The increased usage of the internet for storing and using data has made it prone to cyber-attacks. The data is nowadays stored in cloud storage which is unsafe for the people. Also, the cybercriminals are becoming more and more advanced with strategies. It can cost so much to the individuals as well as organizations. Therefore, data breaches are also seen to be rising. In fact, the normal firewalls and security systems cannot protect the system completely from data breaches.
Who is an Ethical Hacker?
An ethical hacker is also known as a white-hat hacker who is responsible to hack the computer systems and networks with the good intention of knowing the possible vulnerabilities.
According to Payscale, the average salary of an ethical hacker in India is 618,017 Rupees. And it varies with the bonus pay and rewards across different organizations. So the top companies that hire ethical hackers in India are Wipro technologies ltd, Tata Consultancy Services Limited, IBM India Private Limited, Ernst & Young, Accenture Technology Solutions. The popular job positions include Ethical Hacker, Security Consultant, Cyber Security Analyst, Information Security Manager, etc. So the skills that the recruiters look for in the candidates are scripting languages, other programming languages, a Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) Certification and graduation in the respective field. This also includes skills in Statistics or engineering. As such, professionals interested in this field often take up ethical hacking courses in Chennai, Bangalore, Mumbai or any other city and gain the necessary skills.
Stages in the career of Ethical Hacking
- The Basics
The initial step that most of the ethical hackers and other cybersecurity professionals are observed to take is that they possess a degree in computer science. This is the first important step because it covers all the foundation level knowledge required to understand ethical hacking. Even if you don’t have a degree in computer science, you should focus on the areas of networking, programming, databases, Operating Systems (Linux and Windows).
- Linux Skills
Linux operating systems are popularly used by ethical hackers because they better support the algorithms and other software. Linux is an open-source operating system which can be easily installed. So learn the essential skills of LINUX.
- Network support
Once you are done with the prerequisites of the fundamental knowledge required to work on computer science, you can start performing those activities which support the networks across your systems. So the activities falling under this category are monitoring and updating, installing security programs, and testing for weakness. This plays an important role in making you prepare for the next advanced steps.
- Network engineer
The networking engineering is not just forming the network support systems, but also designing those networks which are safe and reliable to work upon. To become a network engineer, certify yourself with one of the security certifications listed below:
- CEH- Certified Ethical Hacker
- CHFI- Computer Hacking and forensic investigator
- OSCP- offensive security certified professional
- OSCE- offensive security certified expert
- OSWP- Offensive Security Offensive Professional
- CISM- Certified Information Security Manager
- CISSP- Certified Information System Security Professional
- CompTIA Security+
Among these, the popular ones to get certified are the CEH Certification, CISSP and CompTIA Security. The CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker) certification is the certification accredited by EC- council. It is aimed at attacking the networking systems, thereby gaining access to databases, applications, networks and other data systems. Their job is to think like the actual unethical hackers who aim to attack the systems and destroy the data, which in turn costs the organization their privacy and money as well. So, to prevent such harmful loss, the organizations employ ethical hackers who find the vulnerabilities of the networks and databases and provide solutions to safeguard the computer systems.
- Experience on information security
A final step towards ethical hacking is working on information security. The work of an information security analyst is to examine the system and network security, finding the possible solutions for security breaches and work towards aligning the security measures. For this purpose, you should be well aware of the tools and principles used mainly. These make sure that all the processes work accordingly.
It will be very beneficial for you to get well equipped with the certified ethical hacker(CEH). Getting certified will make sure that you have trained yourself in the simulations and project-based environment.
Conclusion:
Since it is very clear from the above-mentioned Statistics that Ethical hackers are needed almost in every organization because most of the data is stored in cloud storage or mostly on other databases, it can become prone to hackers and other cybercrimes. The hackers may even cost a lot of money and privacy of the company which may bear the loss for a prolonged period of time. So if you are a person who is enthusiastic about the technological advancements or someone who is interested in solving the problems, then go for ethical hacking. If you don’t have certification, start by taking up courses available online for Certified Ethical Hacking, when you certify yourself in CEH, the world will open up plenty of opportunities for you.
