The term ‘Hacker’
was coined in the 1960s at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to
describe experts who used their skills to re-develop mainframe systems,
increasing their efficiency and allowing them to multi-task.
Nowadays, the term
routinely describes skilled programmers who gain unauthorized access into
computer systems by exploiting weaknesses or using bugs, motivated either by
malice or mischief. For example, a hacker can create algorithms to crack
passwords, penetrate networks, or even disrupt network services.
With the increased
popularity of the Internet and E-Commerce, malicious hacking became the most
commonly known form, an impression reinforced by its depiction in various forms
of news media and entertainment. As a rule, the primary motive of
malicious/unethical hacking involves stealing valuable information or financial
gain.
That said, not all
hacking is bad. This brings us to the second type of hacking: Ethical hacking. Ethical hackers are hired by organizations to
look into the vulnerabilities of their systems and networks and develop
solutions to prevent data breaches. Consider it a high-tech permutation of the
old saying “It takes a thief to catch a thief.”
Ethical Hacking Explained
Ethical Hacking is
an authorized practice of bypassing system security to identify potential data
breaches and threats in a network. The company that owns the system or network
allows Cyber Security experts to perform such activities in
order to test the system’s defenses. Thus, unlike malicious hacking, this
process is planned, approved, and more importantly, legal.
Ethical hackers aim to investigate the system or network
for weak points that malicious hackers can exploit or destroy. They collect and
analyze the information to figure out ways to strengthen the security of the
system/network/applications. By doing so, they can improve the security
footprint so that it can better withstand attacks or divert them.
Ethical Hackers
check for key vulnerabilities include but are not limited to:
·
Injection attacks
·
Changes in security settings
·
Exposure of sensitive data
·
Breach in authentication protocols
·
Components used in the system or network that may be used as access
points
The practice of
ethical hacking is called “White Hat” hacking, and those who perform it
are called White Hat hackers. In contrast to Ethical Hacking, “Black Hat”
hacking describes practices involving security violations. The Black Hat hackers use illegal techniques to compromise
the system or destroy information.
Unlike White Hat
hackers, “Grey Hat” hackers don’t ask for permission before getting into
your system. But Grey Hats are also different from Black Hats because they
don’t perform hacking for any personal or third-party benefit. These hackers do
not have any malicious intention and hack systems for fun or various other reasons,
usually informing the owner about any threats they find. Grey Hat and Black Hat
hacking are both illegal as they both constitute an unauthorized system breach,
even though the intentions of both types of hackers differ.
How Is Ethical/White Hat Hacking Different from Black Hat Hacking?
The best way to
differentiate between White Hat and BlackHat hackers is by taking a look at their motives. Black Hat
hackers are motivated by malicious intent, manifested by of personal gains,
profit, or harassment; whereas White Hat hackers seek out and remedy
vulnerabilities, so as to prevent Black Hats from taking advantage.
The other ways to
draw a distinction between White Hat and Black Hat hackers include:
·
Techniques used: White Hat hackers duplicate the techniques and
methods followed by malicious hackers in order to find out the system
discrepancies, replicating all the latter’s steps to find out how a system
attack occurred or may occur. If they find a weak point in the system or
network, they report it immediately and fix the flaw.
·
Legality: Even though White Hat hacking follows the same techniques
and methods as Black Hat hacking, only one is legally acceptable. Black Hat
hackers break the law by penetrating systems without consent.
·
Ownership: White Hat hackers are employed by organizations to
penetrate their systems and detect security issues. Black hat hackers neither
own the system nor work for someone who owns it.
Roles and Responsibilities of an Ethical Hacker
Ethical Hackers
must follow certain guidelines in order to perform hacking legally. A good
hacker knows his or her responsibility and adheres to all of the ethical
guidelines. Here are the most important rules of Ethical Hacking:
·
An ethical hacker must seek authorization from the organization that
owns the system. Hackers should obtain complete approval before performing any
security assessment on the system or network.
·
Determine the scope of their assessment and make known their plan to the
organization.
·
Report any security breaches and vulnerabilities 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.
·
Erase all traces of the hack after checking the system for any
vulnerability. It prevents malicious hackers from entering the system through
the identified loopholes.
Want to understand the finer
nuances of trojans, backdoors, and countermeasures? Then take up the Certified Ethical Hacking Course today!
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Skills Required to Become an Ethical Hacker
An ethical hacker
should have in-depth knowledge about all the systems, networks, program codes,
security measures, etc. to perform hacking efficiently. Some of these skills
include:
·
Knowledge of programming - It is required for security professionals
working in the field of application security and Software Development Life
Cycle (SDLC).
·
Scripting knowledge - This is required for professionals dealing with
network-based attacks and host-based attacks.
·
Networking skills - This skill is important because threats mostly
originate from networks. You should know about all of the devices present in
the network, how they are connected, and how to identify if they are
compromised.
·
Understanding of databases - Attacks are mostly targeted at databases.
Knowledge of database management systems such as SQL will help you to
effectively inspect operations carried out in databases.
·
Knowledge of multiple platforms like Windows, Linux, Unix, etc.
·
The ability to work with different hacking tools available in the
market.
·
Knowledge of search engines and servers.
