According to the 2019 Official Annual Cybercrime Report, the annual global cost of cybercrime will exceed $6 trillion by 2021 which is 2X the cost ($3 trillion) from 2015. The same report also predicts that a business will get attacked through ransomware every 14 seconds by 2019, and by 2021 the pace of attacks will increase to 11 seconds.
Hackers have certainly gained infamy for being the bad guys, that use unsavory tactics to make bad things happen. However, you can’t put all hackers in one camp, some hackers, use their skills and expertise only for good. These hackers are called ethical hackers/white-hat hackers/pen testers.
An ethical hacker is a skilled professional hired for their excellent technical and non-technical skill and expertise, used in identifying and dealing with exploits/vulnerabilities, on target systems and networks. What fundamentally makes an ethical hacker different from the much-feared ‘black-hat’ hacker, is the fact that the ethical hacker works with the permission of the system or network owners.
The ethical hacker must not only comply with any rules that the system/network owners see fit but also the laws of the land. The white-hackers main aim is to assess the security posture of an organization or business. In the formal security industry, an ethical hacker is more commonly referred to as a Cyber Security Specialist.
Below are some of the duties of an Ethical Hacker:
Image Source - Sytechlabs
When data is not kept secure, it is not a matter of IF, but rather WHEN, this data will be compromised. According to Manu Sharma (Head of Cybersecurity at Grant Thornton UK), ‘vigilance alone won’t keep businesses safe.’
He further elaborates by saying that businesses that take cybersecurity seriously are not just protecting their data and their customer's data, but they are also securing their competitive edge over other companies in their industry that haven’t done so.
For the majority of decision-makers that are not technology experts in the corporate world, a threat to the organization's competitive edge is quite a compelling reason to take action and take cybersecurity seriously right away.
Ethical hackers are systems and network experts in fending off cyber-attacks and this, therefore, puts them at the front line when it comes to preventing cyber-attacks. In the UK for example, JOBLIFT, reports that the demand for jobs in ethical hacking increased by 3X the rate of supply. (The average monthly increase in ethical hacking job vacancies was up 4% while the average monthly increase in demand for the jobs rose by 12%).
Other reasons for the increase in demand include:
As the number of cyber-threats increases, and the demand for cyber-security increases as well, the need for ethical hackers is also set to try and keep up. In short, the future of ethical hacking jobs is secured for the foreseeable future because no organization/business wants to be left vulnerable.
There are several paths that you could take to become a master at ethical hacking. No single path can be said to be the ultimate path to follow. There are just too many factors, (including personal preferences and character traits) to take into consideration when choosing the best route.
That said, a highly recommended path to follow should be based on the most critical skills that need to be cultivated. Here is a path that you can follow:
Basic networking concepts should be a good starting point because you will learn how different protocols enable different possibilities to connect to a system remotely. As such, you will also learn how to shut down these ports and keep away attackers. A course that you could take to help you with this is CompTIA Network+ Certification.
After the Networking certification training, other cybersecurity training courses that you could take include:
Alternatively, you could simply pursue the Cyber Security Master’s Certification and accomplish several of the above certifications in one convenient package.
By the time you have completed CISSP and CEH (V10), which are both quite advanced, you will be able to find a job that affords you a good living in most countries.
Average CEH Salary: $90K
Average CEH Salary: Rs 599K
Average CEH Salary: C$73K
Average CEH Salary: AU$101K
Average CEH Salary: S$67K
Average CEH Salary: AED 177K
Considering the above ethical hacker salary trends, we can conclude that Ethical Hackers are highly paid and are in huge demand across the world. If the information provided so far has answered all your questions related to ethical hacking as a career choice, you can go ahead and begin your journey in cybersecurity. You can also leave a comment for adding or suggesting any relevant information related to ethical hacking.
Name | Date | Place | |
---|---|---|---|
Cyber Security Expert | Class starts on 6th Feb 2021, Weekend batch | Your City | View Details |
Cyber Security Expert | Class starts on 13th Feb 2021, Weekend batch | Chicago | View Details |
Cyber Security Expert | Class starts on 15th Feb 2021, Weekdays batch | Los Angeles | View Details |
Simplilearn is one of the world’s leading providers of online training for Digital Marketing, Cloud Computing, Project Management, Data Science, IT, Software Development, and many other emerging technologies.
Cyber Security Expert
CEH (v11)- Certified Ethical Hacker
Introduction to Cyber Security
*Lifetime access to high-quality, self-paced e-learning content.
Explore CategoryThe Comprehensive Ethical Hacking Guide for Beginners
Ethical Hacking Roadmap Infographics
What is Ethical Hacking and Type of Ethical Hackers?
Free eBook: Ethical Hacking Salary Report
How to Fight the Good Fight: Ethical Hacking Tutorial
How to Become an Ethical Hacker?