Ethical hacking, also known as “white hat” hacking or penetration testing, is the practice of using hacking techniques and tools to test the security of a computer system. The goal of an ethical hacker is to improve the security of the system by identifying and addressing weaknesses that can be exploited by malicious hackers1.
Here are some important rules of ethical hacking:
To become an ethical hacker, it is helpful to have knowledge of coding in relevant programming languages, an understanding of computer networks (both wired and wireless), basic hardware knowledge, creative and analytical thinking abilities, and database proficiency1. There are also many resources available for practicing ethical hacking skills, such as PortSwigger’s Web Security Academy Labs, HackTheBox, HackThisSite, and PentesterLab4.
Here are some important rules of ethical hacking:
- An ethical hacker must seek authorization from the organization that owns the system2.
- Determine the scope of their assessment and make known their plan to the organization2.
- Report any security breaches and vulnerabilities found in the system or network2.
- Keep their discoveries confidential2.
- Erase all traces of the hack after checking the system for any vulnerability2.
To become an ethical hacker, it is helpful to have knowledge of coding in relevant programming languages, an understanding of computer networks (both wired and wireless), basic hardware knowledge, creative and analytical thinking abilities, and database proficiency1. There are also many resources available for practicing ethical hacking skills, such as PortSwigger’s Web Security Academy Labs, HackTheBox, HackThisSite, and PentesterLab4.