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Top 10 Skills of an Ethical Hacker
In this blog, you will read about the 10 skills that you definitely need to acquire to become an Ethical Hacker.
10:31 15 April 2021
Ethical Hacking is an essential need as it allows professionals to legally break into networks and systems to find potential threats and anomalies that an attacker may exploit and gain access to significant data of the company. This technology aims to allow professionals to fix network vulnerabilities that were found in the testing phase. Ethical Hackers make use of numerous tools and methods to look for any malicious activities, protect the company systems, and prevent any future attacks by securing the network and systems of the organization. To gain proficiency in this trending IT domain, sign up for the best Ethical Hacking course now and take the initial step towards building a successful career as an Ethical Hacker.
In this blog, you will read about the 10 skills that you definitely need to acquire to become an Ethical Hacker. However, before getting into that, let’s try to briefly get an idea of who Ethical Hackers are and what they do.
Who are Ethical Hackers?
Ethical Hackers are IT professionals with expert knowledge and skills in hacking techniques. They make use of these methodologies to create a defense system for the company’s security to protect it from all types of malicious attacks and identify areas that can be exploited by hackers and fix them. They scan for these vulnerabilities in the company security by performing various tests in the information systems of the company.
These professionals utilize their computer knowledge to find the weaknesses in the system security of the company and use that knowledge to secure them from potential attacks and hackers with wrong motives and intentions.
Now that you have briefly learned about Ethical Hacking and who Ethical Hackers are, let’s get to the main topic. We will now discuss the skills that are necessary to become an Ethical Hacker.
- Programming Skills
In almost every job role in IT, you will be required to code and create programs. Hence, to get into most IT fields, including Ethical Hacking, it is significant for you to have excellent skills in one or more programming languages, such as SQL, C++, C, Java, Perl, JavaScript, and so on. You can learn more about these programming languages by referring to a good Web Developer certification. It is one of the most basic and crucial skills that you need to acquire to become an Ethical Hacker. It will give you the ability to gain access to the necessary software and build programs that will keep the systems of the company protected from unwanted access and security breaches.
- Knowledge of Database Management Systems
To be an Ethical Hacker, you must have in-depth knowledge of Database Management Systems or DBMS as it is the core of building and managing databases. If an unwanted user gains access to the company’s database consisting of crucial data, it can impose a massive threat to the company. Ethical Hackers are responsible for making sure that the company’s DBMS is secured and safe from such threats. Besides, you must also be familiar with various data schemas and database engines to be capable of building strong DBMS for your company.
- Computer Skills
Skills in computers refer to the ability that allows professionals to make the best of computer systems and other similar technologies. When we say you need computer skills to become an Ethical Hacker, it means that you need to have skills in managing computer files, data processing, etc. Apart from these basic skills, you must also learn some advanced-level computer skills, such as programming languages, managing databases, spreadsheet calculations, and more. Moreover, some of the mandatory computer skills include database management, dealing with enterprise systems, MS Office, social media, editing the registry, working with command line in Windows OS, etc.
- Skills in Linux OS
Linux is an open-source free operating system similar to Unix, based on the Linux kernel. The source code can easily be updated and distributed to anyone under the General Public License (GPL). One of the significant reasons why you should learn Linux to be an Ethical Hacker is because Linux is among the most secure operating systems and is less vulnerable compared to them. Further, since most web servers run on this OS, it is significant for you to gain access to the Linux server and look for loopholes as an Ethical Hacker. Moreover, skills in other operating systems like Fedora, Ubuntu, etc., can be beneficial for you.
- Cryptography
Cryptography works with converting regular messages and texts to a format that is uncomprehensive during transmission such that it is unreadable by hackers. It is the job of Ethical Hackers to make sure that the data shared within the organization with the various members do not leak. This technology consists of a combination of algorithms and keys that helps in securing data. It involves various methods to secure data, such as hashing, encryption and decryption, digital signature, and more. It is an essential skill to learn to become an Ethical Hacker.
- Networking Skills
Computer systems are often connected through a network that allows them to share information. Networks can broadly be classified into three major categories; Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), and Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) and knowledge of these will allow aspiring Ethical Hackers like you to explore various interconnected computer systems within a network, identify probable security threats that it may pose, and how to deal with them.
Further, to be an Ethical Hacker, you should also be familiar with the numerous network topologies like Bus topology, Star topology, Mesh topology, and Ring topology as they will help you find and fix security breaches and vulnerabilities in the network.
- Understanding of Web Applications
Web applications are a significant part of online businesses. This software can be accessed via the Internet by users and has increasingly become a breeding ground for all types of hacks and cyber attacks. This is one of the reasons why Ethical Hackers must learn web applications and use their knowledge to understand the attacking patterns on the web, understand various methodologies of hacking web applications, and protect sensitive business data.
- Basic Skills of Hardware
To be a professional Ethical Hacker, you must have an understanding of hardware as it has the tendency to cause security breaches. You should be familiar with the working of machines, motherboards, a combination of BIOS and CMOS, using USBs to transfer data, etc., to protect it from any potential cyber threats.
- Experience in Penetration Testing
Ethical Hackers must have skills in penetration testing as it allows them to find anomalies in the company systems. This testing process allows professionals to mitigate any vulnerabilities before it gets exploited by external users. The process of penetration testing includes five major steps that are listed below:
- Reconnaissance
- Scanning
- Getting access
- Managing access
- Analysis
You need to perform these steps with the help of numerous tools and technologies, like Metasploit, NMap, etc.
- Skills in Various Tools for Hacking
To make sure that the company is completely secured, it is important for you as a potential Ethical Hacker, to have skills in numerous tools in the field of Ethical Hacking to be capable of protecting the company from various possible attacks.
Check out this Ethical Hacking Video Tutorial that will help you to become an Ethical Hacker!
Conclusion
This ‘Top 10 Skills of an Ethical Hacker’ blog has given you an insight into what Ethical Hacking is, who Ethical Hackers are, and the several skills that you need to master to become one. So, if you want to pursue a career in this domain, sign up for the course today and get started with your journey towards becoming a certified Ethical Hacker.