Steps to become a successful paid Ethical Hacker

In the history of the internet, network security has always been a problem. The field of ethical hacking has gained significant traction over the last few decades. While malevolent hackers want to gain access to systems for their gain, ethical hackers seek to keep those systems secure from harm.

Ethical hacking involves breaking into a system on purpose to check its defenses or install various apps and safeguard it from cyberattacks. Most often, businesses will hire an ethical hacker to perform penetration testing. These hackers are highly skilled in computer security and play a crucial role in protecting the integrity of an organization's IT infrastructure.

Roles of an Ethical Hacker

When testing the security of a company's IT infrastructure, ethical hackers should try a variety of hacking techniques. That's right; they're paid to act like hackers do and use every trick in the book to foil any attempt at illicit access. If you're looking for a lucrative career, consider ethical hacking.

However, you'll need a lot of networking and coding chops before you can call yourself an ethical hacker. As an added precaution, you should be well-versed in every central operating system to better foresee potential hacking techniques. If you're thinking about entering the world of hacking, familiarizing yourself with the many subfields is a necessary first step. This will help you decide what ethical hacker you want to be.

Types of Ethical Hackers

1. Hacktivists

To break into a computer system illegally for political or social motives is known as hacktivism. Hackers can leave a cryptic message on the homepage or cause the site to crash entirely. That's how some people express their discontent, though.

2. Cyberwarrior

Yet another ethical hacking nebulous topic. Cyberwarriors are hackers and computer experts who engage in cyber conflict. This refers to one nation or state's attempts to damage another's networks or computers. It's up to the person to decide whether this kind of hacking is morally acceptable.

3. Black Box Penetration testers

A hired hacker is paid to break into a computer system or network on behalf of a third party. This hacker is acting evilly, searching for security flaws in a network to exploit them. A hacker in this situation knows nothing about the target network. His ability to identify weak spots allows him to guide how to make the site more secure.

4. White box penetration testers

A firm or individual may pay a hacker to access an unauthorized computer system. The hacker here acts as a black box hacker and benefits the company that hired the hacker. In contrast, white box hackers are provided exhaustive details about the target system. The hacker acts as though they are an employee of the company to make an attack look more plausible.

5. Licensed penetration tester

This hacker serves as both black box and white box testers. To do this, he probes networks and systems to find where he can find some loopholes from which he can penetrate the target system. The aforementioned ethical hackers all need to renew their certifications every three years.

How to Become a Paid Ethical Hacker?

1. Evaluate your skills

It would help if you began by taking stock of your current abilities. You need a genuine interest in using and improving computer systems to succeed in internet security. People with these traits are adept at mathematics and solving complex problems. These qualities make the prospective student an ideal fit for an ethical hacking program.

2. Find a good school/platform

Learning about cyber security and information technology is essential if you want to work as an ethical hacker for a living. For illegal hacking, you'll also need to be familiar with the software and hardware used in the process. You can find a decent school anywhere in the globe that offers an Internet security program and teaches all the required skills in ethical hacking.

3. Learn hacking skills

Ethical hacking requires various abilities; therefore, the training and experience needed to earn a certification as an ethical hacker are crucial. Hacking laws, wireless network hacking, viruses and worms, and phishing are topics covered in ethical hacking courses. Students are also taught the methods used by cybercriminals to break security measures like passwords and firewalls. It will be necessary to expose the kids to actual dangers and situations. By doing so, they can learn how to prevent the illegal usage of hacking tools by actually trying them out.

4. Get certification

Obtain the credentials to practice as an ethical hacker once you've built the necessary expertise and knowledge.

What is Ethical Hacking Certification?

Graduates of a course in ethical hacking can take the Certified Ethical Hacker exam, which the EC Council offers. The EC Council provides training for certification in the practice of ethical hacking. Even if an individual does not wish to take an ethical hacking course but does seek accreditation as an honest worker, they are still required to provide proof of eligibility. It is possible to qualify with two years of relevant work experience in information security. A 70% or more score is required for the candidate to pass. This investigation will cover various topics, including hacking techniques and procedures.

Conclusion

You need to prove to the employer that you are trustworthy before they recruit you to work as an ethical hacker. Because hackers have access to private networks, they can steal hundreds of thousands of bits of information essential to society. You must verify that you possess the required credentials and training and demonstrate that you deserve this trust for a specific task as expected by the concerned company or client.

Among them is the chance of starting at a far higher income than you would expect, which is only one of the numerous perks of pursuing a career in ethical hacking. You can investigate further how much money you may make as an ethical hacker in this industry. Within the larger realm of cybersecurity vocations, ethical hacking is merely one of several jobs in high demand.