How To Get Into Ethical Hacking?
Originally, the term “hacker” referred to a professional programmer adept in machine code and computer operating systems. Hacking is the activity of altering the features of a system in order to achieve a goal that is not intended by the original developer. The term “hacker” now carries a negative connotation. A hacker, however, was just a highly talented and imaginative computer professional in the early days of programming and development.
An exciting career in ethical hacking may be in store for you if you’re a professional who enjoys the challenges of the computer world. You get the chance to apply your knowledge of how to hack computers, and you get paid well for it. Let’s first have a better idea of the nature of an ethical hacker before learning how to be one.
What is Ethical Hacking?
Ethical hackers are the “good people” in the hacking field, wearing the “white hat.” Instead of utilizing their extensive computer expertise for criminal purposes, ethical hackers find gaps in data computer security for businesses and organizations all over the world in order to defend them against hackers with less than pure intentions. An ethical hacker uses a range of programming languages and tools to gain access to systems and networks. They make some suggestions for how to fix the breaches and security flaws they discovered after successfully breaking into the system.
Understanding the Various Hacking Techniques
Knowing about many sorts of hackers can assist professionals to understand their ethical hacking limitations and the legal complexities of being an ethical hacker. There are several categories of hackers who serve various reasons, ranging from malevolent to beneficial.
There are three sorts of hackers:
- White Hat
- Black Hat
- Gray Hat
Hackers who practice ethical hacking are known as White Hat and Grey Hat hackers. On the other side, black hat hackers engage in harmful hacking and unlawful activity. As a beginner in the field, you may begin by applying for the position of Penetration Tester. It entails detecting vulnerabilities in a system or application in order to protect it from various cyber-attacks. They notify the organization about system flaws.
How To Be an Ethical Hacker?
It is not simple to get started in the profession, but if you put in the work first, you will be able to design a highly successful career for yourself. Let’s learn how to be an ethical hacker.
- Get UNIX/LINUX Experience
A more secure operating system for computers is UNIX/LINUX, which is open-source. Since most of the greatest operating systems that are used for hacking are based on the Linux kernel, Linux is always the preferred operating system for hackers. It gives an abundance of tools for hackers. Kali Linux, Ubuntu, and more are examples of some trending Linux distributions.
- Choose the Best Programming Languages – C Programming
This is the oldest computer language (some consider it the mother language of all programming). Hackers need to be proficient in C programming in order to exploit the open-source operating system and that is Linux. Because the UNIX/LINUX operating system is completely written in C, this programming language serves as the foundation for understanding it. To get an edge, try to master more than one programming language. A programmer that uses ethical hacking techniques and is knowledgeable in 2-3 programming languages can divide and assess the code.
- Learn About Networking Concepts
For Ethical Hackers, learning the essential topics and concepts of networking and their development is crucial. Exploiting the vulnerabilities needs the understanding of several protocols & networks. The problems in real-time can be resolved by an ethical hacker with an in-depth understanding of networking technologies like Wireshark, Nmap, and others.
- Understand the Technique of Being Anonymous
The most important step in ethical hacking is mastering how to hide your identity and stay anonymous online since doing so doesn’t leave a trace and makes it impossible for anybody to find you. Often, an ethical hacker doesn’t know who else is on the network, and a Black hat hacker might attempt to get into other users’ computers if they discover someone else is also using the network. Consequently, privacy and anonymity are crucial for ethical hackers.
- Develop Your Secret Writing Skills
For an ethical hacker, writing secret codes (or cryptography techniques) is an essential skill to have. The ethical hacking of any system demands a high level of mastery of decryption & encryption methods. Information Security utilizes the encryption method for various purposes, including data integrity, authentication, secrecy, etc. Valuable data, including passwords, is always secured on networks. Hackers need the ability to detect and break encryption.
- Explore the Dark Web
A hidden area of the internet that is not visible to search engines and can only be accessed using a special browser is called the Dark web. For access, you need specialized software or authorization. The anonymous Tor browser may be used to gain access to the dark web. Even while it serves as a shelter for all the wrong conduct, not all of the information on the dark web is unauthorized. The dark web also has a moral component, and ethical hackers ought to become acquainted with it.
- Discover Vulnerabilities
Vulnerabilities are flaws or gaps in the system. Learn how to scan systems and networks for vulnerabilities that might result in a security breach. Ethical hackers also try to identify weaknesses in order to exploit the system and flag security problems.
- Join Discussions & Meet Experts
To communicate with other hackers from across the globe and share information while collaborating, start a community, or register for forums. Facebook and Telegram are just a few of the sites where groups may be found.
- Experiment & Practice to Become an Expert
The keys to success in the world of hacking are experiments & practice to gain experience. Ethical hackers must use what they’ve learned in a variety of situations and circumstances. Experiment with various attacks, techniques, and other features. Keep up with the newest system security upgrades, hacking, and system security tactics and techniques.
Ethical Hacking Courses
It can be a little challenging to pursue a job as a white-hat hacker, especially for those without an IT background, as most of them need a basic knowledge of hardware, networking, and a variety of other topics. Also, choosing the correct online course can be difficult since some courses are developed by amateurs rather than experts, which might be misleading for you. So, we’ve compiled a list of the best ethical hacking courses and are sharing them with you here.
- Certified Ethical Hacking Course (CEH v11)- The CEH course administered by EC-Council is created to educate students about ethical hacking and equip them with the knowledge and abilities to protect systems and networks. To assist them in better comprehending hacking, this training course gives enrolled applicants hands-on learning opportunities on techniques thieves employ to compromise network security.
- IBM Cybersecurity Analyst – Taking this course will help you start a career in cybersecurity without any prior knowledge of ethical hacking. You’ll learn how to acquire data, create malware, exploit database flaws, and defend against SQL injection attacks.
- The Complete Ethical Hacking Course- Another excellent course teaches ethical hacking for those with no prior technical knowledge and starts you off from the beginning on how to set up the environment and certain concepts connected to hacking and information technology.
Why do Organizations Need an Ethical Hacker?
An ethical hacker is a person who adheres to moral standards in order to defend data and systems against unethical hackers. Because of technological advancements and an increase in computer-related threats, ethical hacking and IT security are on the rise. Numerous businesses have recently been subjected to cyberattacks, which has increased the demand for ethical professional hackers who can protect businesses’ networks. Hacking strategies are always developing, and only a skilled specialist can handle this difficulty. Only a skilled specialist can overcome this hurdle as hacking techniques change daily. Thus, in today’s business environment, ethical hackers have been highly sought after.
Below are some of the main reasons that a business needs an Ethical Hacker:
- Increasing security awareness at all levels of a company.
- To create a computer system that stops hackers from gaining access and protects the system and its data from hostile attacks.
- Managing proper preventative actions to avert security breaches.
- To protect user or customer data collected during business transactions and visits.
Conclusion
You now understand how to be an ethical hacker. It is not an easy professional path, but for those who find it intriguing, it may be a rewarding one. If you wish to work as an ethical hacker, you must first learn more about computer security and ethical hacking. It is important to keep in mind that depending on your skill set and experience, it may take longer or shorter for you to become proficient in ethical hacking.
