In today’s time with expanding use of the network and technology, security has placed a major concern lately. Be it in the case of private organizations or government-affiliated organizations. Unethical hacking has been a seriously rising issue that had led to companies be conscious about their network vulnerabilities. So the organizations take up a proactive approach, find out their network vulnerabilities by thinking just the way these ill-intentioned hackers would, and strengthen their networks’ security system. This is where the White Hat Hackers or we can call them ethical hackers come into the picture.
About White Hat Hackers
White Hat Hackers have basically authorized professionals who have expertise in cybersecurity. What they do is hack the system through the loopholes, identify the weak points and finally fix them. They protect the companies from the non-stop battle against cybercrimes. They help the enterprises create a strong defence network system, detect vulnerabilities, and solve them before other cybercriminals can.
Qualities of a White Hat Hacker
Besides the ability to find loopholes and creating strong defense network system, below mentioned are some of the qualities that are possessed by a White Hat Hacker:
- Strong Technical Knowledge
- Problem Solving Ability
- Intelligence and Envision
- Powerful Communication Skills
- Decision Making
- Adaptability
- Patience
- Ability to work under pressure
On top of these personality traits, you will also need to learn how to code. You can select from a variety of coding platforms, including HTML, Java and Swift. You can learn how to encrypt computers and mobile devices. Naturally, you will be required to understand the fundamental concepts of an operating system. By completing a degree in computer science or by acquiring practical experience in computer science, you can learn these concepts.
Roles and Responsibilities of White Hat Hacker
The major role of a White Hat Hacker is always to follow the way how a black hat would, identify the loopholes, and strengthen the security defense system. Not just this, but an ethical hacker does play other conventional roles:
Scanning ports to identify flaws
White Hat Hackers scan ports (computer networking) using tools like Nmap or Nessus to find out any open ports. They study these ports in detail. And ultimately they come up with countermeasures against these cyber attacks.
Examine patch installations
Not only do they scan ports, but also examine patch installations. They keep a thorough examination of the threat actors so that they do not exploit the patch installations in any way.
Social engineering methods
A White Hat Hacker collects significant information using social engineering methods like shoulder surfing. This helps them to protect sensitive data from cybercriminals.
Dodge honeypots, IDS, or other systems
White Hat Hackers try various different methods to gain access and evade the honeypots or IDS. They find out all the possible loopholes that can be accessed by a Black Hat Hacker by avoiding firewalls, IDS/IPS ((Intrusion Detection Systems/Intrusion Prevention Systems), or honeypots.
Sniffing
They also perform network snooping, web server hijacking, and other network-related vulnerabilities.
How can I become a White Hat Hacker?
The pre-requisites of becoming a White Hat Hacker are thorough knowledge in the field of Information Technology and experience in the same area. Not just that, but it too requires continuous up-gradation of the technical knowledge. There’s not really a set standard education criterion for a White Hat Hacker. But, a bachelor’s with or without a master’s degree in Information Security. Computer Science or even Mathematics forms and builds a foundation. Well, there are certain certifications that can be really helpful in the path of the career ahead. Not just that, but the certificate guarantees legal assistance and authenticity.
Vskills Certificate in White Hack Hacking
Vskills certification for White Hat Hacking and Security Professional assesses the candidate for testing and managing the company’s information security. The certification tests the candidates on various areas in white hat hacking and security which includes knowledge of ethics and countermeasures for attacks on system, network (wired and wireless), operating system (Windows and Linux), and web-based attacks. This 20 Hours of E-learning certification helps you in learning the following concepts:
- Cryptography
- Footprinting
- Hacking
- Social Engineering
- Physical Security & Network Attacks
White Hat Hacking career path
There are numerous government jobs in the area of Information Technology, especially in a military capacity. The military has many IT jobs in their cyber warfare division. The government also requires the assistance of IT specialists who can keep updating and upgrading their systems. This is not just because of incidents that had occurred in the past wherein the systems have failed, but also because the government’s enemies are becoming increasingly advanced and trailblazing.
By having an IT career in a government capacity, you can get a government security clearance that will help you obtain even higher positions.
Ethical Hacking Jobs in The Private Sector
While there are many jobs available in the private sector, companies typically look to avoid the costs of having to train entry-level candidates. This makes it beneficial to become proficient in databases and systems and have adequate programming/coding skills. This will help you to get an edge over the competition in the hunt for an entry-level job.
Scope and Employment Opportunities for White Hat Hackers.
For a person to become a White Hat Hacker, one would have to start his/her career as a Tech Consultant or an Information Security Analyst. Employment in the field of Data Science and Information Technology has been increasing at a greater pace than any other average job. As reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of Information Security Analysts is projected to grow 31 percent from 2019 to 2029, which is at a much greater pace than the average of any other job. Demand for Information Security Analysts is expected to be at a very high level, as these analysts will be required to create and generate innovative solutions to prevent hackers from stealing critical information or causing problems for computer networks.
With the increasing number of cyberattacks, it is the need of the hour to employ additional white hat hackers to protect our critical data from malicious and unethical hackers. Presently, the demand for these IT professionals is not limited to the tech industry but is much needed in other industries like banks, financial institutions, the healthcare industry, and others too.
Challenges Of a Unique Career Field
If you are someone who is attracted to challenges and enjoys tackling tough network security problems, then this is the absolute career for you. White Hat Hacking is quite a challenging field of career. It not only tests the intellect and problem-solving ability at tough times but also the persistence and patience along with the ability to battle.
The ultimate challenge for a White Hack Hacker is to “Stay Legal”! That means they can’t break the rules. They are strictly allowed access to which they have been granted permission. Well, ethical hacking is getting even tougher and challenging nowadays because of the pace of how technology has been getting smarter day by day.
Learning Note
On your path to become a White Hat Hacker, there are certain things that you must keep in mind.
First of all, never stop learning. With the technological advancements each day, it is a must to keep educating yourself on a daily basis. This will not only keep you updated with the environment around you but will also help you grow in the path of your career. Next is to be a self-learner. Keep learning from your experiences and mistakes. This will help you improve and be efficient at what you do. The next thing is to stay focused and alert. Never lose an eye from your target. You must be aware of where to put your hacking efforts; in what direction. Then, you must be very cautious and quick at your work. Finally, it is always better to think out of the box. Thinking in a unique way can help you identify issues that developers may have overlooked and that other hackers are not on the lookout for.
