Should You Hire a Hacker? Benefits of Ethical Hacking Services
Why would an organization hire hackers to try to infiltrate its systems? Despite the risks involved, an increasing number of organizations are turning to white-hat hackers, also known as ethical hackers, to test their vulnerability to cyberattacks. Provided an organization understands and has prepared for the risks, hire a hacker service can deliver expert insight into how that organization can effectively enhance the protection of its network and systems.
Just as doctors are experts in the medical profession, hackers are considered experts in the field of cybersecurity, or more precisely, in methods of cyber intrusion. Hackers know how to infiltrate a network and gain access to an organization’s valuable data. Ethical hackers understand the methods of a malicious hacker, but are motivated to help organizations identify and secure vulnerabilities rather than exploit them.
The Hacker Hierarchy
As most computer users are aware, some hackers are malicious and untrustworthy. One noteworthy example of a hacker who transitioned from “bad to good” is Kevin Mitnick. Mitnick is a notorious U.S. hacker who spent time in jail for hacking into 40 major corporations, but he is now considered one of the most knowledgeable gray-hat hackers in the nation and has been hire a hacker by many organizations to help detect vulnerabilities.
▸ Script Kiddies – Script kiddies are among the lowest levels of the hacker hierarchy. They are usually young, techsavvy individuals who are more interested in exploring the Darknet and testing their own capabilities than they are in performing targeted attacks. Script kiddies often discover vulnerabilities accidentally by playing around with technology. Once they discover valuable or private information, such as the password of a celebrity, script kiddies will often continue their activities until they’re caught or access is denied.
▸White-Hat Hackers – White-hat hackers (also known as ethical hackers) are more skilled than script kiddies and usually more respected. Individuals in this category earn the trust of the public more easily than other hackers because they have no previous involvement in illicit activities. Ethical hackers are focused on using their skills to benefit society rather than causing harm.
▸Gray-Hat Hackers – Gray-hat hackers, like Kevin Mitnick, are reformed “bad” hackers who have previously engaged in unauthorized hacking attempts. These hackers once worked on the “dark side” with the intent to harm users through illicit activities, but often due to life-changing events, they now apply their skills to help users and organizations find vulnerabilities in their systems and protect against cyberattacks.
▸Black-Hat Hackers – Black-hat hackers focus on breaking the law through their actions of stated intent. This group includes hackers who conduct disruptive activities against businesses, usually for financial gain. These hackers often use their skills for their personal benefit and their agenda is considered criminal or closely related to the actions of criminals.
▸ Suicide Hackers – Suicide hackers are often associated with terrorist or vigilante groups. One such group is Anonymous, a decentralized international group noted for its attack against governments and other well-known public corporations. This category of hackers assumes an antiestablishment stance with causes that include political, terrorist, or other disruptive activities.
Is Hiring an Hacker Necessary?
Organizational leaders place a lot of trust and confidence in the abilities of their IT department. These departments are full of competent and hard-working individuals dedicated to protecting a company’s systems, so why would leadership feel the need to bring in an outside party?
While IT professionals are often highly skilled at designing and implementing security measures, hackers possess the ability to think outside the box and bypass those security measures. The methods they use may not be on the radar of formally trained IT professionals. Hiring ethical hackers, who share the same natural curiosity and mindset as malicious hackers, can help an organization “test” its network security ahead of a real cyberattack.
This approach, done with the support of the IT department, helps identify vulnerabilities and verify security measures of devices and systems. The information gained can help the IT department enhance its protections.
It’s important that organizational leaders explain that hiring an ethical hacking service is not a test of the capabilities of the IT department, but rather an additional measure to help build the most secure infrastructure possible.
Vetting a Hacker or a Hacking Service
One of the initial hurdles when considering whether or not to hire an ethical hacking service is, first and foremost, if the hackers can be trusted. These individuals will be tasked with identifying a system’s vulnerabilities, which could result in access to highly valuable and sensitive information. This risk must be properly evaluated and hackers carefully vetted.
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