Hacking has become a popular part of pop culture. The word hacker is often used to describe someone who has broken into someone else’s computer or network without permission, usually for malicious purposes. However, many different types of hackers perform hacking for good reasons. One type is the ethical hacker. Ethical hackers use their skills and knowledge to find vulnerabilities in systems and networks so companies can fix them before they get hacked by bad actors. In this day and age, it’s important to take some precautions. Learn how to protect yourself from hackers! This blog post will discuss five points you need to know about ethical hacking as a profession.

1. An Ethical Hacker Is a Certified Professional

A career as an ethical hacker requires a significant commitment of time and effort. To become a certified ethical hacker, you must first obtain the appropriate certifications from EC-Council or ISACA. These courses are available online and typically last between 10 hours and 40 hours, depending on your previous knowledge and experience.

Recently, ethical hacking has become more widely recognized as an official job title. According to the SANS Institute, over ten certified professional organizations provide training and certification for individuals looking to pursue careers in the information security industry. Many of these certifications require previous work experience, but many allow you to enter the industry by proving your qualifications.

One of the essential skills you will need to be successful as an ethical hacker is knowledge. Becoming an ethical hacker requires dedication and practice. Many resources can help you learn to hack, get certified, or even land a job as an ethical hacker! The website for the SANS Institute is one of the best places online to start learning how to become an ethical hacker. It contains tons of information, from training courses to research papers on the subject.

2. Ethical Hackers are Paid Well

Ethical hackers can earn a perfect living as they work to protect organizations from cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, ethical hackers who work for computer systems design and related services firms earned an average income of $90,660 in 2016. Many ethical hackers that work for large companies gain even more than this.

3. Ethical Hackers are in High-Demand

There is no single company out there that can’t benefit from having an ethical hacker on staff. Companies constantly strive to improve security, and ethical hackers can provide proof of vulnerabilities they discover. Hence, companies know precisely what they need to fix to make their network secure. With cyber-attacks on the rise, companies have spent a lot of money hiring ethical hackers to do penetration tests. In 2010, Symantec’s State of Information Security report found that US businesses’ average cost of a data breach was $6.5 million!

Job opportunities for ethical hackers are growing. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, computer and network security job openings have grown at a rate of 73 per cent over the last five years, with approximately 821,000 open positions in 2016. In addition, a study by Global Knowledge predicts there will be more than 1 million network security jobs available between 2015 and 2020.

4. Ethical Hackers Need Physical Security Clearance

Some ethical hackers might require physical security clearances as part of their work responsibilities. These positions typically involve installing and monitoring computer systems that secure important information and protect critical computer networks.

5. Network Penetration Testers are Ethical Hackers

Network penetration testers use the same tools and techniques as ethical hackers to identify network vulnerabilities that need to be addressed. However, their goal is not to exploit the vulnerabilities they find but rather to report them so businesses can fix them. Network penetration testers typically work for or are contracted by companies to help secure their networks.

These five points introduce what is required of ethical hackers and the career opportunities available for this type of IT professional. It can be a rewarding but challenging career path requiring dedication, commitment, and significant knowledge of cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities.

BH&S provides information systems technical services to the federal government in support of critical agency missions through our extensive experience developing strategies and solutions that protect against cyber threats; detect malicious activity; respond to data breaches; secure mobile computing environments; execute cloud-based security initiatives, and integrate security engineering with systems development and acquisition.

Conclusion

Most companies are not up-to-date on the latest security measures, technologies, and policies to protect sensitive information. Let’s face it; cybersecurity is complex. What might seem like a no-brainer best practice to you might be entirely missed by other professionals in your industry. Therefore it is critical that businesses implement an intrusion detection system (IDS) to monitor traffic on their network. IDS systems are essential for preventing data-stealing cyber intrusions and successful attacks against information assets.