With the extensive use of the Internet and modern technologies, cyberattacks have risen, and their impact in our everyday lives is significant. Cyberattacks involve attempts, by individuals and more precisely by hackers, to destroy a computer system or to steal information. Common methods include the use of phishing and ransomware attacks, which can lead to a loss of sensitive and personal information or even to financial damage by stealing bank information. To prevent such attacks, also referred to as hacking, cybersecurity is indispensable. We can define it as the practice of protecting networks, programs, and computer systems from unauthorized attacks.
What are hackers?
A hacker is a person trying to hack into computer systems by exploiting weaknesses in a network in order to obtain access to information. However, hacking is not always malicious. Hackers are categorized into three types.
- Black hat hackers: individuals hacking illegally with the aim of harming.
- White hat hackers or Ethical hackers: legal hacking (approved from the owner) in order to identify weaknesses and fix the system.
- Grey hat hackers: It is a combination of black and white hat hackers. He is performing without permission, for a good reason, usually in order to gain compensation.
What are the ethical hackers?
The term ethical hackers sounds a little bit paradoxical because: How is it possible to be a hacker and in the same time ethical? However, those highly skilled professionals are usually supposed to figure out vulnerabilities of a system by hacking with the owner’s permission in order to protect the system and increase cybersecurity where needed. They are doing something that tests attacks in order to prevent that black hat hackers can penetrate into the network. Their work can be compared to hiring a burglar to break into your house and reveal the entry points.
The main purpose of ethical hackers is to simulate attacks in order to prevent black hat hackers from intruding in their system. Their work includes the identification of the vulnerabilities and enhancing the measures in order to protect. Then the following phases are the detection and the response.
As we have already mentioned, ethical hackers have some important advantages. They are able to identify the vulnerabilities of a system in order to boost the security protocols. All this procedure allows to prevent data breaches. In addition, ethical hackers help companies adopt a proactive attitude towards cyberattacks and increase the cybersecurity. Finally, with their acts, they are able to prevent the potential financial and important damage that can be caused by successful attacks.
However, there is also a less advantageous side to ethical hacking. Firstly, ethical hackers can install unintentionally malicious codes, viruses, malware, or other harmful and damaging software on a computer system. Then, some hackers can also use this information in order to commit malicious acts, threaten the company, or even sell the company’s financial and banking details in order to gain extra profit.
Who can become an ethical hacker?
It is very often that even ethical hackers don’t come from conventional backgrounds. For example, someone hacking high-profile systems, such as the FBI, can then be recruited and become an actual agent for the FBI because of how well he was able to spot the security leaks. Usually, those are the best ethical hackers that should be hired. However, more specifically, in order to become an ethical hacker, some skills must be acquired. A good knowledge in operating environments (like Windows, Linux and Unix) and in programming languages (such as HTML, php, Python and SQL). Finally a global certification on ethical hacking and a good knowledge of security laws are required.
In general, it is obvious that the networking protection is very important. According to the platform HackerOne, a percentage of 92% of ethical hackers uncover security flaws missed by automated scanning tools. In 2022, these hackers identified a total of 65,000 vulnerabilities. This means that there was a great deterrence from any potential attacks. It is no coincidence that major companies like Google, Amazon, Bank of America and Tesla rely on the ethical hacking method to protect their information systems. By rights, ethical hackers can be named as the guardians of cybersecurity.
https://guardia.school/metiers/hacker-ethique.html
