Want To Become An Ethical Hacker? Guide To Get Started!

You say you want to work as an ethical hacker, but do you possess the necessary skills? The experts say that you most likely do. Contrary to common opinion, the vast majority of hackers lack superhuman intelligence or abilities and instead possess only exceptional research abilities, a lot of patience, and a passion for problem-solving.

The specifics of white-hat hacking will be covered, from the fundamentals to the various careers you can pursue in this industry and what you must do to be eligible for each one. Ultimately, your professional background and experience, your willingness to study and train to obtain specialised abilities, and your overall career goals will determine whether or not an ethical hacking career is suited for you.

The good news is that you can surely learn ethical hacking through study and practise, so settle in as we examine all of your alternatives for moving forward and becoming an ethical hacker.

What is Ethical Hacking?

Hackers vary greatly from one another. Black-hat hackers profit by targeting businesses and governments, then either stealing their data or holding it for ransom in the hopes of receiving a reward. White-hat hackers, on the other hand, spend their days “attacking” their clients to test their security systems and get compensated for their work. As an added bonus, they don’t have to worry about FBI raids either.

And that, in a nutshell, is what ethical hacking is: white hackers, also known as pen testers, work for businesses and governments to safely hack into their systems in order to uncover any weaknesses and fortify their defences.

Professionally speaking, there aren’t many drawbacks in the area of ethical hacking. If your authorised attacks are successful, you can provide a list of vulnerabilities and the best ways to patch them in a report to your clients. As a result, the security system is enhanced and can repel invaders. Your clients will remain satisfied even if your hacking attempts are unsuccessful since they will know that their security measures have shown to be strong enough to withstand an attack.

White-hat hackers who are proficient in cybersecurity are just as important as black-hat hackers in identifying vulnerabilities and entry points in network, infrastructure, and online application security.

Some of the fundamental abilities all ethical hackers require are as follows:

proficiency with operating systems, networking, and database management.
Python and other programming languages are known to be functional.
the ability to initiate phishing assaults or other forms of attacks via social engineering.
compromising applications and web servers.
hacking and getting around wireless encryption.
exploit buffer overflow weaknesses.
injections of SQL.
cracking passwords.
networks for sniffing.
Using applications like Nessus and NMAP to scan both open and closed ports.

3 Top Ethical Hacking Jobs

Although there are many different types and sizes of ethical hackers, the great majority of entry- to mid-level white-hat hackers often operate in an agency environment.

The top-demanded job titles in ethical hacking are:

Penetration Tester: If you’ve always wanted to be a hacker but prefer to operate legally, becoming a pen tester may be the best path for you to take. Just like a malevolent hacker would, you’ll examine computer networks for vulnerabilities, practise cyberattacks, and compromise information systems. The difference, of course, is that you’ll outline the vulnerabilities you’ve discovered in a report, and instead of harming businesses or communities, you’ll be able to assist in the defence against the bad guys.
Vulnerability Assessor: If you enjoy dissecting systems, this could be your ideal career. Vulnerability assessors, also known as vulnerability assessment analysts, explore networks for serious defects and scan applications and systems for vulnerabilities. To help businesses select which changes to prioritise, you’ll typically need to provide your results in the form of an exhaustive list combined with actionable, business-focused recommendations.
Security Consultant: In general, if you have years of effective pen-testing expertise and are an ethical hacker, it might make sense for you to go out on your own and start your own security firm or try out the freelancing lifestyle. You must be able to analyse a wide range of potential cybersecurity threats by running various types of tests and looking for potential breaches because each customer will have a different set of security worries.

Ever hear of “bug-bounty” hunters using white gloves? Popular online communities like HackerOne collaborate with the world’s hackers to identify the most pressing security concerns among the thousands of businesses who join up for their ethical hacking services. You may always get your feet wet by joining up for freelancing work on comparable platforms and develop your cybersecurity abilities while getting paid if you’re not quite ready to completely commit to the ethical hacker life.

What Characteristics Do All Ethical Hackers Share?

White hat hackers are often all accomplished researchers. They frequently spend more time planning their attacks and doing research on their targets than they do actually infiltrating and attacking their targets.

This is due to the fact that the attack phase shouldn’t be too challenging if they’ve done a sufficient amount of study on their targets. Contrary to popular assumption, being a computer prodigy won’t advance your ethical hacking career any farther than dedication and methodical thoroughness.

Where to Begin with Ethical Hacking?

There are numerous ways to become an ethical hacker, as there are for most occupations. However, knowing where you’re going is not enough; you also need to be proficient in cybersecurity and have current knowledge about it.

Let’s say you already work in IT or have information security experience. In that situation, you may only need to brush up on your understanding of the most recent cybersecurity strategies and techniques. Since you are already familiar with the foundations, passing the EC-Council Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) exam—the industry standard for individuals beginning their careers in ethical hacking—might be sufficient for you.

You will discover the most recent hacking tools, strategies, and procedures used by real hackers to legally enter an organisation by studying the course materials for the CEH exam. However, you’ll also need to have some familiarity with servers, networking, and programming languages in order to pass the exam.

Don’t let your lack of technical experience deter you, though. You can still pursue a career in ethical hacking, but it might require some more preparation. Building a strong foundation in network security, Microsoft and Linux security, the fundamentals of Python programming, and many other important cybersecurity topics is the first step.

How to Enroll in a Course on Ethical Hacking?

You can start in the fascinating profession of cybersecurity and grow into an ethical hacking career by enrolling in the California State University, Long Beach’s Cybersecurity Professional Certificate Programme.

Here is a summary of how it functions:

Part-Time Schedule: You can sign up for live and online classes; there will be one class on Saturdays and two on weeknights. Depending on breaks, the program’s 400 hours of comprehensive cybersecurity training can be completed in 10 to 11 months.
The accomplished cybersecurity professionals who will be teaching you will bring their knowledge and real-world experience into the classroom. They will be accessible to answer all of your questions and to guide you as you learn.

Practical Skills: Through cyber labs that simulate real-world cybersecurity scenarios, you will put your new skills into practise. Every course you take has a corresponding set of online tools in our unique platform called CyWar, including study aids and extra hands-on exercises you can do to develop your skills.
Ethical hacking: The programme devotes 50 hours, or 12 sessions, to ethical hacking particularly, instructing you on how to explain and participate in ethical hacking processes and procedures, recognise typical techniques and attack methodology, and carry out conventional cyberattack techniques and methodologies. Additionally, this course can assist you in getting ready for the CEH test and will provide you with the broad foundations needed to follow an ethical hacking career path. This course can help you thrive in cybersecurity and put you on a path to specialise as a white-hat hacker, even though it wouldn’t be sufficient to create the groundwork for a successful career in ethical hacking.
Career Services: The devoted career services staff at the CSULB Cybersecurity Professional Certificate Programme can assist you in planning your ethical hacking career. They begin working with learners early on, assisting you in creating a polished LinkedIn profile, a professional CV, and access to our vast network of hiring partners so you can launch your job search even before the programme is through.