It is important that an ethical hacker reports all vulnerabilities and weaknesses found in the course of penetration and intrusive activities. Any detection of weakness on a network or a system should be fixed immediately. The role of an ethical hacker is very crucial to the detection and prevention of the malicious hackers’ activities in an organization. The EHs must have the skills to understand the mindset of the malicious hackers and stay a step ahead of them always to prevent the havoc they are set.

Different Types of Hacking

There are various types of hacking and some of them are frequently occurring than others. For example:

• Web Server Hacking. These types of attacks are made on a back-end database as well as the applications on the network of equipment.
• System Hacking. Web server and operating system vulnerabilities are detected by the hackers and exploited. These include a buffer overflow and an un-patched system.
• Wireless Network Hacking. This type of hacking entails the penetration and intrusion into security of Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) of an enterprise.
• Social Engineering. This entails the human interaction of the attacker with the intention of manipulating the target to reveal or break standard procedures, security best practices, or protocols in order to access a system or a network.

Advantages of Pursuing a Career in Ethical Hacking

The ethical hackers are very valuable to their organizations. As a matter of fact, it is one of the most well-paid career paths in the world of IT. The reason for this is not surprising: you are like a savior in your company. Without an ethical hacker working closely, there is a high chance that your system/network may be compromised at any time. Some of the values one can bring to the table as an ethical hacker include:

• Prevention of data from getting into the wrong hands and being stolen or misused by the offensive hackers.
• Early detection of weaknesses and vulnerabilities, and capacity to fix them before a malicious hacker launches a damaging attack.
• Protection of systems and networks by having a good knowledge of the malicious hacker’s mindset and providing real-world evaluations.
• Gaining the respect and trust of the organization’s stakeholders, such as managers, investors, customers, and quality assurance testers, by ensuring that they are fully protected from the threats.

Apart from your organization, there are many other advantages that accrue to you as an ethical hacker. Some of the benefits you stand to gain by pursuing a career in ethical hacking are as follows:

• Professional Development

There is a huge demand for the experts in the field of cybersecurity. This is largely due to the increase in data, systems, software, and technologies that people around the world have access to, and which are potential targets for the offensive hackers. To heighten the risk, many individuals are getting connected on a daily basis through the use of various technologies. This has continued to increase the scope of materials that these malicious hackers can access. The truth is that there is a huge gap waiting to be filled by the expert ethical hackers in the marketplace and the employers are seriously in need of these specialists.

• Efficient Cybersecurity Expert

The cybersecurity experts have the capacity to understand the tools, mindset, and environment of the malicious hackers. This skill has increased their value in their organizations as they are very useful and effective in mitigating threats that may be launched against their companies. When you are competent in these areas, you will be able to take the relevant position in your organization, not just as a professional that identifies threats but as someone who understands the attackers and can prevent them from launching the malicious invasion.

• Regulatory Compliance

There are new rules and regulations that are clearly outlined in the General Data Protection Regulation. The rules have become sterner against the companies that accumulate private data without protecting it. When you learn all about ethical hacking, you can better understand these compliance, rules, and regulations that should be adhered to, in better terms.

The Easiest Way to Become an Ethical Hacker

No doubt, the available resources for learning ethical hacking can be quite overwhelming. It can be more demanding for the individuals who do not have enough time or practical background to understand the requirements of ethical hacking. Therefore, the easiest way to learn it is by going through a structured EH course. This is absolutely the best option for many people, especially those without experience. You can pursue the EC-Council CEH Certification Training to get access to various learning materials from the seasoned experts in the field of ethical hacking. You will learn the skills and knowledge required to pass your CEH exam to get certified and also function optimally as a professional ethical hacker. And the professionalism you gain will do you and your company a great favor.

Azure Sphere

For years, security professionals have argued that your smart devices are potential targets for hackers. Smart refrigerators, thermometers, and light bulbs are designed for convenience and ease of use, but when they are created, not enough attention is paid to security issues. As a result, hackers can get an around-the-clock access to your personal data or control your devices to make them part of a zombie network for attacks on the Internet.

Until now, there was no solutions to all the security problems of the Internet of Things. That is why Microsoft is betting on a new product group, announced as Azure Sphere. It is a wee chip that is a microcontroller that can be embedded in smart devices. It is also an operating system (OS) that allows you to safely manage the device. And finally, this is a security software that runs in Cloud and protects devices from being hacked.

The announced product is the first attempt to create a comprehensive IoT security system. While our laptops, computers, and telephones have long been equipped with security features built into their hardware and operating systems, not to mention the accessibility of a sufficient number of available software products to prevent hacker attacks. This may not seem too important for your security webcam. The president of Microsoft Brad Smith said that this is the essence of the problem. If cameras can be used to launch attacks on the Internet, as was the case with the Mirai attack in 2016, then one cannot help but ensure their safety.

The announced product allows Microsoft to take a unique position on the IoT market. Despite the fact that the company is already competing in this realm, offering a personal assistant Cortana for smart speakers, Azure Sphere gives Microsoft the opportunity to use their technology in billions of devices sold by other organizations. Instead of producing chips on its own, Microsoft is working with the chip maker MediaTek. Microsoft will certify that these chips are made according to their standards. The managing director of the company Galen Hunt said that these chips will be available “in significant numbers” this summer. He also declared that this is a key part of Azure Sphere, because the chip “functions as the brain of the device, including the computing part, storage, machine memory, and operating system.”

Microsoft has not yet announced a partnership with device manufacturers for the Internet of Things, which means that we still do not know which IoT devices will use a new technology. Two companies said they consider the technology presented by Microsoft to be promising. This is a SubZero refrigerator manufacturer and a home appliance manufacturer Glen Dimplex.

So, let’s look at it closer

To make sure we’re on the same page, let’s start with the definitions. Ethical hacker is a qualified individual, usually hired by an organization to discover its online security vulnerabilities and threats by trying to penetrate networks and computer systems. By using the same methods as hackers, which are now more and more commonly called ‘Black Hat Hackers’ to make the distinction, ethical hackers ensure the system is free of vulnerabilities and potential threats. Ethical hackers’ jobs are on all times high now, with everyone from the White House and Ministry of Defense to your local bank striving to ensure stability of their computer systems and security of their data.

So, how do you become an ethical hacker?

Needless to say that hacking your high school’s online system is far from being enough to get the job. Moreover, unethical practices can close these doors for you forever (we’ll talk about unethical hacking later). Yet, officially your career would start with passing a CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker) exam. To acquire the necessary knowledge, you may choose to either attend training at an accredited training center or self-study.

Should you opt for the latter, you will need to prove at least 2 years of information security work experience. If you don’t have the experience, your application may still be considered on the ad-hoc basis, yet, let’s face it: how can you be an ethical hacker with no infosec/IT experience? We strongly advise that you take a job in this field just to get some experience if you feel that being an ethical hacker is your calling.

Experienced professionals also recommend that candidates hold at least some basic IT Certifications: A+ and, preferably, Network+ or CCNA once you acquire more hands-on experience. Ideal candidates would also have a Security+ or a CISSP Certification under their belt.

Now back to the exam. The CEH Exam (with the currently used version being EC Council’s exam 312-50), has 125 multiple choice question, with the passing score being 70%. You’ll be given 4 hours to complete the exam. In the US, the exam is administered at EC-Council Accredited Training Centers, Pearson VUE, or Prometric testing centers.

Even if you do not see yourself as a full-time Ethical Hacker in the future and prefer to stick to a conventional information security career, taking the CEH exam may still be a smart career step for you. This certification helps professionals like you take an out-of-the-box look at the dark side of computer network security by unveiling the mindset, methodologies, and tools of a hacker.

What to keep in mind while you’re on your way…

If you do envision yourself as an Ethical Hacker, you are most likely tempted to go and ‘do it ‘ – hack something, get past some security levels, etc. – ethically or not. While this drive definitely proves that you have made a right career choice, resist the temptation of any illegal activity. Even small and seemingly innocent hacks can prevent you from pursuing your dream.

You can definitely play around with hacking your own website or a wifi network, but if you want to test your skills on someone else’s systems, be sure to get their written permission.

While you are on the way to your White Hat Hacker career, where you are staying on the light side, we trust, you may want to consider studying the hackers’ mindset. As exciting, fun and challenging as an Ethical Hacker’s job may seem to be, it’s still a job. And after a while, people tend to fall into pattern, keep doing what they do well… and lose their edge. The ‘Black Hat Hackers’, however, never lose their edge as they have a strong motivation of breaking in. So, you need to learn to think the way they think, to predict their steps, and… wear your white hat of Ethical Hacker with dignity and success.