What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Ethical Hacking?

Introduction

Technology has been modified to a great extent in the past two decades and has given rise to new innovations and devices, thereby leading to transformation in the technical field. Adequate upgradation in the technical domain has made life much easier and simpler. Still, on the other hand, it has also given rise to several security failures that various hackers are keen to take advantage of. The increased use of technical gadgets and their constant advancements has made us very much open to malicious practices such as data breaches, hacking, and more. So, a safe and proper technical environment relies on cybersecurity that safeguards us from hackers and cybercriminals. This blog gives a detailed account of what is ethical hacking, along with the advantages of ethical hacking and its disadvantages.

What is ethical hacking?

Ethical Hacking is also known as penetration testing. It is the technique of breaking into networks to search for weaknesses that a hacker might discover and utilize to steal information and cause financial damage or other serious loss. Ethical hacking raises the security of the network by addressing the weaknesses discovered during testing.

Ethical hacking also refers to the approved practice of identifying vulnerabilities in the computer system and bypassing system security to detect data breaches and malicious activities within the system or in the infrastructure of a company. The organization recruits ethical hackers, and the target of ethical hackers is to probe into the system to find the weaknesses that hackers can damage. They gather and analyze the data to find solutions to increase the system's security.

What Are The Types Of Hackers?

In the modern generation, any device or framework can fall victim to malicious people over the web. Ethical hackers need to understand the thought process of the hackers to know the tools they can use and the method they employ to steal data.

There are various categories of hackers, and the names rely on the objective of the hacking framework. There are hackers vs ethical hackers, and they are of three main types: Black Hat Hackers, Grey Hat Hackers, and White Hat Hackers.

• Black Hat Hackers- These are the non-ethical hackers who execute the hacking process to steal data and cause financial loss to the organization. They hack against authorized permissions to gather financial advantages. In contrast to ethical hackers, black hat hackers deploy the wrong methods to steal data from a company. He gets access to the network with harmful intent and utilizes modern technical skills to satisfy their narrow-minded expectations. They work hard to find the weaknesses in the system which they can use to gain financial interest. These cyber criminals cause a lot of harm to people and organizations by causing data breaches.
• Grey hat hacker- A Grey hat hacker combines black and white hat hacking procedures. The gray hat type of hacker handles problems related to national security. This type of hacking is also not allowed as it violates the rules of ethical hacking. However, these hackers do not penetrate into the computer system to satisfy their financial cravings. Rather, they break into a system for their own personal amusement or to make the owner aware of the security issues. Unlike black hat hackers, gray hat hackers do not possess any harmful intention to cause financial loss to the organization.
• White hat hackers- These types of hackers penetrate the network with proper motives. The law also approves white hat hacking, permission is asked from the owner, and a thorough investigation is done to avoid such hacking from occurring to an organization's data. White hat hackers are also called ethical hackers, and they are legitimate cyber security professionals who utilize their potential to search for weaknesses underlying the system before any malicious hacker can. They perform hacking to assist organizations in preventing cybercrimes.

What are the advantages of Ethical Hacking?

Learning ethical hacking is of great advantage in terms of career because you can play a vital role in defending the network from cyber criminals. Following are some of the learning benefits of ethical hacking: 

• Security Analysis and Investigation: You can execute investigations and analyze the system to identify any security errors or weaknesses and prevent hackers from stealing data.
• Network Strengthening: Learning ethical hacking helps install a network to strengthen the system's security.
• National Infrastructure Protection: It helps the organization safeguard the nation's infrastructure from cyber criminals.
• Trust and Data Security: Learning ethical hacking allows you to install the best security methods to maintain trust with the organization in securing their data.
• System Analysis and Reporting: You can also carry out an approved analysis of the system within the organization by identifying and reporting security holes to prevent hackers from attacking the system.
• High-Paying Job Opportunities: Last but not least, ethical hacking skills are in high demand, and professionals with these skills often command high salaries. Many organizations are willing to pay a premium for experts who can protect their systems from cyber threats.

So, these are some of the learning benefits of ethical hacking. Now, let’s see why these skills are in so high demand and why big organizations are ready to pay a fortune to ethical hackers! After all, what benefits of ethical hacking do organizations leverage?

Ethical hacking does provide numerous benefits that greatly improve an organization's cybersecurity defenses. Let's explore some of the key advantages of ethical hacking:

1. Discovering Vulnerabilities from a Hacker’s Viewpoint

Ethical hackers use a distinctive approach by thinking and acting like malicious hackers, but in a legal and controlled manner. This strategy enables them to uncover security gaps that might be missed by standard security assessments. By anticipating how attackers could exploit these vulnerabilities, ethical hackers offer valuable insights that help implement more precise and effective security strategies. This approach ensures that weaknesses are identified and addressed promptly.

2. Safeguarding Against Data Breaches and Security Threats

Ethical hacking acts as a proactive defense mechanism to address vulnerabilities, helping organizations prevent major security breaches that could lead to substantial financial losses and damage their reputation. By identifying and resolving security issues before they can be exploited, ethical hacking protects the organization’s data and maintains the trust of clients and partners. This security approach minimizes the risk of costly incidents that could interfere with the company’s operations and strategic goals.

3. Adhering to Regulatory Standards

Many industries must adhere to stringent compliance standards that mandate regular security evaluations, such as penetration testing. Ethical hacking supports these efforts by ensuring that organizations meet these requirements, helping them avoid severe legal penalties for non-compliance. Regular ethical hacking by penetration testers can streamline the audit process and serve as evidence of compliance. As a result, it becomes easier for organizations to adhere to industry regulations and standards.

4. Boosting Security Awareness and Training

Ethical hacking goes beyond merely assessing security protocols; it is integral to an organization's educational efforts. It helps increase employee awareness about emerging threats and underscores the significance of following cybersecurity best practices by learning what is cybersecurity in detail. This form of training equips staff to identify and address security threats effectively, thereby strengthening the organization’s overall security culture. It promotes ongoing learning and adaptation, which are essential in the rapidly changing landscape of cyber threats.

5. Building Customer Trust

Consistent ethical hacking demonstrates to customers that an organization is dedicated to safeguarding their data. This proactive approach to security can greatly boost customer trust and confidence in the brand. A strong reputation for security can serve as a major competitive edge, fostering greater customer loyalty and potentially drawing in new clients.

6. Cost Efficiency

Although there are upfront costs associated with ethical hacking, these are relatively minor compared to the potential expenses resulting from data breaches. Costs from breaches can encompass direct financial losses, regulatory fines, legal expenses, and enduring damage to reputation. Investing in ethical hacking helps mitigate these risks significantly, providing a return on investment that far surpasses the costs of reactive security measures.

Disadvantages of Ethical Hacking:

• This can cause harm to the files or data of a company.
• Ethical hackers can utilize the data obtained to carry out malicious practices. However, faithful hackers are expected to be successful in this domain.
• The costs to the organization are increased by recruiting ethical hackers.
• Ethical hacking can penetrate into the privacy of the company or an individual.
• It disrupts system operation.

Some More Ethical Hacking Challenges

In addition to the drawbacks mentioned, there are also some other ethical hacking challenges. For instance, the scope and effectiveness of ethical hacking depend heavily on the expertise and diligence of the ethical hacker. If not conducted properly, the testing could miss critical vulnerabilities or, conversely, introduce new issues into the system. 

Moreover, managing the balance between thorough software testing and maintaining operational stability can be tricky. Ethical hackers need to navigate complex permissions and ensure their actions do not inadvertently compromise sensitive information or disrupt business operations. 

These challenges highlight the need for well-defined ethical hacking procedures and clear communication between the ethical hackers and the organization to minimize potential negative impacts.

What Are The Stages Of Ethical Hacking?

To get the hacking done right, ethical hackers follow certain steps to hack into any system that is password or security-protected. This process comprises the following stages: 

• Reconnaissance - This stage refers to the demonstration of the accumulated information identified with details and starter data of your purpose to prepare to attack in a better way. It can be performed indirectly or with great force. Hackers will spend a lot of their time at this stage.
• Scanning - This is an introductory level of throwing the attack. Here, the hackers analyze open ports and services. They utilize port scanners and dialers to check the services.
• Gaining access - The basic structure of the computer network will be made based on reconnaissance and scanning. The hackers enter the targeted network by getting to one or more devices to eliminate the information from the target.
• Maintain access - Here, the hacker will be in an invisible mode to avoid getting caught while working in the host environment. As soon as the programmer receives entrance, he paves the road for future cyber crimes by consolidating the purpose. The hacker also checks the way through other deviations like rootkits and Trojans.
• Covering Tracks - The hackers cover the track to get seen and identified by the technical team. He clears the evidence of hacking along with all log files and records.
• Reporting - This is the ultimate stage where the hacker eradicates the evidence of the data breach to document the final outcome and carry out remediation activities. 

How Does Ethical Hacking Help Industries?

Small and medium-sized enterprises and ethical hacking are constantly pressured to apply adequate security measures to prevent different types of cybercrime. Governmental agencies and financial establishments are susceptible to advanced cyber crimes due to the huge amount of data generated and stored in the computer system. Sensitive data is leaked within the organization without sufficient preventive actions.

However, ethical hacking has a huge role in SMEs, business organizations, or governmental bodies. Grey hat hackers identify security breaches within the company for the benefit of society. Eventually, it would be expensive for SMEs to implement strong security actions to prevent cyber crimes. Ethical hackers go against ethics by asking for a high rate for their services to financial bodies. 

Ethical hackers form a vital part of the company, and SMEs should find potential methods to secure the data against cybercriminals. A simple yet affordable way for SMEs to safeguard private data is by accessing free web tools for ethical hacking. In this case, every piece of information needs to be well maintained on the outer infrastructure.

Future scope of Ethical Hacking

Ethical hacking has a vital role for governmental bodies or financial establishments, which generate a high amount of confidential data. They also agree to pay a handsome salary to professional, ethical hackers with proper insight into ethical hacking. The requirement for certified ethical hackers is expected to grow at an alarming rate in the next few years.

Ethical hackers act as a shield to protect the organization with a tool known as ethical hacking. The growing career in ethical hacking includes advanced technologies that need extra capacities. An experienced, ethical hacker gets paid more, and if anybody wants to enjoy such a position, he needs to crack the certified ethical hacker exam.

Governmental agencies and financial organizations are rapidly growing in this domain. The number of ethical hackers is assumed to increase with each passage of the year. Brands like Google, and Amazon pay a whopping salary in the range of $2L-$4L per year at present.

How To Become An Ethical Hacker?

Ethical hacking career opportunities can be incredibly lucrative if you have the technical and problem-solving skills. By engaging in ethical hacking, you can aid any organization by protecting them against hazardous cybercrimes. But how to become an ethical hacker?

Here’s how to become an ethical hacker. You can start your career in ethical hacking by looking for certification courses in ethical hacking. In these certification courses, you can hone your skills, gain knowledge, and claim to have the required experience in helping any organization against cyber attacks or fix any of its security vulnerabilities. 

To launch your career in the IT industry, we offer the certified ethical hacking (CEH) certification course. Through this certification course, students can confidently claim that they have expert knowledge in identifying weaknesses and vulnerabilities in any target system. And also have the same depth of knowledge as any malicious hackers and hence can easily evaluate the security backbone of the targeted system or organization.

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Conclusion

Get ready to begin your career in Security Domain and become the most capable ethical hacker with the necessary skill set. The ethical hacking profession is growing at a high rate because financial and governmental agencies are ready to pay a good amount to tackle the increasing cyber crimes. If you want to go ahead and outshine in this field, then the certified ethical hacking course is your right choice; here, you can learn how to become a certified ethical hacker. You can also sign up with Janbask Training to learn more about how to become a certified ethical hacker to pursue the ethical hacking course and become an expert in this field.

FAQs

Q1. What is the process of becoming a certified white hat ethical hacker?

Ans:- Every organization has their own requirements for the position of white hat ethical hacker. However, a bachelor’s or master’s degree in information security, computer science or mathematics offers a solid ground to begin the career as a white hat ethical hacker.

Q2. Explain the job of a certified ethical hacker.

Ans:- A certified ethical hacker is someone who is a legitimate user of the knowledge and the devices and identifies and closes the open holes of a weak security within the organization.

Q3. What prerequisites are required to take a certified ethical hacker course?

Ans:- You need to have at least two years of IT experience and a basic knowledge of Linux or Unix to attend the certified ethical hacking course.

Q4. Mention the various types of jobs a hacker can get?

Ans:- Following are the career path which an ethical hacker can pursue: 

• Information security analyst
• Security analyst
• Certified ethical hacker
• Information security manager
• Penetration tester.

Q5. Mention the most suitable ethical hacker course for freshers.

Ans:- If you want to know the process of becoming an ethical hacker , then you can go for any course which provides data related to programming languages and software. BCA, B.Tech computer science is the most opted ethical hacker course. There are numerous institutes which provide ethical hacking courses for a short duration to help you sharpen your hacking skills and pursue your career as an ethical hacker. 

Q6. Name the various types of hacking attacks.

Ans:-

• Malware attack
• Phishing attack
• Password attack
• Man-in-the-middle attack
• Injection attack

Q7. Explain the motive of Green hat hackers.

Ans:- The Green hat hackers look for problems and weaknesses related to the security within the computer system without the permission of the owner. They are primarily motivated by financial interests and power. 

Q8. How much salary does an ethical hacker earn?

Ans:- According to Payscale, a certified ethical hacker earns an average salary of $82,966.

Q9. What is the role of a gray hat hacker?

Ans:- A person who misuses moral protocols without possessing any bad intention like the black hat hackers, is referred to as a gray hat hacker. He may execute activities which might not be totally in compliance with the law but they often work with an honest intention. 

Q10. Give an example of ethical hacking.

Ans:- Unauthorized access to an email account or getting access to a distant system to which you don’t have permission and attaining data to which you are not authorized are all instances of ethical hacking.