You know about the term hacking. It conjures up the idea of black hat hackers who use green glowing screens to gain access to computers and networks from a dark room anywhere in the globe. Unfortunately, there are real threats that hackers like this pose. They can access the computers of businesses, individuals, and even governments today. The digital threat online has never existed like it does in today’s interconnected world. Because of that there is a growing trend of professionals on the rise. They’re called ethical hackers. This post will explore what that means, what kind of career potential there is, the requirements, the pay, and more:

All about ethical hacking, background, what can you do with it, career potentials, salary potentials, everything. What programs or knowledge do you need? what types of classes do you need to take? Can you train as it online or is it in physical class only?

What is Ethical Hacking?

An ethical hacker is someone who uses their knowledge of IT, Internet, and other digital systems to protect people against outside intruders. They create strategies, software, and physical techniques to prevent outsiders from hacking a system. Their clients can be individuals, businesses, or even large governments.

Typically, the skills used in this career are a strong knowledge of how computers work at the physical level. They also need to know how technologies communicate with each other and what vulnerabilities exist. Knowing command line (also known as terminal) is a large asset; as Linux and Unix based systems that are used in hacking usually have this operating system installed. Microsoft and Apple products often have different engineers who specialize in those technologies. C++, iOS, Android, C#, .NET, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and Java are all technologies that an ethical hacker might encounter in their daily work.

What is it Not?

Ethical hackers do not use their skills for illegal activities. For example, if someone felt that a business was selling products that they didn’t like or was competing with them, they would not hack that network just to spite them. It is quite the opposite: ethical hackers only focus on protecting organizations and people from getting hacked. They hardly ever infiltrate someone else’s system. Usually they only maintain access to the systems that their clients are using.

Why Has It Grown In Popularity So Much?

Every day, the world becomes more connected. The Internet is now the primary way that people communicate across the globe. Technologies have made it such that large amounts of information, such as video, audio, documents, and plain text are transferred very rapidly. Because of this, more vital information like personal banking, finance, customer data, social security numbers, and more are stored on systems. Because these systems are vulnerable to phishing and other cyber attacks, defenders against this activity are highly needed.

What Kind of Classes / Training Do You Need?

Luckily, to start hacking and protecting people, you don’t need years and years of schooling. Sure, there is an advantage to having knowledge of how computers work and a degree. This will put you ahead of others initially. However, like anything, you need to work hard to earn you spot. You need to train on new technologies. The technology landscape is changing rapidly every day and black hat hackers are always trying to stay one step ahead of them. Classes on classical programming, Linux, networking, and more are your best bet for mastering the craft.

Is a Ethical Hacking Course Done With Physical Classes Only?

While it is certainly very true that you probably need some kind of in-person training eventually in your career down the line, whether that’s now or once you’re a pro, there are alternatives. Plenty of online sites have an ethical hacking course that you can take. This has the great benefit of basically letting you learn anything at your leisure from the nice comfort of your very own home, living room, or office. As long as you have a decent Internet connection, you won’t have to worry about accessing your training.

Some Potential Careers

• Information Security Analyst In this role, you’ll look at strategic goals from management. You’ll work with them to analyze their current information structure and plan ways to mitigate risk. Knowing how to communicate plans and actions with management is crucial in this role.
• Cyber Security Analyst This career involves focusing on threats online. Offline threats are often less important in this security role. You should have a strong grasp of high-level principles of programming, networking, and command line.
• Penetration Tester If you like the idea of using your hacking skills, this is a great career. You are hired to act as an assailant. Using your knowledge, tools, and techniques you will try to gain entry into your client’s system to show them where they can improve their security.

Median Salaries of Ethical Hacker Careers

In many careers, you have to worry about working a second job. That’s because the income from your salary isn’t high enough to cover the basic bills, much less extras. However, in the field of technology, that is different. Salaries are much higher on average. Security especially has higher pay than usual. Here are what various ethical hackers can expect to make in their careers:

• Information Security Analyst – $77k
• Cyber Security Analyst – $81k
• Security Engineer – $89k
• Penetration Tester – $84k
• Security Analyst – $76k
• Information Security Engineer – $92k
• Information Security Manager -$116k

When it comes to the modern digital age today, there is an explosion in technology. Previously, such options did not exist. And they didn’t have to. But today, there are cyber threats everywhere. They happen online, offline through USB sticks, and various other media that transfer malware. Companies have to have the right protection to keep themselves from getting attacked. Even the NSA, White House, and Pentagon are vulnerable. Luckily, if you’re looking for high paying, readily available work, ethical hacking is a growing field. It has competitive benefits, plus you know that what you’re doing is truly helping people around the world fight back against unethical hacking.