Ethical Hacking: Requirements, Job Roles, Career Options in Ethical Hacking

Before Joining an ethical hacking course in Delhi, you might have so many questions in your mind such what is ethical hacking, who is an ethical hacker, what are the qualifications required to become an ethical hacker, what are its career options, What are the career options in ethical hacking and how much I can earn from ethical hacking etc. So, all those questions we will be answering here in this article, so the students will be in a better position before joining the ethical hacking course of DICC.

Also Read: Top 25 Ethical Hacking Tools of Kali Linux

White Hat Ethical Hacking or Ethical Hacker are terms used to describe hacking performed by a company or an individual (with the permission granted by the company) to identify potential threats, loopholes or vulnerabilities on a computer or network system and further the ethical hackers suggest the steps to sort out the vulnerabilities.  

What is ethical hacking? Who is a “white hat” hacker?

White Hat Ethical Hacking or Ethical Hacker are terms used to describe hacking performed by a company or an individual (with the permission granted by the company) to identify potential threats, loopholes or vulnerabilities on a computer or network system and further the ethical hackers suggest the steps to sort out the vulnerabilities.  An “ethical hacker” tries to bypass system security and look for vulnerabilities that could be exploited by malicious hackers. This information is then used by the organization to improve system security and to minimize or eliminate possible attacks.

Who is an “Ethical Hacker”?

For hacking to be considered ethical, the hacker must follow these rules:

• Explicit (often written) permission by a company to examine their networks, IP’s, and other data to make an attempt to find out the potential security risks or vulnerabilities of a particular company.
• Respect the privacy of the individual or the company.
• Ethical hackers complete their work and leave nothing open that they or someone else could exploit later.
• They inform the software developers about all security risks that they find in their software or hardware, provided the company is not already aware of them.

What are skills and requirements does an ethical hacker need?

An ethical hacker has the same skills as a malicious hacker, but uses them not to do damage, but to avoid them. An ethical hacker is characterized by his advanced understanding of computers, networks and programming.

#1. Computer basics

A good understanding of a computer, its components and how it works is essential for everyone, not just hackers.

#2. Computer security information

Ethical hackers visit the relevant computer news sites and communities at least a few times a week to keep up with the latest issues and vulnerabilities. They also participate in computer security forums. By participating in these forums, you can not only test your understanding of the topic, but also learn from others. The usual mailing lists for computer security or the special field, such as a special Linux distribution, which is part of the investigation, are not foreign to them.

#3. Hardware knowledge

Extensive hardware knowledge helps diagnose hardware problems and how computers work. Basic knowledge of data processing in computers and processors should definitely be available. Depending on whether special hardware components emerge during the respective examination, further knowledge of hardware architecture is necessary.

#.4 Programming

Learning how software works by learning a programming language is an invaluable tool. It shows an ethical hacker how to speak directly to the computer, programmatically solve programs and execute these solutions efficiently. There is also a better understanding of how the calculations work.

Learning scripting languages ​​such as Perl and PHP and the basics of HTML web design are also beneficial for any ethical hacker.

In this way, weak points can be checked automatically and the behavior of the system under investigation can be analyzed.

#5. Alternative operating systems

Many people use a version of Microsoft Windows that is suitable for home and office use, but ethical hackers also know of alternative operating systems such as Linux. Working with a Linux distribution not only helps broaden your experience, but is also a necessity if you are working on Linux-based servers.

#6. Networking

Networks are essential for modern data processing and computer technology. The Internet would be unthinkable without “networks”. Networks connect home or office computers with each other, enable communication with remote machines and production systems, and for example, monitoring wind turbines – the list of examples and applications. It is important for ethical hackers to know as much as possible about how networks work, including basics like addressing, OSI, ports, protocols, routers, subnet masks, etc.

Of course, it is impossible to be up-to-date and a specialist in all of these areas. Depending on the current examination object and specialization in one area, one skill is more important than the other. However, it cannot hurt to have at least basic knowledge in all of these areas to understand basic relationships.

How to become an ethical hacker? What can you earn?

Students who are interested in obtaining an ethical hacking certification and want to become Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) can also do ethical hacking courses and be able to get an international certification issued by the International Council of E-Commerce Consultants (EC-Council). The exam itself costs around $ 500 and consists of 125 multiple choice questions. The validity of this certification is controversial, since the practice is rather short.

Ultimately, the term “white hat hacker” is not a fixed definition; in principle any talent can call it that. With a certification, however, professional activity and lucrative employment is much higher.

The best recommendation, however, are “work samples” and speculative applications.

The earning opportunities depend on the type of employment and the employer. For freelance ethical hackers, the hourly or daily rates common in the industry apply to experts in computer security. The range of salaries for permanent ethical hackers ranges from starting salaries of INR 30,000 per month to six-figure figures for experienced experts. It is difficult to make a general statement here, since the remuneration often does not consist of a fixed salary, but is made up of a “bug” Bounties “.

What is the future of “ethical hacking”?

The term “ethical hacker” is sometimes criticized by people who say that there is no such thing as an “ethical” hacker. Hacking is hacking no matter how you look at it, and those who do the hacking are commonly referred to as computer criminals or cyber criminals. However, the work ethical hackers do for businesses has helped improve system security and can be described as very effective and successful. The need to check systems for security gaps will also increase with increasing digitization. Therefore, these jobs will also be in demand in the future.