What is Ethical Hacking? Types, Importance, Roles And Responsibilities

Safalta Expert Published by: Aryan Rana Updated Fri, 16 Sep 2022 11:16 PM IST

Highlights

Ethical hacking refers to hacking that is motivated by moral or ethical principles and done with goodwill. The process of actively implementing security measures to protect systems against hackers with nefarious motives regarding data privacy can also be referred to as ethical hacking in the context of cyber-security.

Table of Content

1. What is Ethical Hacking?
2. Types of Ethical Hacking
3. Types of Hackers
4. Importance of Ethical Hacking
5. Roles and Responsibilities of an Ethical Hacker
6. How can We learn to hack ethically?



Threats to cyber security, data breaches, financial crimes, cyberattacks, and cyber espionage are all common events in the news. All of this is made possible by the fact that those with nefarious motives may now plan these acts while lounging in the comfort of their homes and hiding behind a computer screen. A significantly bigger number of hackers attempt cybercrimes as a result of the ease with which the Internet is accessible around the world. Naturally, this phenomenon has raised the demand for qualified ethical hackers and other cybersecurity specialists. 

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What is Ethical Hacking?


When we discuss ethical hacking, it is indicated that we are speaking about hacking that is motivated by moral or ethical principles and is done with goodwill. Any type of hacking that has the owner of the target system's consent is referred to as ethical hacking. It can also be used to describe the practice of implementing proactive security measures to protect systems against hackers with nefarious intentions regarding data privacy.

Technically speaking, ethical hacking is the process of getting around or breaking the security safeguards put in place by a system to identify weaknesses, data breaches, and potential dangers. The regional or corporate cyber laws/rules must be adhered to for it to be considered ethical. Penetration testing is the formal name for this position. This practice entails trying to sabotage the system and recording the procedures used to do so, as the name would imply.

In conclusion, a legitimate hacker has access to the target system before a malicious hacker can. This enables the organization's security staff to effectively close a security hole that would otherwise allow an attacker to access the system or carry out a hack.

Types of Ethical Hacking

  • Web Application Hacking: Web application hacking is the process of using the visual chrome browser of the software, tampering with the URI, or using other HTTP features not stored in the URI to exploit software over HTTP.
  • System hacking: Through the use of a network, hacktivists can access personal computers. IT security professionals can utilise packet sniffing, privilege escalation, password cracking, and other defensive techniques to counteract these dangers.
  • Web server hacking: Real-time web content is produced by application software database servers. In order to steal credentials, passcodes, and corporate information from the web application, attackers employ social engineering tactics, ping deluge assaults, port scans, sniffing attacks, and glueing.
  • Hacking Wireless Networks: A hacker can simply squirt the system from either a nearby location since wireless networks employ radio waves to communicate information. Frequently, these attackers exploit network sniffing to find the Identifier and bodge a wireless network.
  • Social Engineering: Social engineering is the practice of persuading large groups of people to reveal confidential information. Since it is typically simpler to attack your natural difficulty trusting than it is to figure out how to spoof your gadget, eugenics is utilised by thieves.


Types of Hackers


An individual who uses a computer, networking, or even other skills to resolve a technological issue is known as a hacker. A hacker is anybody who employs their expertise to break the law by gaining access to a system or network.

There are various categories of hackers:


White Hat Hackers


These are the appropriate people who help us on the dark web. White hat hackers, commonly referred to as ethical hackers, are cybersecurity professionals who help the state and corporations by carrying out penetration tests and finding security holes. In order to defend themselves from black hat hackers and other cybercriminals, ethical hackers employ a range of strategies. They enter into our system with the goal of identifying weaknesses and helping you remove malware and viruses.

Black Hat Hackers


The majority of cybercrime nowadays is committed by black hat hackers. A black hat hacker's goal is typically financial the bulk of the time. These hackers probe individual workstations in commercial and financial systems for security holes. By using any openings they discover, they can break into your network and obtain your financial, business, and personal information.

Grey Hat Hackers


Grey hat hackers sit between white hat and black hat hackers. Grey hat hackers may not utilise their expertise for personal gain, but they are still capable of having both good and harmful intentions. For instance, a hacker who infiltrates a company and discovers a vulnerability may disclose it online or notify the company. However, hackers turn into black hat hackers when they exploit their hacking abilities for profit.

Importance of Ethical Hacking


Let's examine the reasons ethical hacking and penetration testing are so crucial. We must comprehend some of the various Ethical Hacking use cases and types in order to accomplish this. Following are a handful of them:
  • Evaluation of password strength
  • Ensuring security settings, privilege levels, and database administration through exploit testing
  • Penetration testing following each software upgrade or update and each time a new security patch is added
  • Preventing the interception of data communication channels
  • Validity checks for authentication protocols
  • Ensuring that programmes have security features that safeguard corporate and user databases
  • Protection from denial-of-service attacks
  • The evaluation of anti-intrusion features and network security

As you can see, the aforementioned activities are crucial to maintaining the integrity of a digital way of life and workplace. You are setting yourself up for failure if you do not employ ethical hackers to counter the threat posed by unethical hackers.

Consider a hypothetical situation that is heavily inspired by historical real-world situations. The information about your client accounts must be saved in databases for your web application if you run an e-commerce or social media website. Birthdays, addresses, likenesses, private multimedia material, privileged messages, payment information, hashed passwords, and other information can all be included in these specifics and data.

As you can undoubtedly guess, any successful assault or website exploit that results in the release of this data to an attacker or the general public can be extremely problematic. Legal implications from the clients who had trusted you with their personal information could result in a costly court fine. Following that, there would be a lack of confidence in the security of your website, which would result in a sharp decline in traffic. Your company will be seriously exposed to all of this.

You may surely comprehend the significance of ethical hacking based on the aforementioned scenario.

Roles and Responsibilities of an Ethical Hacker


Let's discuss the obligations of a Certified Ethical Hacker:
  • To discuss the current security measures with your client, schedule a meeting.
  • The system, network topology, and weak places in the organization's entrance points verification
  • Testing the system for vulnerabilities (s)
  • The process of locating and recording security issues and vulnerabilities
  • The network's security is being tested.
  • The best security solutions should be found
  • Reporting the results of penetration tests
  • Penetration testing is done after adding new security features that have been suggested.
  • Researching replacements for failing security features


How can We learn to hack ethically?


if you're considering working as an ethical hacker. It might end up being among the most inventive and fascinating professional paths. This is partially due to the weekly changes in the hacking environment. You need to continually investigate and keep up with the latest viruses and exploits available on the market. This effort is not in vain since the more effective and knowledgeable you are, the greater the demand will be for you, and you will also receive compensation in line with that demand.

We can see from the aforementioned job description that you must be a "Certified Ethical Hacker" in order to work in the fields of ethical hacking and cybersecurity. This credential isn't just any certification; it's the EC-CEH Council's (Certified Ethical Hacker) designation. The drawback is that you cannot take the certification exam without preparation. This training must be obtained directly from the EC-Council or from a recognised training facility.













 
A permitted attempt to acquire unauthorised access to a computer system, application, or data is considered ethical hacking. An ethical hacker will imitate hostile attackers' tactics and behaviours.

Is ethical hacking simple to do?

Being an ethical hacker is straightforward but challenging. To be successful in the area, you must learn a variety of skills with a programming language and related tools. Additionally, hacking is a constantly evolving field, therefore it's important to stay current with the methods and tools employed.

Who is the world's top hacker?

On hacking, social engineering, and security awareness instruction, Kevin Mitnick is the foremost expert in the world. In reality, he is the creator of the most popular computer-based training programme for end-user security awareness. One part magic act, one part educational lecture, and all parts entertainment make up Kevin's keynote addresses.

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