Ethical hacking involves using programming skills to identify vulnerabilities in computer systems, with the goal of improving their security. White hats can work as consultants or full-time employees for companies. Some ethical hackers have a background in computer science, while others gained experience as former black hats. The increasing use of the internet and concerns about security make ethical hacking an important field. Ethical hackers must be creative and able to think outside the box to identify potential vulnerabilities.
Ethical hacking, often performed by white hats or experienced computer experts, is the use of programming skills to determine vulnerabilities in computer systems. While the unethical or black hat hacker exploits these vulnerabilities for malice, personal gain, or other reasons, the ethical hacker evaluates them, flags them, and can suggest changes to systems that make them less likely to be penetrated by black hats. White hats can work in a variety of ways. Many companies use ethical hacking services offered by consultants or full-time employees to keep their systems and information as secure as possible.
Ethical hacking work is still considered hacking because it uses knowledge of computer systems in an attempt to somehow penetrate or crash them. This work is ethical because it is performed to increase the security of computer systems. It is reasoned that if a white hat can somehow break a system’s security protocols, so can a black hat. Thus, the goal of ethical hacking is to determine how to break or break current running programs, but only at the request of the company that owns the system and specifically to prevent others from attacking it.
People enter the field of ethical hacking in a variety of ways. Many people are very computer savvy, and many, but not all, have an educational background in computer science. In some cases, the white hat gained its experience by being a black hat first.
If black hat hacking were at a sufficiently criminal level, the black hat turned white hat might have served his prison sentence before resuming a career in a more productive and positive way as an ethical hacker. The computer world is populated by former black hats, now doing ethical hacking jobs. In contrast, some white hats, such as Steve Wozniak, have never committed any illegal act, but simply possess the know-how and skills to analyze problems with any computer system.
With the increasing use of the Internet and concerns about its security, especially when it comes to things like consumer information or private medical details, there is a significant need for computer experts to work in ethical hacking. Sites owned by organizations like the US government have also been hacked in the past, and concern about information theft remains incredibly high. Designing impenetrable systems or identifying current weaknesses in a system are vital parts of keeping the internet secure and information private, and even with the current legion of ethical hackers doing this job, there’s still a lot of work to be done.
Those interested in the field of ethical hacking often acquire many of their skills on their own, and many have a particular talent and affinity for computers. Some knowledge may also be acquired through formal education in computer programming. This work requires creativity and the ethical hacker must be able to think outside the box, devising all the possible ways that a system could be invaded by black hats could come about.
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