First things first: ethical hacking isn’t dangerous at all. It is obvious as it says ‘ethical’ and ‘hacking.’ There are two kinds of individuals: one who uses their knowledge to harm the world, and the other half uses their knowledge to help strengthen companies and big entities in terms of security and infrastructure.
Ethical hacking is also known as white hat hacking. Ethical hackers are known as white hat hackers. Yes, that means they are the good guys. These experts penetrate a computer system, application, and network with ethical hacking tools on behalf of the company owners to find any security vulnerabilities that the black hat hackers (the bad guys) can exploit. If you are someone who has a keen interest in contributing to organizations with hacking skills, you are in the right place.
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Different types of hackers
The purpose of ethical hacking is to check the security and try to identify if there are any sort of vulnerabilities in target systems, system infrastructure, or networks. The process is basically about identifying vulnerabilities and checking if they can be exploited or if there are any malicious activities already. Speaking of which, here are the three types of hackers:
White Hat Hackers
White hat hacking is what you know as Ethical hacking. It refers to the utilization of different techniques and hacking skills with good intentions and the full consent of the authorities of organizations. White hat hackers utilize their knowledge and tools to probe a network, IT system, database, or application for vulnerabilities in security. After that, they inform the authorities if they detect any issues.
Black Hat Hackers
Black hat hackers are who we know as the bad guys. These kinds of hackers are notorious for breaking into IT environments, taking out data that is confidential, or setting up ransomware that takes a hefty fee from the users who wish to get access back to their computers. These sorts of individuals often have motivations that are self-serving.
Grey Hat Hackers
They are basically what the name suggests: exactly between the White and Black hat hackers. The activities of Grey hat hackers are technically illegal, like the Black hat hackers, as they do not get consent from the organization owner. However, the activities of these Grey hat hackers are based on curiosity instead of personal gains.
Responsibilities of Ethical Hackers
Now that we know what ethical hacking is. Let us take a look at the responsibilities of ethical hackers, famously known as white hat hackers:
- White hat hackers assist organizations in identifying which of their IT security measures is effective and which one of them has vulnerabilities and is easy to penetrate by the hackers. With that insight in place, organizations can take proper steps to prevent any kind of compromise. When ethical hackers are done with evaluating an organization’s system, they report straight back to the company leaders about areas that are vulnerable; these may include a lack of password encryption or insecure applications.
- The white hat hackers showcase to the executives the ways in which cybercriminals will attack their security and wreak havoc on their business. Organizations that have in-depth knowledge about these will be able to protect themselves better.
- We all know that cyberattacks may cause massive damage to businesses and may cripple any small business. And most companies out there do not have anything up their sleeve to deal with the uncertainty. With the ethical hacker’s insights into cyber criminals and a security team by the side of the white hat hackers, organizations can come up with brilliant strategies to combat any future attacks from cyber criminals.
How does Ethical Hacking work?
Ethical hacking is basically looking for any kind of flaws within the system and treating them accordingly. That being said, here is how ethical hacking works:
Plotting
The white hat hacker investigates the network or the target system to obtain data to look for any sort of weaknesses. From network topology to IP addresses, anything in that information can help ethical hackers look for any kind of weakness.
Scanning
In order to discover the services, open ports, and other details about the target system that could be used to begin an attack, ethical hackers utilize the scanning tools.
Enumeration
To obtain unauthorized access, an ethical hacker looks for the target system for more certain information, such as network shares, user accounts, and other specifics.
Vulnerability analysis
In order to evaluate any kind of weakness in the target system, such as weak passwords, out-of-date software, or incorrectly configured settings, the ethical hacker utilizes both manual procedures and automated tools.
Exploitation
White hat hackers seem to take advantage of the vulnerabilities found to get unauthorized access to the target network or system.
Reporting
Ultimately, the white hat hackers make a record of the flaws that were created and provide suggestions to enhance the security. The firm or the individual will then utilize this report to resolve any issue of the network or system to enhance security.
How can you become an Ethical Hacker?
It is indeed very rewarding when you are considering becoming an ethical hacker. It enables you to address all your curiosity, utilize problem-solving skills, add more technical knowledge, and help organizations with their security.
While having a knack for ethical hacking and strong dedication are the two keys to excelling in your career, you should first focus on an ethical hacking certification. If you are looking for an all-rounded ethical hacking training course with certification, check out
🔥 Ethical Hacking Course 2023 | Ethical Hacking Full Course In 10 Hours | Simplilearn
Wrapping up
So there you have it. Now that you have a clear idea of ethical hacking and how it works, you are ready to pursue your career in ethical hacking. If you have a keen interest in ethical hacking and an appetite for learning new skills and methodologies, then this is the career path for you.
