OP 28 September, 2022 - 12:42 AM
(This post was last modified: 28 September, 2022 - 12:52 AM by lunatech. Edited 12 times in total.)
Ethical hacking, also known as penetration testing, is legally breaking into computers and devices to test an organization's defenses. It's among the most exciting IT jobs any person can be involved in. Companies engage ethical hackers to identify vulnerabilities in their systems.
Who is an Ethical Hacker?
Before learning how to become a professional hacker, you should learn the basics. Today, the term "hacker" has negative connotations. An Ethical Hacker is a skilled professional who has excellent technical knowledge and skills and knows how to identify and exploit vulnerabilities in target systems. He works with the permission of the owners of systems. An ethical Hacker must comply with the rules of the target organization or owner and the law of the land and their aim is to assess the security posture of a target organization/system.
Before learning how to become a professional hacker, you should learn the basics. Today, the term "hacker" has negative connotations. An Ethical Hacker is a skilled professional who has excellent technical knowledge and skills and knows how to identify and exploit vulnerabilities in target systems. He works with the permission of the owners of systems. An ethical Hacker must comply with the rules of the target organization or owner and the law of the land and their aim is to assess the security posture of a target organization/system.
How to Become an Ethical Hacker with No Experience
If you have no experience in computer science, the best path toward becoming an ethical hacker is to get a degree. You can:
- Seek certification in IT security;
- Attend a four-year computer science degree program; or
- Attend a two-year program explicitly focused on IT analysis and security.
What Skills Do You Need to Become an Ethical Hacker?
- Technical skills: You need a strong understanding of computer networks and how they work, including an understanding of common protocols such as TCP/IP and Ethernet. You should also be familiar with different types of networking hardware such as routers, switches, and firewalls.
- Programming skills: You don't need to be a master coder, but you should know how to write code in at least one common programming language, like Python or Java. Ethical hacking often requires custom scripting and coding, so the ability to write code isn't optional.
- Problem-solving skills: Ethical hacking is all about finding creative solutions to difficult problems. If hacking were easy, systems would be constantly vulnerable. You need to find ways into a system that the programmers and administrators didn't consider.
- Communication skills: When you find a vulnerability, you must clearly explain it to the people who can fix it. This means writing clear reports and oral presentations. Often, the people you are talking to won't have the same skill level that you have — but you need to be able to convey your discoveries’ importance.
As you can see, ethical hacking is actually a mix of hard skills and soft skills. While that makes the career a challenge, it's also what makes it alluring to many.
What Tools Do Ethical Hackers Use?
Ethical hackers use the same tools as black-hat hackers but for different purposes. Here are some of the most common ethical hacking tools:
- Nmap: A network exploration tool and security scanner. Used to find hosts and services on a network, as well as to identify security issues.
- Wireshark: A packet analyzer that can be used for network troubleshooting, analysis, software development, and more.
- Metasploit: A penetration testing tool used to test the security of systems and find vulnerabilities.
- Burp Suite: A web application security testing tool used to find vulnerabilities in web applications.
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