Ethical hacking is gaining unconventional/stealth/backdoor access to computer systems in unobtrusive ways to detect vulnerabilities and improve security mechanisms. An ethical hacker tries to duplicate the modus operandi of a malicious hacker, but with the inverse intention of making the system more secure.
Before a malicious hacker tries to exploit the loopholes in a computer system, the ethical hacker detects these loopholes and fixes them. Ethical hackers are security experts who proactively perform security assessments and recommend actions that would make a system more secure.
In this era of modern computing, the usage of electronic /computer systems has permeated all aspects of day-to-day life. The availability of computing services 24/7, the need for computing systems to operate at their optimal output, and the protection of sensitive data, as a result, have gained paramount importance.
International, political, and business conflicts have resulted in cybercriminals seeking new ways to penetrate security systems, steal/withhold data, and orchestrate DDoS attacks. A disruption or glitch in computing systems can have serious administrative, financial, and moral implications. This suggests the need for ethical hacking to identify potential security loopholes and to ensure that computer systems keep running properly.
Ethical hacking and the coding that makes it up is one of those industries that’s always changing. Hacking methodologies, ethical and otherwise, do change and you learn about those changes at places like conferences or seminars geared towards hacking and coding. There are a few of these hacking conferences around but some are far better than others.
If you’re looking for something in the next year just search for hacking conference 2023 and they’ll start dropping in. A quality hacking conference is held in a good venue, has decent keynote speakers, and a simple registration system. There will be multiple topics at the hacking conference including coding, hacking, ethical hacking, AI (artificial intelligence), etc. You can learn more in a well-organized hacking conference than you would have possibly imagined.
An ethical hacker follows the intention, thought process, and modus operandi of a malicious hacker. That is to uncover and mitigate potential risks and security loopholes. Some of the problems it could uncover include:
An experienced ethical hacker can perceive weak points and loopholes at this stage.
This job is not only satisfying as you help people help themselves, but it also involves constant learning and skill upgradation.
The first limitation obviously is that you cannot perform an actual attack. Instead, you just have to simulate it with all precautions and measures in place. A malicious attacker could have more methods at his disposal as he does not have to care about the business's assets. But an ethical hacker knows this and advises steps to circumvent such situations. Secondly, an ethical hacker has to work within a legal framework and strict guidelines. Thirdly, an ethical hacker has to respect a company's hierarchy and some possible reservations/non-cooperation by other workers.
You must have an excellent understanding of operating systems, know at least one programming and one scripting language, have a thorough knowledge of networking, and know the tenets of information security like the back of your hand. There are many specialized courses run by experienced instructors to learn different software and programs.
These courses mostly cover the subjects below and a lot more
Now you know what ethical hacking is, and some of its important aspects. If this area of operation interests you, there are a few good institutes that can teach you and help you hone these skills.