If you have seen old cowboy movies, you would know bad guys are the ones that wear black hats, and good guys wear white hats. The same Wild West symbolism works for the cyber security field as well. The black hat hackers use nefarious activities to bug the system and use the data. And white hat or ethical hackers are the superheroes who spoil the bad guys’ plan and prevent them from stealing information.
So, the next time you look down upon hackers, see both sides of the coin- ethical hackers and black hat hackers…….
So, what exactly do black hat hackers do? Is there an opportunity for individuals to establish their cyber security careers as ethical hackers? Let’s dig a little deeper to find out!
Black hat hackers –who work on the dark side use malware, ransomware phishing, and other tactics to conduct virtual break-ins, loots, and heists. And white hat hackers use the latest ethical hacking tools to prevent them from doing so. The good part is with the rise in cyber security crimes; the job market is hot for ethical hackers as companies are ready to pay a handsome salary to aspiring candidates.
Who is an Ethical Hacker, and what are the Requirements to Become One?
“To beat a hacker, you have to think like one” – Ethical Hacking Council
A white-hat hacker is someone who uses hacking techniques to break into a system, test the defense mechanism, and identify potential security weaknesses. Ethical hackers perform various activities like penetration testing, vulnerability assessments, and innovative strategies to keep the organization safe from bad guys.
Roles and Responsibilities of an Ethical Hacker
Ethical hackers are not only responsible for penetration testing. Their job roles and responsibilities go beyond it. To gain the skills and perform the following roles, enroll in our top-rated cyber security course-Certified Ethical Hacking Course.
- Scan the open and closed parts using reconnaissance tools like Nessus and NMAP
- Use social engineering methodologies
- Perform vigorous vulnerability analysis to evaluate patch releases
- Use tactics like sniffing networks, bypassing and cracking wireless encryption, and hijacking web servers and applications.
- Prevent hackers from accessing and stealing private data
- Enhance the defense mechanism of the company
- Safeguard information and assets to gain the trust of the customers and investors
Skill Set Required to Become An Ethical Hacker
- Network traffic sniffing
- Orchestrate various network attacks
- Exploit buffer overflow vulnerabilities
- SQL injection
- Password guessing and cracking
- DNS spoofing
How Much do Ethical Hackers Earn?
According to Payscale, certified ethical hackers earn an average annual income of $80,074. According to the EC _ council senior director Steven Graham, the average salary of a certified ethical hacker is $ 95,000. Also, the founder of NoWiresSecurity, Eric Geir, estimated a more conservative salary of $50,000 to $100,000 per year. Experienced candidates can earn up to $120 00 per year. Enroll in our ethical hacking certification training course to earn a handsome salary.
Key Statistics About the Cost of Data Breaches that Highlight the Need for Ethical hackers
With trillions of dollars at stake, data breaches have become a common phenomenon for top names in the IT sector. From major corporations, restaurant chains, financial firms, social media sites, and ad secretive government agencies all face the brunt of cyber-attacks. According to the 2020 Cost of Data Breach Report from IBM, the average cost of a data breach is $3.86 million. Also, a 77-page report from Digital Guardian reported: 507 organizations from 17 industries and 16 regions found that cost of a data breach will range from $1.25 million to $ 8.19 million.
Amongst the countries that report the highest data breach USA tops the list with an average cost per data breach of ($8.19 million in 2019). The worst-hit sectors are healthcare, financial services, and energy.
Common Careers Candidate can Opt for Ethical Hacking
- Penetration Tester
- Vulnerability Assessor
- Information Security Analyst
- Security Analyst
- Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
- Ethical Hacker
- Security Consultant
- Security Engineer/Architect
- Information Security Manager
List of Top Companies that Hire Ethical Hackers
Tesla: $167,552
Bank of America: $158,947
Lenovo: $145,745
Stellaris: $122.159
Google: $120,000
HackerRank: $116,353
IBM: $110, 457
Little Caesars: $107,861
Test: $ 103, 931
US Army: $96,000
A Career Guide on How to Become an Ethical Hacker
If you want to enter the cyber security field as an ethical hacker, School.infosec4tc has in store for you the best real-time cyber security projects on ethical hacking. Apart from our certification courses like the Ultimate Ethical Hacker Bundle Training Course, there are other ways to become ethical hacker. Let’s explore them one by one.
Earn Ethical Hacking Certifications
If you have an ethical hacking certification, you get a higher chance of qualifying for a hacking job. Some of the professional certifications you can opt for include:
- Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
- Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
- Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)
- SANS/GIAC Certification
Earn a Master’s Degree in the IT Field
Numerous companies either require or prefer candidates with master’s degrees. Some reasons you should earn a master’s degree include:
- Gain comprehensive knowledge and practical skills
- Get a competitive advantage in the job market
- Demonstrate work experience in the form of in-depth and hands-on sandbox lab work that simulates real-world scenarios.
Enroll in Online Ethical Hacking Courses
Numerous online platforms offer certified ethical hacking courses. One thing that differentiates us from the rest is that we provide real-life training and allow candidates to work on real projects to gain practical knowledge.
And, did we tell you now our top-rated ethical hacking courses are available on a limited period discount offer.
Full Ethical Hacking Course 2021: earlier was $50 now at $25
The Ultimate Ethical Hacker Bundle Training Courses: earlier was $79 now at $59
So, do you want to become an ethical hacker? We would love to have you in our course.