Hacking sounds like criminal activity; however, not all hackers have malicious intent. It might come as a surprise, but most software and cybersecurity teams require ethical hackers to test and discover any potential security weaknesses within the system. Despite multiple perceptions about ethical hackers, it cannot be denied that they are required in today’s time and age.
CyberGhost reveals that cybercrimes have increased significantly and have become a severe threat for anyone who uses the Internet daily. The research showed that cybercrime increased by 600% during COVID-19 and is only expected to increase further in the coming years. It is also notable that many businesses and organizations operate online these days, so they are also in danger of getting affected by cybercriminal activities. But where do ethical hackers come in this? Let’s find out.
Why Is Cybersecurity Needed?
Cybersecurity is an essential need these days due to the increasing cases of online scams and identity theft. Despite multiple firewall software and other services, it is not very difficult for cybercriminals to get access to devices if they want to. Cybersecurity measures are required so that hackers can not get access to devices. But how can you test whether a certain cybersecurity measure is strong enough to keep hackers out or not?
How Ethical Hackers Maintain Cybersecurity
Ethical hackers are necessary to maintain cybersecurity due to many reasons. The field of cybercrime is growing exponentially, and it has certainly become a lucrative market. This is why more and more people who know how to hack devices tend to gravitate towards gathering user data illegally or scamming people to make fast money. Due to these practices, the profession of hacking is considered a non-reputable job.
There are also a lot of activist groups that hire hackers to prove a point or to revolt against certain organizations as well. However, all these people do not fall under the category of ethical hackers.
Ethical hacking refers to finding weaknesses within a website code or a software program, using pen testing and other tools to diagnose security issues so the developer can strengthen it. Essentially, ethical hackers are responsible for managing data breaches and controlling damage in case of a breach. They try to find any potential security loopholes among various systems and are also responsible for creating backdoors within programs so that they can access them in case the systems get hacked.
The need for ethical hackers is rising because more and more people depend on online applications to do daily tasks. Similarly, large organizations are also using the Internet to store data. It can be disastrous in case of a data breach for people and organizations, so having ethical hackers can be quite useful for managing data after a breach. It can be said that ethical hacking is very important to maintain a level of cybersecurity.
Final Words
Cybercrime is heavily increasing in today’s time and age, and that is why businesses and organizations need to test their software before releasing them to the public. It is also important for businesses to make sure that their company data remains confidential.
This is why ethical hackers are required by authorities and organizations so they can test software and find their weaknesses. Developers can then choose to create a secure version so that any weaknesses within the code can be removed.