How to hire an ethical hacker online.
How to hire an ethical hacker online: Ethical hacking is an explicit process of accessing a computer system, database, or application. It is an authorized way of infiltrating the firewalls of a digital device to reform, change or protect a digital network.
Performing an ethical hack involves duplicating strategies and actions of unauthorized persons who have attacked the digital network. Doing this helps to identify the vulnerabilities in the organization’s security framework and how to fix them before another attack happens.
Ethical hackers, also known as “white hats, “are professionals with the requisite understanding of security protocols. Their work in the organization helps to improve the cyber security framework of the organization. With due permission from the “higher-ups” of the organizations, they do the opposite of malicious hackers; they prevent cyber-attacks.
Also known as “white hats,” ethical hackers are security experts that perform these assessments.
To be an ethical hacker, one needs to have a variety of computer skills. The ethical hacking domain usually specializes in a particular area, becoming subject matter experts (SMEs).
However, every ethical hacker should have these skills:
- Expertise in programming languages.
- Working knowledge of operating systems.
- In-depth knowledge of networking.
- An understanding of information security principles.
Ethical hacking experts follow four key protocol concepts:
- Stay legal – Secure access by obtaining permission in advance.
- Define the scope – Assess the scope of ethical hacking work so that it’s legal and abides by the organization’s policies.
- Report vulnerabilities – Keep the organization informed about all vulnerabilities discovered in the assessment. Make recommendations for resolving these vulnerabilities.
- Respect data sensitivity – If the data is sensitive, ethical hackers might need to sign a non-disclosure agreement and other terms and conditions imposed by the organization being assessed.
How are ethical hackers different from malicious hackers?
Using their expertise, ethical hackers bolster the technological security of organizations. In addition, these professionals are vital in providing these businesses with security by searching for failure points that may allow a security breach.
An ethical hacker notifies the organization of identified vulnerabilities. The ethical hacker also offers recommendations on how to address the vulnerabilities. In many cases, re-tests are performed to ensure all vulnerabilities have been fixed with the organization’s consent.
An individual who hacks maliciously intends to gain unauthorized access to sensitive resources (the more sensitive, the better) to pursue financial gain or personal recognition. In some cases, malicious hackers deface websites or crash back-end servers to cause financial or reputation damage. However, those methods and vulnerabilities are not reported. Cybercriminals don’t care about enhancing security.
According to a report by ISACA, they discovered that 92 percent of companies and organizations that require the services of an ethical hacker do not know where and how to find potential professionals.
Here are ways by which you can hire an ethical hacker:
Ethical Hacking Certificates
Credentials in ethical hacking are available from several organizations. This includes EC-Council, Firebrand, The InfoSec Institute, and SecureNinja. There is no guarantee for any of the organizations listed, but EC-Council seems to be the most reputable. If you intend to hire an ethical hacker, be sure to do your research on each one of them. Also, you might consider approaching these organizations to see if they would circulate your job ads among the graduates of their organizations.
Online Hacking Competitions
There is a growing trend of employing occupation-specific competitions to appeal to the most talented candidates. For example, join the online Cyber Security Challenge created by the British intelligence agency Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ). According to GCHQ, this competition is a “new virtual game from the British intelligence agency to identify future cyber-security talent in a fictional aerospace company that is threatened by a cyber-attack.”
Develop and promote an ethical hacking competition to attract and identify hackers who can expose system weaknesses. In addition, you may need cybersecurity talent from hackers who succeed in your competition.
Online Ethical Hacker Marketplaces
On a job-by-job basis, ethical hackers are available through several online marketplaces. CyberSploits, for instance, states clearly that only ethical and legal hacking is acceptable on its platform.
CyberSploits has established itself as a favorable and first-choice marketplace for anyone who wants to hire an ethical hacker. It has a policy for its hackers to be exclusively legal and ethical before they can join the platform. It also makes sure that only the best of the best are enlisted within its database.
With CyberSploits, you are guaranteed a routine top-notch service that is second to none.