By Akshaiyaa VS
In todays world of frequent malware attacks, it is it is common for people to lose ot on personal information and at times even money with the simple click of a mouse or touch of a phone button. Recent examples of the Wannacry ransomware worm whereby a ransom in the form of bitcoins was demanded to provide the decryption key for the affected computers is just one amongst the long list of attacks.
The term hacking always brings a destructive picture in our minds thanks to popular culture, whether it is of an anonymous group stealing our login credentials to some technologically savvy students attacking their school or university networks to change their bad grades.
What exactly is ethical hacking?
Our vulnerability to cyber-attacks has increased and normal security measures are not enough. Although it may sound like an oxymoron, ethical hacking is necessary for cybersecurity. Ethical hackers might use the same techniques used by crackers to intrude into websites but they do so with the intention to find security threats and eradicate them. Also, unlike crackers, ethical hackers obtain permission from the organization before breaking into their sites to fix the security flaws. Also known as the penetration testers, they are the white hats of the society.
Most ethical hackers start off as network administrators, while some are software developers. It is surprising to note that a few of the hackers are from mathematical backgrounds and what connects these hackers is their love to solve challenging puzzles to penetrate through vulnerable networks and find flaws. Thinking from the perspective of an attacker and identifying the security holes enables them to do their job effectively.
Ethical hacking requires a profound knowledge of computer systems and networks along with a zeal to solve challenging puzzles.
What are the methods of ethical hacking?
Collecting information about DNS servers and IP ranges is the first step to successful hacking. Penetration testing enables hackers to get an overview of the network and its vulnerabilities and paves way for successful attacking.
The probe and attack method enlists the use of already existing tools to exploit networks. This is a time-consuming process, especially in case of brute force attacks. Also, being alert to the changes in the network is necessary to get insider access to root accounts in a corporate network. Information received is retrieved in the form of log files.
The most crucial part of hacking is to leave no trace behind. If not properly dealt with, the attacker might get his hands on the information already stored by the ethical hacker.
These methods are used by both hackers and crackers, the difference being only in their intentions. While crackers work to get access to sensitive information, hackers do it to rectify the flaws in the network and improve its security.
The risks and ethics behind the job of an ethical hacker
As outlined before, the only difference between the job of ethical hackers and hackers is their intention, thereby, all ethical hackers need to document their work. Since crackers perform their attacks in odd hours, hackers may have to compromise on their daily schedule. Additionally, trust is a major issue in hacking and one wrong move could bring their career to a standstill. The code of ethics while hacking involves non-disclosure of the clients information to others.
The biggest challenge that hackers face is explaining the security flaws to the company and training them to protect their data from penetration in the future. Being transparent to the clients is the key here. Creating long reports for executives without jargon takes long hours and they have to explain the vulnerabilities found in the system along with their method of tackling it. Hackers also have to employ caution and minimize vulnerability, as minor mistakes can come at the cost of profits for their organization.
Despite being legally bound by their agreements, hackers might, at times, need to break a few rules without the organizations knowledge in order to perform successful penetration testing, perhaps making their jobs more grey than white.
Technology evolution in machine learning and artificial intelligence has made our lives easier while simultaneously opening doors to attackers. However, as cyber-attacks increase, so do the security measures to counter them and introducing ethical hacking as a course in universities would help curtail such attacks.
Akshaiyaa V S is an analyst at Qrius