Aug 5, 2020

Ethical Hacking - Required Skills, Roles and Responsibilities

The term “Hacker“ was first coined in the year 1960 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT) to describe the experts who used their topmost skills to re-develop and mainframe the systems, along with increasing their efficiency and allowing them to multi-task.

Nowadays, the term is used routinely to describe the skilled programmers who will gain unauthorised access into the computer systems by exploiting weaknesses or using bugs, motivated either by malice or mischief.

For example, hackers can create algorithms used to crack passwords, penetrate into the desired networks, or even disrupt network services.

As and when the popularity increased, the usage of the Internet and E-Commerce were seen everywhere, and as a result, malicious hacking became the most commonly known form of hacking, an impression reinforced by its depiction in various forms of news media and entertainment. The primary motive of any malicious/unethical hackers is to steal all valuable information.

What is Ethical Hacking?

Ethical hacking is a process of authorised practice of accessing into the system security and identifying the data breaches and network threats if any, and solving the issues by not letting the data be easily available.

The company that owns any such valuable networks appoints a Cyber Security Engineers to see if the data is protected in an effective way. Unlike malicious hacking, this process is approved, authorised and more importantly, legal.

Company hires professionals called as the Ethical Hackers whose main motive is to investigate the system and networks and see if there are any weak points that the malicious hackers could get and destroy and they are the one who build a strong base around the networks and system.

Types of Hackers:

Black Hat Hackers
White Hat Hackers
Grey Hat Hackers

These are the three main types of hackers that we come across in most of the places. We will now go through one after the other and know what each type of hackers does.

White Hat: This type of hacking is called as the practice of ethical hacking and those who perform this type of hacking are called as the white hat hackers. They are the type of hackers who choose to use their powers for good purpose rather than evil. They are also known as “ethical hackers”. White hat hackers are being hired by the companies on a contract basis or as full-time employees and are being paid. They are basically hired as a security-specialists that attempt to find security holes by hacking.

Black Hat: Like all the other hackers, black hat hackers too have extensive knowledge about breaking into the computer networks and getting into the security protocols. They are the ones who are responsible for writing malware, and malware is a system used to gain access to these systems. Their area of motivation is usually for personal or financial gain, but they can also be involved in cyber spying, protest or perhaps are just addicted to cybercrime. Black hat hackers can be ranged from amateurs getting their feet wet by spreading malware, to the experienced hackers that aim to steal data. Black hat hackers’ major work is to steal data, specifically financial information, personal information and login credentials of the users. Black hat hackers not only look to steal the data, but they also look to modify or destroy data as well.
Grey Hat: Grey hat hackers are a mixture of both black hat and white hat activities. Grey hat hackers will often look for vulnerabilities of the system without getting the owner’s permission or without their owner’s knowledge. If any issues are found, they will report them to the owner, sometimes requesting a small fee to fix the issue.

These are the three different types of hackers we come across usually.

Roles and Responsibilities of Ethical Hackers:

There are certain roles and responsibilities that Ethical Hackers must follow in order to perform hacking legally. A good hacker knows his or her responsibility and he/she will stick to those ethical guidelines. Here are some of the most important rules/responsibilities of Ethical Hacking:

An ethical hacker must seek necessary authorisation and permission from the organisation before doing any kind of security assessment.
They must determine the scope of their assessment and should plan and later give it to the organisation about what to do, when to do and how to do.
Ethical hackers must report any kind of security breaches and vulnerabilities that is found in the system or network.
Keep their discoveries confidential. As their purpose is to secure the system or network, ethical hackers should agree to and respect their non-disclosure agreement.
These hackers should erase all the traces of the hack after checking the system for any vulnerability and when they do so, it prevents the malicious hackers from entering the system through the identified loopholes.

These are some of the roles and responsibilities of Ethical Hackers.

Skills required to be an Ethical Hacker:

An ethical hacker should have complete in-depth knowledge about all the programming codes, systems, networks, program codes, security measures, etc. to perform hacking efficiently and also to become a professional ethical hacker. Some of these skills include:

Knowledge of Programming
Scripting Knowledge
Networking skills
Clear Understanding of Database.
Complete knowledge about multiple platforms such as Windows, Linux etc.
The ability to work with various different tools available in the market.
Knowledge of search engines and servers.

Conclusion

If ethical hacking sounds fun and exciting, and If you’re looking for a job where no two days are the same, cyber security and ethical hacking might just be what you’re looking for!

As a result of the rapid technological advancements, there is a sudden rise in demand for ethical hacking. India is home to 23% ethical hackers, the highest is the world!

Why Infimind for Ethical Hacking?

Highly qualified trainers of OSCP, CWASE, CEH, ACSE, RHCE, CCNA, CCSA, CCSE, and SPSE
Hands-on practical training in a virtual lab environment
Course completion certificate
Guaranteed paid internship provided
Guaranteed personal attention – maximum of 6 students per batch
Best performer of each batch gets to work on a live-project