There’s a negative connotation around the word “hacking”. Despite this, many hackers are using their skills for good, promoting the idea that the internet can be a safer place for all of us.
Understanding the term “ethical hacking” is important for people and businesses alike. It demonstrates that hacking can be a positive thing when used correctly. In this article, we are going to discuss what ethical hacking is, how it can be used to benefit a business, and why you should be aware of it.
What is ethical hacking?
An ethical hacker, also known as a white hat hacker, is a cyber security expert who uses their skills to help businesses and organisations.
They spend their time locating vulnerabilities within networks, which they then report to the relevant organisation. After this, they help the organisations fix or patch these vulnerabilities, leading to their cyber security being strengthened.
A major difference between an ethical hacker and a black hat hacker, a malicious agent, is that they only start a hack after receiving explicit permission from the owner of the network. In this way, they ensure that their attempts to help are not misinterpreted.
The only goal of an ethical hacker is to evaluate security systems, locate vulnerabilities, and help organisations to strengthen their cyber security protection. By doing this before a malicious hacker, they can ensure that the company isn’t exploited later.
What types of ethical hacking are there?
Now that you know what an ethical hacker is, we can start exploring how they go about doing what they do. We won’t go into too much detail here but will provide links to further information, where we can.
- Vulnerability/compromise assessments – These assessments are designed to locate and communicate any vulnerabilities with an organisation’s systems. Once these vulnerabilities are located, they are either fixed by the white hat or by the organisation themselves.
- Penetration Testing – A pen test involves an ethical hacker testing the cyber security defences of an organisation by simulating the attack of a black hat hacker. There are many different methods of penetration testing. Simply, it is a more realistic way of assessing weaknesses in a system.
- Red Teaming – Similar to pen testing, a red team is a group of ethical hackers that work together to thoroughly test an organisation’s systems, a service, a physical facility, or even a type of product. This is all done to test the defences of the chosen environment.
How can I benefit from ethical hacking?
As someone responsible for the security of your organisation’s systems, you might be wondering how ethical hacking can benefit you.
Every organisation is vulnerable to the threats of cybercrime. In the last 12 months, 39% of businesses have experienced a cyber-attack or data breach. Amongst larger businesses, this rises to over 60%. This is expected to continue rising over the coming years as cybercriminals continue to adapt their approach and see greater levels of success.
The main benefit of ethical hacking is that it allows organisations to prepare for these attacks in the best way possible: getting into the mindset of a malicious hacker and truly testing their defences. Only by testing your defences in this way, regularly, can you ensure that your organisation is as protected as it can be.
With even a single tiny weak spot being able to compromise an organisation’s entire network, constant vigilance is required. Realistically testing your cyber security regularly is the only method of staying protected.
On top of this, a skilled ethical hacker, or team of ethical hackers, can save a business a vast amount of time, money, and resources by helping them avoid potentially catastrophic cyber-attacks.
If you need more convincing, just take a look at the list of the largest data breaches in 2021. These organisations suffered badly due to these breaches in reputational, financial, regulatory damages.
Want to find out more about how ethical hacking can help your business? Get in touch with us today and speak to one of our cyber security experts. They will be happy to answer any questions you might have and walk you through a variety of ethical hacking options.
