Why Ethical Hacking is Necessary or Important?

Today our topic is about why Ethical Hacking is so Necessary for nowadays. Where it is used and many other things.

Also Read: Information Security Overview

As technology is growing at a faster pace, so is the growth in the risks associated with it. To beat a hacker, you need to think like one

Ethical hacking is necessary as it allows to counter attacks from malicious hackers by anticipating methods used by them to break into a system.

Ethical hacking helps to predict the various possible vulnerabilities well in advance and rectify them without incurring any kind of attack from outsiders. As hacking involves creative thinking, vulnerability testing, and security audits cannot ensure that the network is secure.

To achieve security, organizations need to implement a “defense-in-depth” strategy by penetrating their networks to estimate vulnerabilities and expose them.

Also Read: Hack Phone Calls, Whatsapp to read messages without touching the user phone(SS7)2019

Reasons why organizations recruit ethical hackers

• To prevent hackers from gaining access to an organization’s information systems
• To uncover vulnerabilities in systems and explore their potential as a risk
• To analyze and strengthen an organization’s security posture including policies, network protection infrastructure, and end-user practices
• To provide adequate preventive measures in order to avoid security breaches
• To help safeguard customer’s data available in business transactions
• To enhance security awareness at all levels in a business

An ethical hacker’s evaluation of a client’s information system security seeks answers to three basic questions:

What can an attacker see on the target system?

Normal security checks by system administrators will often overlook several vulnerabilities. An ethical hacker will have to think about what an attacker would see during the reconnaissance and scanning phases of an attack.

What can an intruder do with that information?

The ethical hacker needs to discern the intent and purpose behind the attacks to determine appropriate countermeasures.

During the gaining-access and maintaining-access phases of an attack, the ethical hacker needs to be one step ahead of the hacker in order to provide adequate protection.

Also Read: The Security Triangle (Security Model)

Are the attackers’ attempts being noticed on the target systems?

Sometimes attackers will try for days, weeks, or even months to breach a system. Other times they will gain access but will wait before doing anything damaging, instead take their time in assessing the potential use of exposed Information. During the reconnaissance and covering tracks phases, the ethical hacker should notice and stop the attack.

After carrying out attacks, hackers may clear their tracks by modifying log files and creating backdoors, or by deploying Trojans. Ethical hackers need to investigate whether such activities have been recorded and what preventive measures have been taken.

Also Read: Security Threats and Attack Vectors

This not only provides them with an assessment of the attacker’s proficiency but also gives them insight into the existing security measures of the system being evaluated. The entire process of ethical hacking and subsequent patching of discovered vulnerabilities depends on questions such as:

• What Is the organization trying to protect?
• Against whom or what are they trying to protect it?
• Are all the components of the information system adequately protected, updated, and patched?
• How much time, effort, and money is the client willing to invest to gain adequate protection?
• Are the information security measures in compliance with industry and legal standards?

Also Read: What Is Honeypot? Trap For Hackers !!

Sometimes, in order to save on resources or prevent further discovery, the client might decide to end the evaluation after the first vulnerability is found; therefore, it is important that the ethical hacker and the client work out a suitable framework for investigation beforehand.

The client must be convinced of the importance of these security exercises through concise descriptions of what is happening and what is at stake. The ethical hacker must also remember to convey to the client that it is never possible to guard systems completely, but they can always be improved.

If you need more information about how to start the journey into cybersecurity. You can contact us by email or you can comment below we will definitely help you as soon as possible.

-Ajinkya Kadam