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With the growing digitalization of systems, businesses need to ensure that they are secure and capable of protecting their data. Hacking is a process of intruding on digital assets or devices to steal sensitive or confidential data. In contrast, Ethical Hacking is also hacking but a good one.
In this blog, we will discuss everything you need to know about becoming an Ethical Hacker. So let’s dive right in!
Table of Content:
- Who is an Ethical Hacker?
- Role of an Ethical Hacker
- How to become an Ethical Hacker?
Top skills
How to become one?
- What is the salary of an Ethical Hacker?
- Conclusion
Who is an Ethical Hacker?
Ethical Hackers are the good guys fighting cyber security threats and fixing security vulnerabilities within digital systems to avoid data theft. Ethical hackers are appointed by businesses to check the security of their systems and processes to ensure complete comprehensive data protection from hackers.
Ethical Hacker, with permission and by all proper authorization, penetrates inside the network and other systems to check for any loopholes or vulnerabilities. They think like hackers who attack these systems to steal data for personal or economic gains.
Ethical Hackers need to stay updated on all the advancements in the field of hacking, the modus operandi of big hacking groups, new tools, and new methods of hacking systems to stay ahead of hackers to offer complete protection to the organization they are working for. Technical skills are crucial for an Ethical hacker’s career path, and enrolling in an ethical hacking course will help you get access to structured content.
Role of an Ethical Hacker
Every company will need more expertise to ensure its data is secure from cyber-attacks. So they employ Ethical Hackers to check and fix issues to enable a more secure environment. So, an Ethical Hacker’s roles and responsibilities are:
Hack own systems: Ethical Hackers’ main responsibility is to hack into their systems to scan for any security vulnerabilities and loopholes that hackers could use to hack into the system.
Document the findings: They also need to document all they find properly, and any security loopholes that could become a threat to hackers could use.
Fix the security loopholes: After penetrating the system and documenting the findings, Ethical Hackers have to fix the security loopholes to ensure no security breach happens under any condition.
Ensure that sensitive information is safe: Ethical Hackers should never disclose their findings under any conditions to others. They also have to sign Non-Disclosure Agreements.
Diffuse hacker’s attempt: The core task of Ethical Hackers is to diffuse hackers’ attempts to attempt a security breach to steal confidential information. They have to think like a hacker while hacking into these systems to ensure that their security systems are in good condition and fix any loopholes, security weaknesses, and vulnerabilities that a hacker could take advantage of.
How to become an Ethical Hacker?
There are several technical skills that you must acquire to become an Ethical Hacker:
Top skills:
We will discuss the following one by one:
Computer Skills
Before becoming an Ethical hacker, one needs to master all computer systems. These skills include Data processing, presentations, managing databases, programming, spreadsheets, Social Media, Enterprise systems, etc.
Gain expertise on LINUX
It’s very important to gain expertise in LINUX, as it offers the best security for computer systems and is also the most used OS for hacking purposes. Kali LINUX is one of the most popular LINUX distributions used for hacking.
Learn Computer Networking
Computer Network is an interconnection of multiple devices for the transmission of data. Learning computer networks like Subnetting, Supernetting, and DHCP will offer more insights into computer networking which will help ethical hackers to understand the potential security threats and how to handle them.
Programming Skills
Programming is a must if you wish to become an Ethical Hacker. So the best and only way to master this skill is to write a lot of code! Practice is the mantra to gain mastery over programming. Ethical hackers use some of the most popular programming languages: Python, SQL, C, JavaScript, PHP, C++, Ruby, etc.
You must have basic hardware knowledge.
Hardware is all the physical devices that form a part of a computer, like CPU (Central Processing Unit), graphic card, motherboard, storage devices, mouse, keyboard, monitor, etc.
Database and Cryptography
An Ethical Hacker must have a good understanding of databases and how to store, retrieve, and handle them, as all the data about a business will be stored in a database. So Ethical Hackers must ensure total security around it.
Cryptography is a very important and crucial skill one must acquire to become an expert in Ethical hacking. It helps convert normal texts into unreadable cipher text that will ensure that data remains secure.
Problem Solving
It not only pertained to Ethical hacking but, in general, as time progresses. Problem Solving is such an important skill that everyone should pay attention to. This single attitude and skill will help you learn everything else.
How to become one?
Suppose you are a beginner at Ethical hacking; it’s best to have an undergraduate degree. If you have one, you could acquire all the top skills mentioned above. Meanwhile, getting into internships, coding boot camps, and other competitions will help you gain real-time experience. ‘
In addition, social networking skills will be game-changing for your career. So start networking with professionals, interact with them, learn from them, get their advice, and get your codes reviewed; these all will help you upskill fast and become an Ethical hacker.
What is the salary of an Ethical Hacker?
Ethical Hacker is a good career today, and in the coming time, a secure data environment is essential. An Ethical Hacker in the US will earn an annual average of USD 96,675, which varies with skills, certification, experience, and location.
Conclusion
I hope that this article clarifies what an ethical hacker is, how to become one, and the top skills one needs to possess.