updated on: 20-Apr-2022

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