‘How can hacking be ethical?’ I hear you ask. Ethical hacking is actually carried out by a lawful hacker whose job it is to use the same knowledge and tools as a malicious hacker to identify potential weaknesses in a computer system, network or web application. Sometimes called a penetration tester or white hat hacker, their job is to try to bypass system security and identify vulnerabilities which could be exploited by malicious hackers. This then allows the company or individual who engaged them to raise their security game and minimise the risk of a potential attack.
In order to be ethical, the hacker must have permission to attempt to search for potential security risks, adhere to the businesses privacy policy and ‘close all opened doors’ within the system i.e. make sure their actions don’t leave the system or network at any greater risk of exploitation. They must also report any vulnerabilities found in software or hardware and recommend mitigation strategies, so that appropriate action can be taken by the business or individual.
To become an ethical hacker, candidates must undergo official training to get them to think like a hacker and take an exam to become certified.
We’re really proud of David, one of our lovely engineers, who now has his very own ‘white hat’ after immersing himself in the hacker mind set and completing his Certified Ethical Hacker course. Something which both great for us and of course something which our clients will benefit from.
There is a still a question on many people lips as to whether hacking can actually ever be ethical. Could it lead to a misunderstanding of the phrase or could the power to ‘ethically hack’ fall into the hands of the wrong person? One thing is for sure, trust in your ethical hacker is so very important.