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Ethical hacking is the polar opposite of "black hat" hacking, which makes headlines for the wrong reasons. While ethical hacking may use similar techniques to black hat hacking, it is typically carried out by a professional company hired to perform testing and adheres to the highest standards.
What is Ethical hacking:
Ethical hacking is the legal access to information that the rest of the world does not have. This type of hacking is done to keep malicious hackers and viruses out of the system or websites. Ethical hackers are hackers who adhere to ethical hacking principles. While hackers are highly skilled at breaking system programmers, professional ethical hackers can use their skills and abilities to restore the security of a compromised system and catch the criminal.
What qualifies ethical hacking as "ethical"? Let's look at how ethical hacking can help businesses protect themselves from attacks, as well as how you can ensure that you're working with genuine ethical hackers.
Performed with consent
Ethical hacking is always done with permission. While the goal of engagements is to accurately replicate the tactics, techniques, and procedures used by cybercriminals, it is never malicious and is always intended to prevent damage and disruption to businesses. A professional cybersecurity firm will ensure that there is a formal agreement in place before conducting an assessment that clearly defines the scope of assessments and maintains client confidentiality.
Performed by experts
Ethical hacking should always be performed by trained professionals who are familiar with the latest hacking tools and techniques and will conduct assessments in accordance with the highest technical, legal, and ethical standards.
Look for organizations that have appropriate ethical hacking certifications - CREST is one of the most well-known and respected accreditation bodies. It is also a good idea to look for companies that have staff certified in a variety of ethical hacking disciplines; this demonstrates the organization's ability to perform a variety of assessments.
Performed by security-cleared consultants
When commissioning an ethical hacking assessment, it is critical to have complete trust in the individuals involved. When conducting a pen test that requires access to highly confidential and/or classified information, businesses may want to consider additional safeguards such as hiring testers with high-level security clearance.
Performed in line with current laws
When engaging in ethical hacking, many legal considerations must be made. Highly sensitive data may be accessed by testers during the normal course of an engagement. They may need to exfiltrate this information in order to achieve an agreed-upon goal. A professional ethical hacking company will take into account legal issues outlined in legislation, such as laws in specific countries/states and regulations such as GDPR.
When planning any type of ethical hacking, it is best to consult with your organization's legal team to ensure that tests are legal. While no ethical hacker intends to cause harm or disruption, there are inherent risks to performing tests on live systems; all parties should be aware of these risks and implement appropriate safeguards.
Performed transparently
It is critical that ethical hacking evaluations be as transparent as possible. To ensure that vulnerabilities are reported and addressed, an ethical hacker will always share findings and offer remediation advice. Throughout the engagement, they should be reachable and provide clear written reports summarizing findings and recommendations.
When commissioning ethical hacking for your company, there are numerous factors to consider. In any case, it is a good idea to work with a highly experienced provider who is willing to walk you through any risks and ensure that the entire process is carried out as safely as possible while producing tangible results.
If you want to start a career in ethical hacking, you should first take an online ethical hacking course to learn everything properly.
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