For any tech-savvy young person looking for a career in a thriving field, it’s hard not to suggest ethical hacking. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, it’s expected that the IT security field will grow by 18% by 2024, and that demand is outstripping supply. Furthermore, an IT security analyst in the US makes roughly $96,040 per year, even rising to $100,000 in some cases.
So, with a good salary and a lot of opportunities in IT, why should you consider ethical hacking?
What exactly is an ethical hacker?
Sometimes called ‘white hats’ or ‘penetration testers,’ ethical hackers are IT professionals who attempt to infiltrate digital networks and internal servers with the purpose of locating and fixing any potential security weaknesses. Due to the fact that businesses are regularly susceptible to online hacks and ransomware threats, ethical hackers are employed so that any vulnerabilities are patched up before an “unethical” hacker were to breach a system. Ethical hackers can work either for one company exclusively or for an agency and test multiple systems each week. Understanding the difference between white, grey, and black hats is important to know, by the way!
For students studying IT in college and even people with good tech skills but are new to the scene, hackathons have recently become a potential springboard for networking opportunities and finding work contacts. In addition to cash prizes in some fun competitions, businesses searching for the best new talent will often visit hackathons and commence recruitment pitches. Read more about what a hackathon entails if this sounds like something for your own skills and personality.
What training/qualifications are needed?
As for training to become an ethical hacker, most companies would ask for at least a bachelor’s degree in computer science, as well as a deep knowledge ofcybersecuritytrends and awareness of web and network-related protocols and technologies. While not 100% necessary, many white hats working today have reported the benefit of picking up specific ethical hacking certifications, such as Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), GIAC Penetration Tester (GPEN), and Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP). A decent command of programming languages like C++, Java, PHP, and Python wouldn’t hurt, either.
The bottom line.
Regarding why exactly you should choose a career in ethical hacking, it simply feels good knowing that you’re on the frontlines to stop attacks happening from cybercriminals, and are part of the workforce who is thinking up new defense tactics. White hats are in high demand, as no business wants to have their systems brought down by a nefarious criminal hacker. Find the vulnerabilities in a system before the bad guys, and you’ve saved a company a lot of money and headaches. You’ll also get the chance to train others in good tech practices and command a lot of respect from whomever you end up working for after your training.
