In this article, we are going to talk about how ethical hackers are needed in large numbers, quite desperately, as we see cyber crime hitting the roof and disrupting the digital ecosystem. Right from the invention of the Internet, cyber threats have always been prevailing in our digital lives, whether it is stealing a password or sending a phishing mail or spying on someone through their computer camera. The journey of cyber threats has evolved with time, as we can see how hackers who never sleep are continuously leveling up their game every single day. Whether it is government-sponsored hackers or individual blackhats or just some notorious criminals, malicious actors have always been known to create troubles for the weak and the vulnerable. When we talk of cyber threats, we have to address its countermeasure as well, which is cyber security or information security. Ethical hacking has also changed quite a lot in terms of approach, methodologies, techniques, acceptance and awareness over the decades. As compared to a few years back, now we see security products being consumed on a massive scale. Even the talent gap that is always staring at our faces in the cyber security industry is now slowly inching towards closing. But there is still a very long way for us to go in terms of the skills that are required to beat criminal hackers. This article is mainly focused on our desperate need for ethical hackers.
One of the main reasons that the skill gap is so huge is that the rate at which cyber crime is evolving and increasing is way higher than the rate at which cyber security is developing. The attack surfaces increase with every new innovation. Hackers are always the first ones to find vulnerabilities in a software, a new system, or a new hardware and to exploit it before it can be identified and fixed by the manufacturers. Think about app stores that have only recently started including a strict policy for banning apps that do not comply with strict security regulations. And then think about the users, who are insanely untrained when it comes to even basic cyber security hygiene. Every new generation grows up with more and more digital resources and finds their life intertwined with the digital world deeper than their previous generation.
Our desperate need for ethical hackers stems from the fact that offensive security plays a major role in battling cyber crime. Unlike defensive and forensic techniques, which are absolutely necessary in their own place, an offensive approach to information security can act as a preemptive measure for tackling cyber incidents. The number of ethical hackers in the world are not even close to what we require to reach our goal but we can still hope for the best if we keep boosting and promoting ethical hacking training in students from a young age. It is only through ethical hackers that we can hope to identify all those tiny loopholes in our security systems that end up causing the largest of damages. We must understand that encouraging penetration testing is our only way out of the increasing web of cyber crime that continues to engulf and choke us.
From education to training to recruitment to career development, ethical hacking should be made a promising industry for individuals who seem to be our only hope in this war against crime. If you are someone who wants to create a better and safer online world, then you can also use your skills and talent for the greater good by pursuing an ethical hacking career and enrolling yourself for a reputed educational program like the Certified Ethical Hacker or CEH course through an accredited training center or a verified institution by any internationally recognized certification body for ethical hackers.
