Ethical hacking and cybersecurity are two sides of the same coin. They protect digital assets in this increasingly connected world. Ethical Hacking, also known as penetration testing and white-hat hacking, uses the same skills any hacker would use to hack systems. This way, they gain access to the system through backdoor channels. The goal is to understand the vulnerable point of a software or product to understand where it needs more protection. This helps companies prepare against cyber threats. Ethical hacking focuses on the techniques malicious hackers use but with a lawful and legitimate purpose.

The online world can be a dangerous place for both private users and public companies. For that reason, systems must be protected against online predators by well-trained cybersecurity individuals. Fortunately, gifted individuals armed with a Master’s in Cybersecurity salary can ensure they earn good money and have a rewarding career. Aside from your innate skill and ability to tweak computer systems, you need to pursue a university education to elevate your abilities. St. Bonaventure University offers individuals the opportunity to achieve all of this. The university’s online Master of Science in Cybersecurity provides several classes, including cloud security and data mining, to help cybersecurity professionals improve their skills. Getting certified or taking courses in cybersecurity keeps your knowledge fresh.

The online Master of Science program is an effective way of strengthening your knowledge. The courses are completely online, and they equip future cybersecurity specialists with the tools and skills they need to counter cyber-attacks. This article will discuss how ethical hacking knowledge can polish your cybersecurity skills and prepare you for a rewarding career.

Ethical hacking helps specialists anticipate every strategy a hacker can use and also helps them find ways to counter these attacks. Now, how does it help improve cybersecurity skills?

Ethical hackers must understand how cyber criminals think to counter their threats effectively. It’s not only about improving your technical skills; you need to adopt the hacker’s perspective. Understanding their perspective means understanding their tools, techniques, strategies, and their motivation.

Start with motivation. Various motivations can drive hackers—some hackers want money, some do it for political activism and industrial espionage, and some just love the challenge that comes with hacking. A cybercriminal that needs money may target e-commerce sites to steal credit card information. A sponsored hacker, on the other hand, may focus on infiltrating government networks for espionage. If you can decipher a hacker’s motive, it becomes easier to know what techniques and strategies they’ll capitalize on.

Hackers usually follow a systematic approach, starting with gathering information about the target. A determined hacker may use social engineering tactics to trick employees into revealing sensitive information. They may also exploit known vulnerabilities in an organization’s software. For instance, a hacker might use a phishing attack to access a company’s login credentials and then move through their network to collect sensitive data.

Knowing their possible approaches helps ethical hackers anticipate potential attacks. It gives these professionals an insight into how hackers think, and this can help them identify what parts of the system are most likely to be attacked and how they might be attacked. This way, they can strengthen defenses before an attack occurs.

Ethical hackers are proactive professionals. They fish out weaknesses in systems and networks. Their proactiveness helps organizations identify and address vulnerabilities before malicious actors (black hat hackers) can exploit them.

Now, how do they achieve this? First, they scan for vulnerabilities. This is when ethical hackers use specialized tools to scan the state for weak spots. These tools can identify unpatched software, insecure configurations, and other weaknesses that will open doors to cyber threats. For instance, most wireless networks are prone to attacks in the form of eavesdropping or unauthorized access.

Ethical hackers may also review codes for software applications. They do this to identify security flaws that may stem from the source code, especially for applications that handle sensitive data. Then, they carry out penetration testing. Ethical hackers simulate cyber-attacks to test the security of systems. How? They breach a network using the same method a malicious hacker would use to identify and fix vulnerabilities in the system.

Once they identify these vulnerabilities, the next step is to mitigate them. They update the software to fix known weaknesses. They also configure networks, disable unnecessary services, enforce strong password policies, and implement network segmentation. They can then train employees on how hackers manipulate individuals and how to ensure they don’t fall prey to phishing attempts.

In cybersecurity, compliance with legal and regulatory standards encourages trust and reliability. A company that not only improves the efficiency of its security system but also follows all laid-down rules can protect data better. Ethical hacking ensures that an organization’s cybersecurity measures are in line with these standards. Being aligned helps avoid costly penalties and reputational damage. Now, how do ethical hackers even ensure organizations are in line with the regulatory standards?

Ethical hackers must understand the regulatory frameworks. They can only assess compliance when you’re well-versed with these regulations. Assessing compliance involves reviewing policies, procedures, and technical controls to ensure an organization isn’t breaking any rules or jeopardizing its cyber safety.

Accurate examples of these regulations are international frameworks such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union, industry-specific regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in healthcare, and standards such as the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) for payment card security.

The primary goal of assessing security and compliance is to know if an organization is protecting personal and sensitive data. Is their data encrypted? Do they have the necessary access controls put in place? and Do they follow data retention policies to the letter? An organization must be able to answer these questions to help cybersecurity specialists know what to investigate and how to prioritize risks.

Ethical hackers not only find flaws but also educate and shift everyone’s mindset toward cybersecurity. How do they do it? They demonstrate how real cyber-attacks occur. This way, they can provide tangible experiences that transform their clients’ thinking. They do this through hacking drills or even training programs that focus on an organization’s specific vulnerabilities and threats.

It’s an approach that instills a mindset where employees see security as an ongoing practical process. They learn to be proactive, question anomalies, and report potential threats. Simply put, it puts them on their toes, and this prepares them for any invasion. Besides, employees are more likely to trust a company that engages in ethical hacking to protect consumers and their data. They feel more confident about their company’s ability to handle cyber threats, and this can also boost productivity.

The world is digital, and everyone, from individuals to organizations, stores their data online. Because of this online traffic, cybercrimes are almost unavoidable. Effective incident response ensures that when the inevitable breach occurs, organizations can respond quickly and efficiently to minimize damage. Ethical hackers develop and test these incident response plans, and there are several ways they do this, including: 

Ethical hackers can create scenarios that closely mimic real-world attacks. See it as a fire drill for cybersecurity. They hack the system and test how effective an organization’s incident response plans are. They also see how well and fast their team can respond to an emergency in a controlled setting. 

During these simulations, ethical hackers can identify gaps in response plans. For instance, they may find that communication breaks down under certain conditions or that some systems don’t respond as expected to the containment measures.

They also directly train incident response teams. These professionals are well-versed in how cyber-attacks work, and they share that experience with an organization’s staff. It’s like learning combat strategies from someone who knows the enemy’s tactics inside out.

Ethical hackers also develop detailed response playbooks that can help organizations prepare against cyber-attacks. The playbooks are step-by-step guides on what to do in the event of different types of cyber-attacks. The goal is to ensure response teams aren’t sitting ducks during attacks.

In cybersecurity, especially in ethical hacking, you’re always on your toes. Cyber threats evolve quickly, and so do the means to combat them. Professionals in this area must keep learning and adapting. How? By staying on top of emerging threats. Cybercriminals are adept at creating new ways around restrictions. Ethical hackers need to know about the latest attacks, such as new malware or phishing tricks, to create tailored responses.

Besides this, every security breach teaches a lesson. Ethical hackers dig into these past breaches to figure out how defenses were broken and how to stop similar attacks. Plus, being part of the ethical hacking community is a big deal. Ethical hackers can stay in the know when they share knowledge and new techniques with others in forums and conferences. The key to this is effective networking.

Risk assessment in cybersecurity is crucial for protecting an organization’s digital assets. Ethical hackers, with their deep understanding of cyber threats, are key to making this process more effective. They’re great at finding weaknesses, not just in technology but also in how an organization and its people work. They might spot a software issue or realize that employees need better training to prevent social engineering attacks.

Ethical hackers are also adept at analyzing threats. They look into who might attack, what they can do, and how likely different attacks are. For example, they might figure out how likely a ransomware attack is based on current trends. These professionals don’t only identify and rank risks; they also suggest how to deal with them, including suggesting technical fixes or changes in company policies and training.

Penetration testing, or pen testing, is a mock cyber-attack used to find weak spots in systems and networks. During pen testing, ethical hackers do things that automated tools can’t, and they don’t only rely on automated scans. They manually test systems and might even create ways to try and break in. They check for flaws in how employees might be tricked into compromising security, such as through fake emails or calls.

Simply put, ethical hackers look at everything—from the company’s DNS itself to its server and web apps. They even explore how secure its wireless networks are. Sometimes, they’ll even check physical security, such as card readers or cameras. During pen testing, ethical hackers act like full-on attackers, testing both digital and physical ways to breach security.

Knowing about ethical hacking really ramps up your cybersecurity skills. It’s about seeing how security works in the real world, not just in theory. If you know the tricks hackers use, you’re better equipped to set up defenses against them.

Ethical hacking helps companies understand the reasons and methods behind cyber-attacks. This kind of insight is key to making better security strategies. For example, an ethical hacker can show how a small weakness could lead to a big data leak, which can affect how an organization decides to use its cybersecurity resources.

In a nutshell, learning about ethical hacking boosts your technical skills and also gives you a deeper insight into cybersecurity. This blend of knowledge, strategy, and hands-on experience is especially valuable in today’s cybersecurity world.

Ethical hacking in cybersecurity offers a practical approach to combat cyber threats. It provides insights into attackers’ tactics and how they can prepare for and combat these attacks. Ethical hacking strengthens cybersecurity and prepares organizations for all sorts of invasions.