The process of identifying the loopholes in a computer or a network of computer systems for the purpose of rectification of such defects and also providing network security as a whole to prevent such probable future onslaughts is known as ethical hacking. Ethical hackers, otherwise termed white-hat hackers, are appointed by organisations to thwart illegal hackers, also known as red-hat hackers, from stealing sensitive data and information for their personal gains. In fact, the profession of ethical hackers boomed after the unscrupulous activities of the red-hat hackers created havoc with the management of some leading organisations in the world.
Besides these two types of hackers, there is another kind of hacker called grey-hat hackers. They, just like red-hat hackers, breach the computer system of an organisation without its permission and locate the vulnerabilities in the system. But, unlike the red-hat hackers, they let the client know about this incident and also help them to find a solution in exchange for a reward. Thus, they are known as bug-bounty hackers.
Thus the key value drivers of an ethical hacker in an organisation are as follows:
- Protect the privacy of an organisation being hacked. Here the term privacy pertains to all classified information, data, bank information, etc.
- Issue a transparent report to the management regarding the observed loopholes in the computer system of the organisation.
- Notify the hardware and software vendors of the identified vulnerabilities so that they work towards a solution.
- Oversee the fortification of the system at the earliest to make the organisation safe from data theft.
- Ethical hacker has to work within the ambit of the contract he or she has signed with the organisation. Any deviations from the contract lead to the violation of the contract, for which the certification of the ethical hacker might be revoked.
Certified Ethical Hacker
There are degree and diploma courses on cyber security, through which one may hone the skills of an ethical hacker. However, reputed companies would like to seek candidates with dedicated certification in ethical hacking before offering a job to them upfront. The reason is the process of trust building since ethical hackers are expected to deal with sensitive information. Thus an ethical hacking certification course has become so important to pursue a career in this field.
The ideal candidates to join an IIT ethical hacking certification course is as follows:
- A bachelor's in technology in computer science.
- Graduate with relevant experience of more than 1 year.
- Diploma with relevant experience of more than 3 years.
Preparation For The Course
It is better if an ideal candidate gets a bit of idea with the following topics before taking the ethical hacking course from IIT. Some of these are mentioned below –
- Network & basics
- Foot-printing or tracking
- Google hacking
- Windows hacking
- Email tracing
- Linus hacking
- Social engineering attacks
- Firewall and bugs
- Encryption and cryptography
- Wireless hacking
- Sniffing or Wi-Fi traffic check
- VPN network configuration
- SQL injection
The following will be the theory curriculum for IIT ethical hacking certification course:
- Secure coding and secure development
- Malware analysis
- Cyber security
- Web security
- Network security
- Access control
- Reverse engineering
- Application security
- Intrusion detection
- Android security
- Network traffic analysis
This curriculum includes a 120 hours hands-on program with interactive live weekly classes. Besides these theory classes, the aspirants have to also complete successfully the projects on the followings:
- Device control
- A host-based intrusion detection system
- A network-based intrusion detection system
- Secure inventory management system
- Application communication protocol testing tool
- Application control
- Memory forensic
- Honeypot
In terms of job roles, developers, managers and leaders participate in this advanced course. They have experience ranging from 3 to even 20 years. The course duration is six months and hence is quite compact. The course will be led by high-class faculty, who are all IIT alumni and professors over there. The course gives the facility candidates to get mentor support from industry practitioners and experts; both in the theory curriculum stage and also during the project phase. Though the course has been primarily designed in an online format, the students shall have the privilege of visiting the IIT campus for the purpose of personally meeting their mentors and discussing issues face to face, particularly before they appear for the examinations for certification.
Conclusion
An ethical hacker actually prevents the organisation from the evil intentions of a red-hat hacker and thereby saves the organisation in terms of money and reputation. Thus, an ethical hacker forms an integral part of the organisation's management since he is aware of and in charge of the most sensitive data. Considering the portfolio, a certified ethical hacker is generally offered a handsome package as a salary. The IIT Roorkee Cybersecurity course at Imarticus is an online course for 6 months. The online classes will be held on Saturday and Sunday. This course will guide you and help you to achieve your dream.
