Here's what you need to know about ethical hacking

Becoming a certified ethical hacker is a dream for many. A career in ethical hacking provides ample opportunities for growth for young professionals. With the rise of internet users in India, the threat of security breaches also increases. And, no matter how big or small the enterprise is, there is always a chance of getting hacked. One of the estimates states that there is one attack every 11 to 14 seconds. Hence, in the post-COVID world, it is more likely that the digital revolution will continue to rise and the demand for ethical hackers will fly. 

What is ethical hacking?

Ethical hacking is a type of white-hat hacking where an individual or group of people is responsible for finding loopholes within the business network's security. Companies provide ethical hackers with all information so that they can break into their systems to find the flaws and threats to tighten up the security. 

Is ethical hacking a good career choice?

As an ethical hacker, you might be working with a major company that will give you all the details to break into the system to find the loopholes with the security system, and you have to keep the security intact. Or, you might be working with a giant database of information about a school or military, and you have to keep the safety of the information intact. The job responsibility depends on expertise and interest in pursuance. 

However, no matter in which domain or enterprise you are working, the job has its challenges. One way to pursue a career is by joining a company where you will work as a core team member. But, apart from it, you can also work as a freelancer. Smaller companies hire freelancers for short-term projects. But, it is essential to understand that like most careers, the demand for ethical hackers comes with experience; the more you gain experience, the more you will be able to get opportunities. 

Recently, the Government of India said that cyberattacks in India rose by 300% in 2020. This shows the advent of cybercrimes in India with the virtualization of most operations. Also, recently data of 2 crore Bigbasket users was leaked. And, a popular snacks company in India, Haldiram, also witnessed a cyberattack. Thus, most companies are now increasing their spending to protect their information. According to an estimate, global spending on cybersecurity will exceed $1 trillion by 2022.   

Salary of an ethical hacker 

A certified ethical hacker can earn around Rs 1.7 lakh per annum and with the proper expertise, this earning can reach the Rs 40 lakh mark. However, this salary might vary with location and job roles. Some of the factors that affect the salary of ethical hackers are: 

1. Experience
2. Location
3. Skills
4. Job role
5. Employer 

To succeed as an ethical hacker, you will need specific top-notch skills. A few of the skills that are in demand are: 

1. Problem-solving skills
2. Database skills
3. Cryptography skills
4. Computer networking skills 
5. Reverse engineering 
6. Programming skills 
7. Computer skills 
8. Basic hardware knowledge 

A modern cyber security course offers all details of ethical hacking and prepares a candidate to become a successful professional. Most of the common programs that ethical hackers need include:

1. SQL
2. PHP
3. Python
4. JavaScript
5. Perl
6. Ruby
7. C
8. Java
9. C++ 

Thus, candidates who have an introductory knowledge of data science can opt for an advanced cyber security course to have a deeper understanding of the subject. Otherwise, opting for a beginner's course will be beneficial.