Ethical Hacking
Ethical Hacking :“One is not exposed to danger who, even when in safety, is always on their guard.” –Publilius Syrus (Writer)
Even though you have an authentic, upgraded, and active anti-virus, or your cyber-security measures are top-notch, it is not safe to assume that you have got all the bases covered. The society of hackers is ever-growing and ever-evolving. They constantly upgrade their methods and skills to mow past the security measures.
Cyber-crimes cost an estimated 600 billion dollars every year. That’s more expensive than the capital of a lot of companies. That’s why, these days, people are resorting to unconventional ways to counter it. They hire a hacker, called an ethical hacker, and pay them to find loopholes in their security. Confused? Allow us to help.
What is a Hacker?
Rightfully, based on Google’s definition, “a hacker is an enthusiastic and skillful programmer or user.” However, the popular definition on Google defines them as “a person who uses computers to gain unauthorized access to data.” And that’s correct too.
When we say hackers, people imagine a threat. That perception is somewhat correct, yet, it doesn’t apply to all the hackers. There are many types of hackers. Mainly, they are categorized into three types. They are ‘white hats,’ ‘black hats,’ and ‘grey hats.’
White hats are the good guys, and the black hats are the ones we must be wary of. Grey hats are the majority, do not fall in either category. They don’t cause a lot of harm, and mostly only do it for fun.
Who is an Ethical Hacker?
Google says, “An ethical hacker is a person who hacks into a computer network to test or evaluate its security.”
The ethical hackers are generally white hats. They don’t break in your network with malicious intent. They are paid by the companies to find the openings and weak points in their security network.
These hackers work against the black hats and save you from their attack. Many of the departments concerned with the cyber-security hire a hacker to assist them in finding potential openings and check the quality of their network. Even state hire them to spy on the rival countries and protect their cyber-space.
What is the difference between Hacking and Ethical Hacking?
Hacking and ethical hacking are two different sides of a coin; thereby, they hold huge differences. Here are a few stark differences among both of these activities. Let’s have a look:
Difference 1
Hacking may involve malicious intentions.
Ethical hacking is done without any criminal intentions, with the best interest of the company in their minds.
Difference 2
Hacking involves all kinds of hackers, including professionals and amateurs. They also include different types of hackers, which are black hats, white hats, and grey hats.
Ethical hacking only involves good people, otherwise called the white hats.
Difference 3
Hacking is considered a criminal activity.
Ethical hacking is considered a service. Most legal bodies of private and government enterprises hire professional, ethical hackers to govern and safeguard their websites, servers, personal information, and business data.
Difference 4
Hacking is an illegal activity, which is considered a punishable offense in the eyes of the legal entities.
Ethical hacking is legal since it involves the consent of the individual (person or organization) getting hacked.
What is the Importance of Ethical Hacking?
In current times, concepts like ethical hacking have proven useful. There are a lot of benefits if you are looking to hire a hacker. Some of them are listed below:
- Prevents your data from getting into the wrong hands.
- Test and enhance your network security.
- Prevents any security breaches
- Safeguards customers, clients, investors, etc. data and personal information.
- Prevents cyber terrorism.
- Identifies latent vulnerabilities in your system, allowing you to fix them before an attack.
- Creates a better network security system.
- Brings new ways to prevent cyber-crime.
P.S: And the list is ever-growing.
Hacking and ethical hacking are the same in concept. Both of the activities involve breaking into someone’s network or device. However, the true difference lies within the intentions.
