Imagine waking up one morning to find that your company’s customers’ details, financial data, product development, research, etc. have been posted on the web for everyone to see. Panic sets in as your IT team rushes to contain the damage to the systems.
But here’s the catch: This could have been prevented. How? Through ethical hacking.
In this article, you will learn about what ethical hacking is, its importance, and the skills that a beginner in the profession should possess.
What is Ethical Hacking?
Ethical hacking commonly referred to as “white hat hacking” is the legal process of ‘hacking’ a system to find the weakness and rectify the same. While actual hackers are the people who without the consent of the owners of the systems they are invading, ethical hackers have the authorization to test the systems to check whether or not they are safe in the face of cyber threats. Ethical hacking is a good chance to know how systems work inside, the threats that exist, and how to protect against threats.
Importance of Ethical Hacking
Why should anyone care about ethical hacking?
Prevents Data Breaches
Ethical hacking enables any organization to have a checkpoint before the malicious attackers get into the system. It is the best way for organizations to discover their weak points since, by addressing them afterwards, the damage can be greatly minimized and confidential data and information safeguarded.
Reduces Financial Risks
There are direct and indirect costs of a cyberattack; examples are costs of data loss, legal charges, and damage to the organization’s image. Thus, the necessary provisions for ethical hacking allow eliminating the risks of multiple financial losses connected with data leakage and cyber attacks, thereby ensuring organizations’ financial security.
Builds Trust and Reputation
Once individuals are aware that a company upholds top security, then they have trust in that company. To the public, the organization then obtains the image of being protective and responsible.
Enhances Security Measures
Ethical hackers offer important information on the details of current security measures when they undergo extensive security audits. Their research makes it possible for organizations to enhance their security standards so as to make sure that protective regulations are challenging, updated, and capable of blocking new rising kinds of anomalies.
Complies with Regulations and Standards
The process of ethical hacking helps organizations to maintain and enforce these regulations because, through ethical hacking, organizations are able to discover vulnerabilities that lead to non-compliance and legal issues.
How to begin learning Ethical hacking
Educational Background
Have good knowledge of IT and cybersecurity concepts. Some of the skills that are useful include Prior programming language experience particularly in languages like python or JavaScript. They assist in knowing how the applications operate and how one could take advantage of the weaknesses.
Resources and Learning Materials
Online platforms Udemy, Figureshub and Coursera among others offer learning. Books like “The Web Application Hacker’s Handbook” by Dafydd Stuttard. Also, YouTube channels and cybersecurity podcasts are the source that offers you free information for increasing the level of your knowledge.
Hands-on Practice
Thus, learning ethical hacking not only entails a theoretical process but a practical one as well. Take part in CTF Events which is a capture the flag event that replicates real life hacking scenarios. For practicing, you have Hack The Box, TryHackMe, and OverTheWire.
Certifications and Career Path
Accreditations give your profession and employability a boost. Certifications such as CEH, Security+, and OSCP, to name but a few. There are several careers in ethical hacking, which consist of several positions, such as a penetration tester, security analyst, and a security consultant.
Ethical Hacking Communities and Networking
Never underestimate the power of networking.
Use online platforms such as Reddit, Cysec, and Quora. Network on LinkedIn to connect you with other learners and the profession. Join the local cybersecurity meetups and attend the conferences as this would assist in making new contacts as well as getting the knowledge from the professionals.
Legal and Ethical Considerations
Ethical hacking involves cracking or hacking into a computer or organizations system legally so as to enhance security, thus ethical hackers have ulterior morality. Learn all the laws pertaining to cybersecurity so that your activities are not deemed unlawful.
Conclusion
Start your journey today by increasing your knowledge, trying to practice and getting acquainted with the ethical hackers’ community. The future of cybersecurity is reliant on people—people who are not only knowledgeable but also devoted, people such as yourself. Register with Figurehub now!
