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Best Career Options To Look For In Ethical Hacking

Ethical Hacking Career guide - Salary, Job Roles and Scope
Best Career Options To Look For In Ethical Hacking

A career in ethical hacking requires a proactive stance because the ethical hacker ensures the prevention of cybercrimes and protects cyberspace from any untoward intrusion. The term 'Ethical' means good and legal, including the security professionals that provide offensive services. Ethical hacking is a profitable carrier option, with lots of fun and challenges throughout the carrier. A

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Below we will give a piece of brief information regarding how you can pursue an Ethical Hacking carrier and the path to becoming an ethical hacker. In this, we’ll cover the subsequent topics:-What is Ethical Hacking?

  • Ethical Hacker Definition.
  • What does an Ethical Hacker do?
  • Popular tools used by Ethical Hackers
  • How to become an ethical hacker?
  • Skills required
  • A career in Ethical Hacking?
  • Advantages and Disadvantages of a Career in ethical hacking
  • Conclusion

Ethical Hacking Meaning

Hacking any computers or systems by a company or individual to help identify potential threats on a computer or network for the motive to secure the security loop or flaws. Ethical hacking is the act of looking into computers and devices legally to check for a company's defenses. 

In other words, ethical hacking refers to the technique of identifying the flaws in the network and gaining access to the devices connected to the system, because the information received back is used to narrow the gaps and make their respective network more secure.

Who is an Ethical Hacker?

In layman's terms, A hacker is someone who discovers flaws and security loopholes in products or code and works to fix them; specifically in a network, software, or computer system.

What does an Ethical Hacker do?

  • Find the flaws and vulnerabilities in the computer system.
  • By the security policy, monitor the networks and take appropriate action.
  • Analyze Data from logs and network packets
  • Perform application and infrastructure penetration and intrusion testing.
  • Perform a root cause analysis.
  • A security incident investigation to determine the source of a policy violation.
  • Ascertain that your assets are not jeopardized.

Popular Tools Used by Ethical Hackers

There are numerous online tools available, some of them are mentioned below for you:

  • Maltego
  • NMAP
  • Burp Suite
  • SQLMap
  • Wireshark
  • Hashcat and many more...
Regarding the operating system, it is an individual choice but most of them do prefer the Linux environment systems. One of the most popular operating systems for the security community is Kali Linux followed by Parrot OS and Ubuntu. Kali Linux comes with tonnes of security tools that help security researchers and hackers while performing penetration testing. 

How to Become an Ethical Hacker?

Building a carrier in ethical hacking needs a pre-plan program. This is because many of the companies' or organizations' jobs require to have a Bachelor’s degree in computer science or cybersecurity-related field, exceptions are made for people with techie-sound knowledge of operating systems, databases, networking, and other technical fields. So, if you are looking for the same carrier, then after the 10th, go for the science stream with physics, chemistry, arithmetic, and computing as your main subjects. 

Procure degree:-Most ethical hackers have a computer science degree. Because the majority of hackers have extensive network security experience, ethical hacking is a more advanced career path. This means that on-the-job training and certifications constitute a significant portion of job training. To start a career in ethical hacking, they must first understand computer components and their function or features. Many people learn these skills while pursuing a degree. Look for professors or classes that specialize in ethical hacking and security at universities with strong computer science programs.

Gain experience:- You can start working in network and IT support once you have a working knowledge of computer networking and the 7 layers of OSI. This can help you become familiar with security programs, such as how to update, install, and monitor them for flaws or malfunctions. Here are some jobs that will give you the necessary experience:

  • Security Specialist
  • Network Security Engineer
  • Security Administrator

Acquire certifications:- A variety of certifications are available to help you work as an ethical hacker. Although these certifications are not always required, they can help your CV stand out to security teams. The Certified Ethical Hacker exam is a global certification.

Skills Required To Become An Ethical Hacker

To become an ethical hacker,  you want to  possess the following skills:

  • Proficiency in handling databases and computer networking. 
  • Knowing programming languages like Python, Javascript, C++, C, SQL, PHP, Java, Ruby, and Perl. You can also opt for the Oracle Fusion HCM course that will give a boost to your carrier so do learn programming.
  • Knowledge of hash algorithms and Password Cracking
  • Familiar with networking and its traffic
  • Knowledge of OWASP's Top 10 Vulnerabilities, which are-

    • Broken access control
    • Cryptographic failures
    • Injections
    • Insecure design
    • Security misconfigurations 
    • Vulnerable and outdated components
    • Identification and authentication failures
    • Software and data integrity failures
    • Security logging and monitoring failures
    • Server-side request forgery (SSRF)

Why choose a career in ethical hacking 

Creative Profession:- A significant advantage of this career path is that it is a creative profession that requires you to use your creativity and problem-solving skills to investigate various methods and loopholes through which hackers can gain access to the system, and you must discover all of those loopholes while putting yourself in the shoes of the hacker.

Adaptability in the workplace:- Another significant benefit of ethical hacking as a career option is the ability to work from any location on the planet. Working does not necessitate moving or remaining physically present in an office. All you need is a computer with an internet connection, access to the company's system, and some online tools.

Threats will never go away:- Cybercriminals, on the other hand, will never stop. Businesses will always require protection to stay ahead of the game and maintain customer trust, whether it's updating old strategies to keep classic threats at bay or developing new methods of preventing criminals.

A constantly changing industry:- Our cyber landscape is rapidly changing, and new technology brings with it new threats. As more businesses adopt cutting-edge technology like cloud computing and the Internet of Things, these specialized technologies will face unique security challenges.

With more sophisticated defense technology, cybercriminals will have to constantly devise new strategies to try to breach a company's defenses, putting you at risk.

Advantages and Disadvantages of a Career in ethical hacking

Advantages Disadvantages
There is a vast market demand for ethical hackers. Even though the demand is high, the method of selection and hiring is quite inconsistent.
There is a good chance that this unconventional career choice will be financially rewarding. The certification and therefore the courses’ completion need to be from a recognized university/institute or else it would become bothersome for a career in ethical hacking.
Identifying the weak points in the IT environment and aiding in its prevention. The work may mostly be part-time.
Creating an IT infrastructure that is secure from external threats. Many people out there are using ethical hacking for the wrong purposes, which is leading plenty of companies to not be able to build trust in ethical hackers.

How much can an Ethical Hacker earn?

Because of the high demand for ethical hackers in organizations, as well as the scarcity of professional and certified ethical hackers who can perform the given job with high proficiency, an ethical hacker's average pay is significantly higher than that of other professionals in the same field. 

According to Salary.com reports, an Ethical Hacker's salary range typically falls between $92,400 and $118,169, with an average base salary of $103,583.Ethical hacking is one of the highest-paying career options in terms of pay. For note, pay depends on several different factors, including years of experience, skills, other certifications, education, job level, and location. 

For example, a certified ethical hacker’s pay varies based on skills:

  • Network security management skills — Avg. pay $89,300 / year
  • IT security and infrastructure skills — Avg. pay $85,000 / year
  • Penetration testing skills— Avg. pay $75,076 / year

Final Words

With the necessity for cybersecurity increasing by the minute, job prospects for ethical hackers are sure to increase. All you would require are the qualifications and skills to bag a lucrative role in ethical hacking with an established organization.

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